Page 52 of Silver Tears

Charlie nods his head, eager to get out of the room and away from Lenny. Lenny knocks back the remains of his can and crumples it in his fist. He doesn’t take his eyes off Seb. “Well, now you’re here, I think I’ll help your mum get herself looking sexy for our date.” He leers at my mum, and I shudder as she giggles, and he eagerly follows her up the stairs.

“Jesus,” I exclaim as I stare after them. “So that’s Lenny.”

“He’s a delight,” Seb says, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

I can’t help but admire how hot he is standing there in his jeans that hug his thighs, his blond hair hanging over his face and begging to be gripped tightly by my hands. I shake my head. Where the hell did that come from?

“Are you okay?” he asks me, head tilted and a curious look in his eyes.

“I’m fine,” I say. I internally scold myself for getting distracted by his looks. “I really can’t expect you to stay here. I’ll cram in some studying in the morning before school.”

Seb shakes his head, closing the distance between us until he’s standing right in front of me. He tucks a strand of my pink hair behind my ear. “Mills, I know how important your grades are to you. I don’t have anywhere else to be. Archer is busy being loved up with Eliza. Vee and Rafe will be off doing their thing. It’s not like anyone else needs me.”

My gaze softens. He almost sounds lonely. “You didn’t sign up for this.” I sigh. “I can’t ask you to look after my brother all the time.”

“I insist. It’s what I’d do for my girlfriend, and you are my girlfriend, are you not?” He places both his hands on my hips and stares down at me.

“Fake girlfriend,” I remind him, and he rolls his eyes and gives me a lazy smile.

“Yeah, yeah. Go get Charlie and let’s get you home, okay?”

I hesitate. I’m still not comfortable putting this on him. “You’re sure?”

“Positive. Now go,” he urges, gently nudging me with his hip.

MILLY

Two days have passed since our date at the farm, and I can’t help feeling like something has changed between us. We are getting along better and it’s almost as if we’re friends now. I’m loading my books into my locker when my phone rings. Its mum. A ripple of panic runs through me. Why is she ringing me in the middle of the day?

“Milly.”

“Mum, what’s wrong?”

She laughs casually down the phone. “Nothing wrong here. I just wanted to call and say you give that boy a big kiss from me as a thank you.”

I scrunch my forehead. “What are you on about, mum?”

“The tab he set up at the supermarket. Now I’m out of a job, it’s been a struggle. So please thank him for me.”

“A tab, huh?”

“Yes, and the lady said he’d keep it topped up. So that means you can lend your old mum some money for a few drinks tonight, right?”

Disappointment flows through me. That’s her first thought. Not that maybe I can spend some of my earnings on myself, doing typical teenager things like buying clothes and makeup. No, she sees it as an opportunity to buy alcohol.

I check up and down the school hallway to make sure no one can hear me. “Mum, we can’t take Seb’s money. It’s not right.”

“Nonsense.” She snorts. “He’s rich. Not like he’s going to miss it, and you are his girlfriend.”

I sigh. She doesn’t get it. It’s wrong taking his money. “Look, I’ve got to go. I have class. Just make sure you pick Charlie up from school, okay?”

“Stop treating me like a child!” she snaps. “As if I would forget to pick my child up!”

The line goes dead, and I lean my head against the locker and close my eyes for a second. I grab what I need and scour the busy hallway for Seb. I find him over by Eliza’s locker with the others. He grins at me when he sees me coming over.

“Hey, precious, woah!”

I grab him by his blazer lapels and pull him towards an empty classroom. “We need to talk.”

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