Page 90 of Lilly
“Thank you for agreeing to meet me,” I say when he sits back down. I know it wasn’t easy for him. He told me many time over message about how he doesn’t want to bring up the past and I understand why that might be the case from the little bit I do know about his and Lucas’childhood.
“You’re welcome. Tell me about him. Lucas. What’s he like now? What does hedo?”
I’d only given basic snippets about Lucas when we were messaging and although I’m a little more open with the details now, I’m still aware that Lucas might not want him to know toomuch.
“I always knew he would do well for himself,” Marcus says with a look of pure awe on his face when I talk about the hotels. “I idolised him growing up. Even after he left, because it wasn’t until then I realised how much he did for me,” he says with a sadness suddenly washing overhim.
I sit quietly as Marcus gets lost in his memories for a few seconds. It’s clear that the pain is still very raw, even now he’s twenty-six.
When he comes back to me he starts to tell me about his life now. It doesn’t escape my notice that he ignores anything before his twenties. I can only imagine what life must have been like for him once Lucas got out. I was expecting him to be angry with him, but it doesn’t seem that way. Not to me, anyway. It may be different when—if—they meet. Marcus is a mechanic. He tells me how he’s always loved cars and how it’s his dream job. He has a small garage with a studio flat above not that far fromhere.
I’m shocked when I learn how close to each other Lucas and Marcus have been and didn’t even realise it. I know Lucas ran to London for a while but I’m surprised they are both now so close to where they grew up. If I was in their place, I’m not sure I’d want to be living locally to where all that went on. But then, what do I know about it all,really?
Marcus is busy chatting about his life when suddenly he stops mid-sentence. His mouth drops open as he stares intently over myshoulder.
