Page 16 of Everything That Kills Me
Alice dragged him back outside by his elbow. Jack tried a couple of times to get free but she was like a limpet. When he moved, so did she. Was he supposed to tell her he wasn’t interested? If he was cool enough with her, would she get the hint without him saying anything? Was there some etiquette he was supposed to follow? Thomas’s admonishment to be kind still rang in his head. She slid her arm around his waist.Shit.
“I’m really glad you’ve come,” she told him. “The flowers are lovely. No one’s ever bought me flowers before.”
Double shit.This wasn’t his idea of fun. Jack was tempted to call Thomas and ask him to come and get him, but changed his mind when he caught sight of Zeph. Except Zeph turned away when their gazes clashed. Maybe this was his chance to findout why Zeph hadn’t spoken to him for the last week. He just needed to disentangle himself from Alice. He excused himself to go to the bathroom and Alice followed.Of course she did.
He lingered in there looking at childhood photos; two small girls by the sea, in a park, in Paris and— Oh, one of Zeph when he was a small boy, sitting on a donkey, a big smile on his face. Zeph was her stepbrother? He’d never seen Zeph talk to her or Georgia at school.
Alice was waiting outside the bathroom when he emerged.Oh God.He was going to be embarrassed to tell Thomas about this. Though it would probably make him laugh.
The cake was produced with some fanfare and he slid away while Alice was lighting the candles, only for Portia to move in. She tucked her arm into his. She had a boyfriend, so was she pissing off her boyfriend or Alice?
“Having fun?” Portia asked.
“Are you?”
She threw back her head and laughed. What was so funny? Then he spotted Alice coming back. Alice glanced from him to Portia and her mouth turned down.For fuck’s sake. I’m not playing childish games.
Portia put her mouth to his ear. “See you later.”
Not if he saw her first. Jack crossed his arms, still cradling his drink. Alice stood by his side and Jack stared at Zeph, who looked as though he’d rather be doing anything other than blow out candles on a child’s birthday cake. A strip of what looked like cheese had been placed next to the number 6 on the rocket. They couldn’t even get him a decent cake? Scott made some sarky remark about Zeph’s blowing skills, which made people laugh. Jack didn’t miss the way Zeph’s jaw tightened, but he put a smile on his face.Good for him.
“I have to hand out cake,” Alice said to Jack. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
He was going home before she returned. The moment she was out of sight, he edged around the side of the house only to see Zeph in front of him. Instead of phoning Thomas, he followed Zeph.
After Zeph walked into the field, Jack hung back to see what he was going to do. When he lay down on one of the bales, Jack hesitated. Zeph clearly wanted to be on his own. He tapped in thecome get memessage to Thomas, then didn’t send it. Thomas had told him when you weren’t certain what to do, then do nothing, but Jack didn’t agree. Sometimes you went with your gut. What was the worst that could happen? Zeph told him to fuck off?
Jack walked over. “Happy Birthday.”
Zeph slid off the hay bale. Before he could stand up, Jack dropped down at his side. “Room for me to hide too?”
Zeph shuffled to a sitting position and leaned back. “Who are you hiding from?”
“Alice.”
“Ah.”
“I didn’t know how to tell her I wasn’t interested.”
“So you ran away and hid?”
“Yes. I thought it was worth a try. I’m pretty sure she didn’t put a tracking device on me.” He patted his legs.
Zeph laughed. “Only because she doesn’t have one. Yet.”
“I didn’t realise it was your party. I thought it was Alice’s birthday. I didn’t even know you were Alice’s brother—stepbrother. Or that Georgia was her sister.”
“Would you not have come if you’d known?”
“I have the feeling you wouldn’t have wanted me to.”
“I didn’t want a party. It was forced on me.”
“As was the presence of Scott and Rufus?”
“What the hell was Alice thinking? She knows I don’t like them. She tries too hard to make people like her. But why would I wantthemhere?”
“Or me?”
