Page 104 of Butterfly

“What are you going to do?”

Ollie exhaled. “I think I’m going to move in with my auntie and uncle, look for a job up there.”

He expected Rory to smile, to look relieved, but instead he slumped.

“If that’s what you want…”

“It’s not what I want, but I think it’s what I need.” Ollie avoided Rory’s gaze. “I need to get away for a while, but don’t worry, you won’t get rid of me that easily.”

Rory took Ollie’s hand and squeezed. “I never want to get rid of you, Ollie, never. We’re best friends, right?”

Ollie rolled his eyes. “That’s so fucking cheesy…but yeah, it’s true.”

“And I’m what?” Sebastian asked from behind them with his arms crossed. “Spare fucking wheel?”

“Yep,” Ollie replied. “Spare penny farthingwheel…”

Rory laughed but slapped his hand to his mouth to muffle the sound.

Sebastian delivered his most chilling glare to Rory, who shuddered.

Ollie knew what that meant.

It meant an early night for Sebastian and Rory…

Rory and Sebastian were at work when the letter arrived. It dropped onto the doormat, and Ollie yawned into his hand as he crouched down to grab it. His own handwriting had him frowning, then he noticed the Hollybrook crest. Ollie’s fingers shook as he touched the tape around the address. It had been ripped from his own letter and stuck to the envelope.

He sat down on the bottom step of the stairs and opened the letter. Inside there was a visiting form filled out with his details. All he needed to do was call the number at the bottom and confirm the date. Teddy had finally responded. In four days, he wanted Ollie to visit.

There was a piece of paper inside, folded in half. Ollie eased out a slow breath before flattening the letter on his knees.

It only said one word.

Please.

But it was written in big, wonky letters.

“Teddy,” he breathed.

Ollie checked the visiting form again. Someone else had written that out for him, at a guess Green or Jack, but the letter, theplease, that had been from Teddy. Ollie traced his finger over each letter, trying to pick a tone from the paper, trying to get a read on the emotion behind the word.

“Now?” He shook his head. “Are you serious?”

He’d said goodbye.

He’d shut the door.

Ollieneededto so he could move on with a new life. It had to be a new life because he couldn’t take the old one with him.

But Teddy was trying to pull him back in.

He flicked his gaze back and forth from the visiting form to theplease. The thought of scrunching up the form and burying it in the bottom of the bin came and went.

Please.

“Fuck,” he growled, getting to his feet.

Ollie hurried into the kitchen and snatched the phone off the side.

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