Page 62 of Crocodile Tears

“Doesn’t your girl mind?”

He shrugged. “If she does, she doesn’t say. She knew the deal when we first got together.”

“How has the media never found out?”

“Mostly luck, as I haven’t always been that careful.” He grimaced. “Also, they tend to lose interest in me whenever you’re not in the news. One reporter did find out recently, though.”

“Shit. What did you do?”

“I gave him the best blowjob of his life, and he decided to keep it to himself.” He gave a triumphant smirk, and Charles burst out laughing. “What about you?” he asked. “Is there any romance in your life?”

“I do okay,” Charles winked. “There’s no special lady yet, though. It’s a lot to ask a girl to take on.”

Alex suspected that his brother preferred having a throng of adoring fans to finding one “special lady”. Charles had never been one for steady girlfriends, even before the accident.

“Mum would have loved today.” Charles squeezed his arm gently. “She would have been so proud of you.”

“I hope so. It always seemed like nothing I did mattered compared to your achievements.”

“She adored you,” Charles protested.

“But you were her great creation – the hero she gave to the world. I was always envious of how your rowing meant you got to spend so much time with her.”

Charles chuckled. “She was absolutely determined I was going to be the UK’s first Olympic champion since the resurrection of the Games after the Rising.”

“At least she got her wish before she died.”

“Amen.” Charles squeezed his arm again. “I miss her,” he whispered.

“Me too.” Alex leaned down and rested his forehead against Charles’s. They rarely talked about it, but it was always there, a shared sense of terrible loss.

He drew back, dropped a kiss on his brother’s hair, and then turned in time to see his father returning with a bottle of champagne – and Neil, who was carrying a tray with four glasses.

“I was just congratulating Neil,” Noah said. “I must say, you boys really knuckled down and produced fantastic academic results. I’m proud of you both.”

Alex gave a tight smile; he didn’t want Neil included in his father’s praise.

“Neil was telling me how close you two have become during your time here,” Noah continued.

Alex glanced at Neil, who gazed back at him steadily, a glint of malice in his brown eyes.

“Yeah,” Alex said curtly.

Noah popped open the champagne bottle, and Neil held out the tray.

“Neil’s been good for you,” Noah said as he filled the glasses. “You know, three years ago, when you first left home, I thought Oxford would be a total disaster for you. I used to dread getting a call that you’d been found drugged out of your head in a lost zone somewhere. Yet here you are with a first-class degree – and I think we have Neil to thank for that.”

“Really?” Alex drawled.

Neil gave a self-effacing smile. “Oh no, sir. Alex worked really hard – that’s all down to him, not me. I just provided a steadying influence.”

“Nonsense – you did a great job.” Noah handed around the champagne glasses. “Neil made a brilliant suggestion to me, Alex – one I think you’ll like.”

“Did he really?” Alex felt a hint of foreboding.

“As you boys get on so well together, Neil suggested I buy a place near Lytton AV for you to share. Isn’t that a great idea? As a matter of fact, we’ve got a company flat that you can use.”

Alex glanced from his father to Neil and back again. “You know, that’s a great idea,” he said tightly, knowing he’d been backed into a corner. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”

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