Page 28 of Crocodile Tears

His leg felt strange. It didn’t hurt – it just felt strange. He looked down and saw blood streaming from a deep cut in his thigh. It was only then that the pain kicked in. He opened his mouth and screamed.

Nobody answered, nobody came to help. He kicked his way out of the remains of the vehicle and saw his mother lying on the side of the road, her face at an impossible angle to her body, her neck twisted grotesquely, and her eyes open, staring at nothing. A thin stream of blood, as red as her lips, trickled from her mouth. A few feet away, back down the road, he heard a low whimper, and turned to look for Charles.

Alex blinked. He would give anything to turn back the clock, but it was too late. Croc had helped take the edge off the pain since. Sex helped, too. Sex with strangers in clubs and bars – an endless succession of one-night stands with men and women – he didn’t care which.

He wiped away his crocodile tears on the scarf, then looked around for his case. The indies had unpacked everything while he’d been at lunch and put most of his belongings away, but he soon located his sketchpad and pencil case lying on the desk in the corner of the room. He picked them up and went over to the window seat. Then he wrapped the scarf around his neck and began to draw.

He drew AVs, dozens of them, the way they should be, with sharp,sleek lines – objects of beauty in their own right, not the clumsy, functional, duck-shaped vehicles his father’s factory churned out.

His pencil skimmed across the paper at great speed, calming him. He was so lost in the drawings that he didn’t notice the time until there was a little knock at the door. He glanced up and saw that it was starting to get dark outside.

Neil came into the room and shut the door behind him. His face was shiny and happy, his chest puffed out.

“I did it!” he proclaimed triumphantly.

“Did what?” Alex tried to drag his mind away from the peaceful world of his sketches.

“I was just in a meeting with your father. He was asking about you – how it was going at university, and whether you were taking drugs and getting drunk, or had settled down and were working hard, like he asked you to.”

“Oh.” Alex stared at him. He’d been so caught up in his reaction to Charles’s big announcement that he’d forgotten Neil would be discussing him with his dad.

“I recorded it. Listen.” Neil took out his nanopad and clicked.

“So, Neil – how’s it going? How is he doing?” His father’s voice.

Alex stiffened. He knew, logically, that this was why his father had sent Neil to university with him, but the reality of it still stung.

“He’s doing really well, sir. He’s a pleasure to be with.”

“Really? Because judging by the way he behaved today, he’s still the same old Alex.”

“I think he’s just nervous at being home again, sir, that’s all,” Neil said.

Noah was heard giving a weary grunt. “This is important, Neil. Alex was right about one thing, at least – this family can’t handle another scandal. I can’t have him running amok at Oxford and having his exploits plastered all over the internet. If you think that might happen, then you must tell me, and I’ll call him home immediately.

“I will, sir. You know you can trust me. I really value the opportunity you’ve given me. I won’t let you down.”

“You’re a good boy, Neil. I’d hate to see Alex waste his potential.This past year has damn near destroyed us all – we can’t go through anything like it again. You must make sure he stays out of trouble.”

“I will,” Neil assured him. “We get on really well. We’ve become friends. Good friends.”

Neil clicked off the recording and shot Alex a sly smile. “Friends. That’s right, isn’t it, Alex?”

“Yes, that’s right, Neil,” Alex said quietly. “Friends.”

“Goodfriends,” Neil said sharply.

“Yes. Good friends.” Alex loosened the scarf around his neck, which suddenly felt too tight.

Neil came over to stand beside him. “They’re beautiful,” he said, glancing at the page of sleek AVs Alex had drawn.

“It’s how our AVs should look. If my father listened to me, he’d make a fortune. Lytton AV isn’t exactly doing well at the moment. He has no imagination or creativity. He’s stifling the company.”

Neil ran his hand down Alex’s cheek. “Verygood friends,” he said.

Alex glanced up at him with a weary smile. “Yes. Very.” He put the sketchpad aside and stood up.

Neil was facing him, his gaze fixed on Alex’s mouth. His lips were slightly parted and his tongue darted out to wet them, making them glisten. His chest was heaving, rising and falling with the harsh, guttural sound of his desire.

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