Page 129 of Fe
“Want to go and get more to eat?” Judd asked.
“There you are.” Ripley reached for Fen’s hand and pulled him to his feet.
Fen almost collapsed into Ripley’s arms. Without Ripley’s support, he’d have crashed to the floor.
“Hey, are you okay?” Ripley whispered.
“Yes.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I am! Just a bit wobbly.”
“Want to take the desserts out of the fridge?”
“Could you do it, please?”
Ripley looked into Fen’s face. “You’re very pale. And you’re shaking.”
“I’m all right.”
Ripley sat him down on one of the swivel seats. “Stay there.”
Fen watched as Ripley cleared the work surface and put out the desserts.
“Which would you like?”
“I don’t—”
“Which one,” Ripley repeated.
“The pavlova, please.”
Ripley came back to his side with a portion of the meringue and held a spoon to Fen’s lips. “Eat.”
Fen ate.
After he’d eaten a little, he did feel better. When he refused more, Ripley ate it and moaned. “Oh no. Don’t make this again.”
“Why? What’s wrong with it?” It tasted okay.
“I’d hide it and eat all of it myself.”
Fen managed a brief laugh. Should he tell Ripley he and Judd were related? It wasn’t a conversation for now. Judd had no idea who Fen was. Maybe it was better to keep it that way. But if Judd and Christian got married in June and Ripley was best man, then he’d expect Fen to be with him and what if his father saw him and… Fen could feel himself breathing too heavily.
“Open up, little chick.” Ripley gave him another spoonful. “I think you needed sugar. You did too much. You’re exhausted.” He moved in front of the stool and Fen rested his head on Ripley’s chest and wrapped his legs around him.
“I wish we had the hot tub right now,” Ripley whispered. “Think it would be rude if I told everyone to fuck off?”
“Yes. You need to wait a bit longer.”
“How much longer?”
“Ten minutes?”
Ripley sighed. “Think you can dance if I hold you up?”
“People are dancing?”
