Page 20 of Silver Tears

I scan the café and spot Milly and the mystery kid sitting over at a table in the large bay window. Their heads are bent as they colour with crayons. “I’ve actually spotted a friend, so I’ll eat in,” I inform her, and gesture with my head over to Milly before I make my way over.

“Fancy seeing you here,” I say as I sneak up on their table quietly. At the sound of my voice, Milly’s head snaps up and her eyes widen in something akin to fear.

“What are you doing here?” she asks sharply. Her eyes moving between me and the kid.

“I brought Vee to the crystal shop and thought I’d come grab a coffee.”

“Oh, Vee’s here as well,” she says, looking across the street and chewing at her bottom lip.

“Hey kid, I’m Seb. A friend of Milly’s. What’s your name?” I take the seat opposite them and Milly’s frown deepens.

“His name is Charlie,” she snaps before the kid has a chance to even utter a word. “Shouldn’t you be ordering that coffee?” she asks me, gesturing to the serving counter. It’s clear she’s trying to get rid of me.

“Ah,” I reply, leaning my arm on the back of the chair and observing her with a lazy interest. “I thought I’d come sit with you guys. You don’t mind, do you, Charlie?”

Little Charlie looks up at me, grinning, and shakes his head. “Nope. Are you having pancakes too? I’m having Nutella ones. They’re delicious.”

I lean across the table, smiling at him. “I haven’t had them before, but you know what? Maybe I will order them, now you’ve said they’re yummy. So how do you know Milly?”

“She’s my sister,” the little kid blurts out before Mill’s can stop him and I watch her face contort in discomfort.

“Sister, huh?” I reply, studying Mills as she goes into some kind of internal melt down.

“Hey Charlie, can you go grab some more crayons? We need a green one to colour in the pirate’s hat.”

Charlie nods his head happily and strolls off to the counter where he stops and talks to the lady server.

“You can’t tell anybody about Charlie,” she orders me. She reaches across the table to grab my arm. I look down at her hand and back up to her face. Man, she’s certainly worked up about this.

“And why’s that, Mills?” I study her reactions. “Why can’t anyone know?”

She glances over at Charlie before her green eyes focus back on me. She leans in closer. “No one knows about him. He’s my mum’s kid. My family doesn’t know I’m in touch with her.”

I nod my head, processing this information. “So that’s why you were at the bus stop that night. You were visiting your brother?”

She nods her head and picking up a napkin; she twists it in her hands, round and round. I place my hand over hers to stop her. She snatches her hand away and puts the shredded napkin down.

“It’s complicated. But my dad wouldn’t be happy if he knew I was seeing mum. Charlie needs me. Things with mum aren’t great right now.”

Charlie comes bounding back over before I can reply. It’s only now when I take the time to study him, I can see the resemblance. He has the same big jade-green eyes that Mills has. His hair is brown though, whereas Mills is blonde. She wraps her arm around him and praises his colouring skills. There’s no doubt that she adores this little boy.

“Promise me you won’t say anything,” she begs, looking up at me with hope.

“Hey Charlie, will you ask that nice lady if she can make me a black coffee?”

Charlie bobs his head enthusiastically and runs off to order my drink. I turn my full attention back to the pink-haired girl before me. “What’s it worth to me?” Yes, I’m that arsehole. I’ve been brought up to always look at everything as an opportunity.

“What do you want?” she asks me with a scowl. If she didn’t already hate me, she does now.

I shrug my shoulders casually. “I’m not sure. I’m sure I’ll think of something.”

She taps at the table with her nails and glares at me. “I’m not having sex with you.”

I chuckle. “Mills, you think I need to blackmail girls to have sex with me. They’re lining up to offer it to me on a plate. It’s interesting it was the first thing you thought of, though. Do you think about me like that?” I waggle my eyebrows at her, and her scowl deepens, marring that pretty face of hers.

“Of course I don’t! I just know you think with your dick. Name your price.”

I spot Charlie coming back over to the table. “I’ll let you know when I think of something.” Charlie surprises me when he slides in next to me instead of sitting next to his sister. “Do you have drawings on you like that man in my mum’s bed?”

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