Page 96 of Everything That Kills Me
It was close to nine when Jack pulled up outside the house. The sun wouldn’t set for another hour. He left Zeph sleeping and emptied the car, unpacking everything including the food they’d bought on the way.
Jack liked it here. It was a short walk over the dunes to the sea. He’d learned to swim in the pool. There were two large bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living-dining area with a TV and comfy couches with a blue-grey theme, a utility room, pantry, and study lined with shelves of books. Between the study and garage was a hidden room where Thomas kept weapons and a computer. In the garage were bikes, surfboards, kite surfing equipment and inflatable kayaks among other items. Everything anyone snooping would expect to see.
Coming here with Thomas was the nearest Jack had ever had to a holiday, but there was always some reason why they were there. Never solely for pleasure. Sometimes he’d longed to just lie on the beach and not think about how far he’d have to run to find cover, or why that man was wearing clothes unsuited to a beach. Thomas had taught him to be suspicious of everything and now it was engrained in him.
When Jack was younger, Thomas had left him there for a month with a couple who’d taught him Farsi and martial arts until Thomas returned. No other language was spoken. Every moment of the day was spent learning. He huffed when he thought about it. Little pleasure then, but now pleasure sat outside in the car. Jack went out to wake him. The sunset was going to be spectacular.
Zeph opened his eyes as Jack squeezed his shoulder.
“Have you unpacked everything yet?” Zeph asked. “Cooked dinner? Poured wine?”
“You little…”
He laughed and stretched. “I’ve only just woken up.”
“Come and watch the sun go down.”
Zeph climbed out of the car. “This is where you booked? Not some random place you’ve broken into?”
Jacktsked. “You guessed. I tied up the owners and shut them in the garage with two dogs and three cats. Ignore the yowling.”
He locked the car, took Zeph by the hand and led him into the house.
“Wow,” Zeph said. “Good choice. It’s like a home. You have to let me pay half the rental.”
“Fine.” Clearly not going to happen.
He handed Zeph a glass of red wine, picked up his own and they went outside. Jack slid the door closed behind them. On one side of the decking was a grey table and chairs made from synthetic rattan. There were matching sun loungers by the pool with parasols ready to put up. The outdoor furniture was new. He hadn’t seen it before.
Jack led Zeph along the wooden boardwalk built after Thomas purchased the house. It protected the dunes from erosion caused by tramping feet. Two wooden Adirondack chairs, faded like the pathway, sat in a sheltered hollow with a view of the beach. Jack had sat with Thomas and watched the sun set. Sand had filled the space beneath them so the seats were barely above ground.
Zeph stared out at the horizon. “That view. The sky looks huge. You can almost see the curvature of the earth. And America.”
Jack laughed. “The laser eye surgery was very effective.”
He sat down and Zeph joined him. There were cushions in the garage. Jack hadn’t thought to get them. He’d lift the chairs out of the sand tomorrow, sweep the boardwalk.
“To our fabulous holiday!” Zeph lifted his glass to Jack’s. “To sun, sex, sea, sex, sand, sex, sandwiches, sex, swimming, sex, sangria, sex— I’m stuck.”
“Sand and sex aren’t the perfect combination.”
Jack set his glass on the arm of the chair and reached for Zeph’s hand. Their fingers twisted together.
“This is fantastic,” Zeph whispered. “If it wasn’t for the lights to the right and left of us, I’d think we were on another planet. Maybe the sand doesn’t get into places it shouldn’t in a location like this.”
“I wouldn’t count on it.”
The sky grew brighter at the horizon, colours bleeding together into a breathtaking gold as the sun slowly melted into the sea.
“I’m almost speechless,” Zeph whispered. “It’s spectacular.”
They sat and watched until the colour had gone and the sky eventually darkened.
Zeph moved to Jack’s lap. “Thank you for showing me this. Thank you for everything. For coming back into my life, for asking me to come on holiday with you, for being you—even though you’re good at everything, damn you to hell and back for that. Apart from keeping in touch. You’re not good at that. Thank you for being…my friend.” Zeph let out a choked laugh. “I feel as though I’ve been carrying a heavy weight for a long time and it’s disappeared. I was worried about you.”
Alarm bells rang in Jack’s head.Change the subject.“Want to go for a swim?”
“And the weight’s come back. No. Are you utterly insane?”
