Page 160 of The Making of Jonty Bloom
Devan narrowed his eyes. “I’ll buy you one and if you don’t eat it, I won’t buy you a sex swing.”
Jonty gulped. “Okay.”
Devan ordered fish and chips for himself and kippers for Jonty. He knew Devan didn’t think he was going to eat it, but he was. Though when the plate was put in front of him, he almost gagged.
“Looks delicious.” Devan grinned.
“It looks like the mummified remains of two fish. Why do they have to leave the tails on?”
Fifteen minutes later, Jonty had carefully separated a small amount of flesh from a large amount of bones and skin and tails and he wasn’t convinced that he’d actually found all the bones. The fuckers were tiny. He knew Devan was trying not to laugh.
“Are you actually going to eat it now?” Devan had hoovered up his fish and chips without sharing.The bastard.
Jonty took the tiniest forkful and put it in his mouth. Chewed, swallowed and smiled.God, it’s awful.
“I’m completely full,” he said.
Devan laughed and let him leave the rest.
After Jonty had paid and they were back outside, he groaned. “I’m empty again now.”
“Chips?”
“I could eat a few.”
They sat on the sea wall while Jonty ate a large portion of chips, smothered with salt and vinegar.
“I was surprised you ate even a mouthful of those kippers,” Devan said.
“They were vile. I mean I know some people love them, but ugh.”
“I’ve never enjoyed watching anyone eat something as much. There’s never a dull moment with you.”
“I knew you’d be impressed by my forty fun things to do with a kipper. Looking at it, taking a picture, cutting it, finding every bone, then finding all the other bones and so on.”
“Where’s the BDSM in that?”
“I think you’ll find the kipper thought that was BDSM.”
Devan chuckled.
NOT EVERY DAY WAS FILLEDwith fun. There were more visits to the police. More questions to be answered. Brad was still claiming he was innocent, that he had nothing to do with Tay’s fall, that he’d tried to save Jonty from drowning, but the cameras he’d put in the cottage condemned him, linked to his laptop. At least he was locked up and would be until the trial.
Devan went with Jonty to see Tay and there was some reaction from Tay each time they visited, particularly when Brad Greene was mentioned. Tay’s mother made a point about Tay being more responsive with Jonty, which just added to the weight of guilt Jonty struggled under. Without Devan he would have crumbled, but the need to stay in Northumberland didn’t lessen, even as Tay slowly made progress.
Jonty and Devan talked about what their future held, but had come to no decisions. For Jonty, his plans were clear. He had to stay, find a job and see Devan when he could. But getting down to London not only took a long time, it cost a lot of money. At the moment, Jonty had no home, no job and dwindling savings.
But they were working through Jonty’s list of things to do and Jonty had never been happier. Every morning, Devan persuaded him out of bed. If not before he’d been for a run on the beach, then after.
“I’m off,” Devan called up the stairs.
“Take something metal with you so if you get lost, I can find you using the metal detector. Do we have one?”
Devan hadn’t been gone long when the doorbell rang. Jonty pulled on a robe and went into the front bedroom to check who was there before he went to open the door. It was the postman with a parcel addressed to him.
Jonty put it on the table and sighed. He couldn’t think there was any way that Brad could get this delivered to him, but he wasn’t going to open it until Devan was back.
He made himself a coffee and waited.
