Page 37 of Tears of Glass
Philip laughs and guides us all into a warm and homely lounge. There’s a lot of terracotta tones and a cream dominating leather sofa providing the warmth of the Mediterranean in Kingston upon Thames. “You know what they say. Hair of the dog is the only way to truly cure a hangover.”
“I think only alcoholics say that.” I laugh and cast a side-eye at Philip, who doesn’t seem offended at my comeback. “Although maybe a cold beer wouldn’t go amiss.”
I look at the pictures on the walls while Philip heads into what I assume is the kitchen. It’s where the gorgeous smell is coming from.
Lewis comes up behind me while Elijah pulls his phone out of his pocket and starts tapping on the screen. “Have you not told him yet?” I ask and turn my focus onto him.
“Does it look like I’ve told him?” Lewis shakes his head at my stupidity and he’s lucky I don’t clip him upside the head.
“Ah, man, you’re going to make him so proud.”
Lewis glares, that ball of anger he has turning inside him simmering under the surface. “Not funny, Faith.”
“Yeah well, you and Tabitha are the ones who wanted me here and then set me up with Elijah.” I narrow my eyes. “Don’t think for one moment I don’t know what you’re up to.”
Lewis shrugs brazenly. “He’s a good guy. Maybe if you talked to him, you’d find out what he’s been going through.”
I stare at him aghast. “What he’s been going through?” I hiss through gritted teeth. “I missed my uncle dying.”
I flush a vibrant and burning red. That’s not the right thing to say to a boy who has lost his own mother, but he shrugs offhandedly. “And we all have our shit to deal with.”
“Lewis, I’m sorry.” But it’s too late, he’s turning away.
He’s gone from my side and I’m left staring at happy family photos from a time in Lewis’ life before destruction wreaked its messy path. A woman with a bright smile, stares back at me from under one frame, her arms wrapped tight around a younger, more innocent version of the man walking away from me.
Life fucking sucks lemons.
There’s a nudge of my shoulder and I turn to find blue eyes appraising me and a hand offering me a bottle of beer. I slump a little, all the fight washing away from my body. My gaze drops to that picture again and my heart squeezes until I no longer think it’s going to pump blood around my veins.
“Thanks,” I mutter, taking the beer.
Elijah takes a deep breath and I try not to watch the rise and fall of his chest under the soft knit.
“Why does this feel like we are sharing parental custody here?” I meet his gaze with my question.
His lips quirk. “Shall we just do it?”
My teeth pull at my lips and I nibble hard. “Yeah. Let’s get it over and done with before the lasagne.”
A wry chuckle escapes his lips and my stomach ties itself into knots.
I hate him, or I should hate him. So why is every molecule in my body acting like a sober drug addict who’s just been offered the fix to end all fixes?
Chapter Eleven
The shatter of the Pyrex dish smashing on the floor and the wet splodge of lasagne hitting tiles reverberates around the kitchen.
Okay so when Elijah said, “Shall we just do it?” I didn’t think he was actually going to just waltz into the kitchen and announce to Philip his son had got a girl pregnant while the poor guy was getting a hot dish out of the oven.
“Oh fuck,” I say. Red Bolognese sauce is everywhere but Philip isn’t looking at us, or the mess, his eyes are on Lewis who has shrunk to the size of a seven-year-old in about five seconds.
“What?” Philip’s pallor grey’s until he could be about to take a bit part in a zombie movie.
“Thanks, Elijah.” Lewis glares across the kitchen at us. I turn to look at Tabitha and she’s getting ready to be in the same movie as Philip.
“Sorry, Lewis, but it’s better we just get it out in the open; your dad has enough going on.” Elijah’s voice is calm and assured and it kind of calms the room. I cast my gaze over him—how it is possible for one man to always be so calm and in control?
Philip straightens, ignoring the mess. “How long have you known, Elijah? I can’t believe I’ve been kept in the dark like this.”
