Page 94 of The Making of Jonty Bloom
Shut up, Tay. He might tell me. Please let him tell me.Jonty found it hard to remember when he’d felt as disappointed. Why hadn’t Devan told him the truth about why he’d come up here?
“I didn’t think you were working until tonight.”
“Someone’s sick.”
“There will be a number of increasingly desperate messages on your phone,” Devan said.
“Oh good, I’ve been waiting for a call from Matt Bomer. Hope he wasn’t too pissed off I didn’t answer.” Jonty was trying to be normal, but it took a lot of effort. How long was he supposed to wait for Devan to tell him about the hotel?
“Are you taking Dottie for a walk?”
“We’re going on a dinosaur hunt. She has an amazing sense of smell.”Stop being sarcastic.
“Can I come?”
He should have saidno, I need to worry about whether I’ve lost my job and if you’re a complete arsehole among a whole lot of other stuff,but “If you like,” came out of his mouth.
Devan pulled on his jacket and locked his car. They headed down onto the sand. Sheets of grey rain swept across an almost deserted beach. The tide was in and lace-fringed waves rolled onto the shore. Jonty let Dottie off the lead. She raced away, but she wouldn’t go too far and definitely not into the water.
“Delete the messages,” Devan said.
Be normal!“You have to be kidding. I’ll play them right now. I hope there are a few dick pics too.” He scrolled to the first one.
“I’m sorry. I came back. Call me.”
“I drove four miles,” Devan said. “Four miles too many.”
Jonty forced a smile onto his face.
Hi, it’s me. The me you were going to introduce to the fourth wonder of Northumberland. The me who can’t wait to marvel at it and all the other wonders. As soon as I’ve spoken to Ravi and found out what he wants, I’ll come back. I did come back before, but you weren’t there. If I wasn’t anxious that something bad had happened to bring Ravi up here, I wouldn’t have left. I should have brought you with me. I’m sorry I didn’t. See you soon.There’s something I need to tell you.
“Still no dick pic?”
“I’m an idiot.” Devan reached for Jonty’s fingers and held onto his hand.
Jonty pulled away. Was there anything Devan could say that would put this right? Anything that would let Jonty hope, when hope seemed pointless?
Jonty please let me know you’re all right.
Call me.
Where the fuck are you? I’m sitting outside your place. It’s eleven at night and your bike isn’t there.
I don’t want Ravi. I want you. Please be okay.
“I felt more desperate than I sound,” Devan said. “I also got attacked by a woman this morning. Getting hit with a handbag hurts and she tried to sic her dog on me. That didn’t work.”
“What were you doing?”
“Looking through your letter box.”
“I’m guessing that was Miriam and Snoopy. You were in no danger. Snoopy’s so lazy he drinks from his water bowl without getting up off the floor.” Jonty chuckled. “Now there’s no battery’s left. I’m so disappointed. I assume the dick pics are at the end as an incentive to call you.”Tell me what you’re doing up here!
“I’m really sorry. I should never have left you.”
“I wish you hadn’t. Brad put a snake through my letterbox.”
“He what?”
