Page 125 of Everything That Kills Me
“You could blindfold me. I could lie down on the backseat. Can we stop so I can buy Thomas a present. And Django. And food? Drink? It’s not fair for me to just turn up, I—”
Jack stopped his mouth with his and Zeph’s worries faded for the moment. He wanted to spend Christmas with Jack.Oh God!Hereallywanted to spend Christmas with Jack.
“Go up and get your stuff together.”
“I need to be back on the twenty-seventh,” Zeph said. “I have an appointment I can’t miss.”
“What time?”
“Three o’clock.”
“Okay.”
When Zeph returned with his bag, Jack was waiting in the hall. Zeph made sure all the lights were switched off before they left. The snow that had been on the ground earlier had gone, but it was bitterly cold and getting dark.
Zeph’s excitement faded as they set off. He shouldn’t be doing this. He should have made up some lie about Martin asking him to go tomorrow instead. Too late now.
Twenty-Nine
Jack had no need to bother with a blindfold. Zeph slept almost the entire way. Though when they left the house tomorrow to go shopping, it would become obvious they were back in Middleton. Zeph might not know where Thomas and Jack had lived, but he knew the area. Thomas had rented the house out after they’d left and recently had it repainted. He’d also updated the security systems. Another bolt hole, though it wouldn’t have been where they’d stayed if it had just been him and Thomas for Christmas.
Thomas made it quite clear that he was pissed off not to be in the house in Aversham. But Jack had also made it clear that if Zeph couldn’t come, he wouldn’t be coming either. Thomas had relented.
His car was on the drive when they arrived. Thomas had considered putting electric gates on the property but Jack had talked him out of it. They wouldn’t deter those out to get them, and might make the house look more enticing to a burglar. The motion sensors and CCTV should be enough.
He left Zeph in the car and approached the house. Thomas opened the door and greeted him with a glare. Django jumped up, wagging his tail hard enough to raise bruises.
“Good boy.” Jack stroked Django’s head.
“You’re not.”
“No. Sorry and thank you.” Jack hoped to disarm Thomas but he was still scowling.
“Where is he?”
“Asleep for the last thirty miles. It’s only until Boxing Day. I didn’t want to leave him on his own. Or you.”
“I had a perfectly good Christmas tree. Now we need another one.”
“I’ll take Zeph to the garden centre tomorrow.”
“I warned you about getting involved,” Thomas said quietly.
“He makes me happy. I deserve happiness, don’t I?”
“It can’t last.”
Jack shrugged. “I’ll take what I can get.”
Thomas sighed. “Wake him up. I turned on the heating remotely and I’ve plenty of food. If there’s anything special he wants, you’ll need to buy it tomorrow. I’m not happy about this, Jack.”
“Oh, I hadn’t noticed. You seem your usual benevolent self. Try to be nice.”
“I’m making pizza. That’s as nice as I get.”
Jack went to the car, carried their bags in and returned to wake Zeph.
He opened his eyes and jerked upright. “Are we there yet?”
