Page 48 of Enemies to Lovers

‘No,’ I shake my head.

‘Ah,’ Adonis nods again.

‘What?’

He shrugs. ‘Nothing,’ he says. ‘It’s nothing. I have to go now, but later, yes? See me later.’

‘Okay,’ I reply, and as Adonis kisses my cheek and says goodbye to everyone else, I can’t help but notice Jamie is shooting daggers at him – the only one not to say it was nice to see him.

12

We spend the rest of the afternoon soaking up the sun, and I flick through one of Mum’s magazines, reading about celebrities and what clothes are hot right now. Jamie and Laurie are playing ping-pong on a table they found in one of the outhouses, and Alex and Kate are … colouring.

‘I don’t understand,’ Dad says, peering over at them. ‘He has a whole book of drawings and carries that pencil case with him everywhere?’

‘I believe so,’ Mum replies.

‘I can hear you,’ Alex says, without looking up.

‘I’m only curious, son,’ Dad replies. ‘That’s all. You didn’t even like colouring in when you were little. I’m just surprised.’

‘It’s quite therapeutic actually,’ says Kate. ‘You should come and try it.’

I look over at Dad and he shrugs.

‘I’ll do some,’ I say, wandering over to their set-up across the table. Alex has an A4 page of three men engaging in various sexual acts in front of him, one-third of it coloured in. ‘Classy,’ I comment, pointing at it.

‘It’s whatever holds your interest, isn’t it?’ Alexshrugs. ‘Kate chose a woman getting oral sex off an octopus, a rip-off of that famous painting of the fisherman’s wife or whatever it’s called, but I don’t hear you judging her.’

‘Is it porn then?’ Dad asks, suddenly more interested. He comes and stands beside me and picks up the pad of drawings that Kate and Alex have ripped their ‘art’ from. ‘AKama Sutra Colouring Book,’ he reads off the front. As he opens it up, he says, ‘Look, Vee! We know this one, don’t we?’

‘Dad!’ I squeal, disgusted, as Alex says, ‘Ha ha. Just pick one and start colouring. Kate and I are cross-hatching our lines, so it looks even better. Like this, see?’ Alex demonstrates lightly running his pencil in one direction and then going over the top in another, so that all the lines are less visible.

‘I remember learning cross-hatching with Ms Watts at school,’ I say. I feel like if I know what cross-hatching is, I might be good at this – and being good at stuff is my kink. ‘Go on then, I’ll do it, too.’

I leaf through the book and find a drawing of two people fully clothed and kissing passionately. They look happy, like the whole point of life is to enjoy each other. I like it.

Mum and Dad pick one each, too – I refuse to acknowledge whichKama Sutrapositions they’ve chosen, and we work side-by-side for a while, the only noise coming from Jamie and Laurie playing ping-pong.

‘Have it!’ Laurie gleefully shouts after he sends the ball sailing past Jamie’s head. As Jamie goes to retrieve it, he adds, ‘I feel like I’m playing a brick wall, to be honest with you. Where’s your head at, Kramer? It’s not like you not to put up a fight.’

Jamie doesn’t say anything, simply glances at me and then takes his serve.

‘Gosh,’ says Mum after a while. ‘I see what you mean. Something about the strokes back and forth, concentrating on staying in the lines …’

‘Yes,’ agrees Dad. ‘A moving meditation of sorts.’

Mum points to the air in delight. ‘Yes, darling,’ she says. ‘You’re so clever, that’s it entirely!’

‘I love how kind you two are to each other,’ says Kate. ‘My parents like each other, but I wouldn’t say they champion each other as you do.’

‘Oh, Kate,’ says Mum, ‘that’s a lovely compliment. Thank you.’

Over at the ping-pong table, Jamie gives away another point.

‘You’re welcome,’ Kate replies, putting back the dark red I’ve been waiting ages for.

‘And I will say, I think you and Laurie do a beautiful job of supporting and championing each other, too. That’s all I want for my children: for them to live bold lives with partners who want the best for them.’

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