Page 67 of Everything That Kills Me
When Jack woke, Zeph was watching him.
“Hi.” Jack smiled.
“Would you have sneaked out if I’d been asleep?”
“No.” Though he should have done.
“I’ve been waiting three years to find out why you left so suddenly and couldn’t keep in touch.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you going to tell me?”
“I had no idea Thomas was going to remove me from the school. After he picked me up that morning, he told me we were leaving the same day. We went to live in America.”
Zeph widened his eyes. “How could you just do that? Don’t you need visas and green cards and stuff? He must have been planning it. Why would he let you start at school in the UK and then yank you out? Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“I’m wondering if I was right when I couldn’t find any trace of you. Were you in witness protection?” Zeph whispered the final two words though there was no one to hear but them.
Zeph had managed the jump Jack had been going to offer, but it didn’t make him feel any better about lying. It was an educated guess and worked for Jack’s purposes.
“You know I can’t tell you whether you’re right or not.” Jack brushed Zeph’s silky hair away from his eyes. “But please don’t take photos of me, don’t talk about me to anyone.”
“Aren’t you’re safe now? Isn’t that why you’ve finally come to see me?”
“I don’t think Thomas and I can ever be safe.” Nor would anyone close to them.
“Is he with you?”
“No. He doesn’t know I’ve found you.” He probably did.
“I can’t have been hard to find.”
“No. You’d told me what you planned to do and you’re doing it. The only thing I don’t know is why you changed schools after I left.”
“I wanted to stay at Fishbourne while you were there, but when you weren’t, there was no point living at home and being unhappy. Alice caused some issues.”
“In what way?”
“She tried to kill me.”
“Holy shit.” Jack pushed up on his elbow.
“I didn’t tell the police.”
“What the hell did she do?”
“Shoved me down an embankment onto a train track.”
“Christ.”
“Obviously, I survived. On the plus side, life with my uncle and his partner was great. Everything it should have been with my dad and more. They love me, encourage me. They care so much.” Zeph’s eyes shone with tears. “I was lucky to have them.”
“What happened to Alice?”
“She did as I asked in return for not saying anything, and got professional help. Things were better for her when both you and I had gone. I heard she went out with Rufus for a while.”
