Page 201 of In at the Deep End

Something inside Owen cracked. “He didn’t do anything.”

“I know.” Jeff’s voice roughened. “And I told him that.” He gripped Owen’s shoulder. “When he comes home, don’t ask him if he can forgive you.” He paused. “Ask him if he’ll give you another chance.” Then he shuddered out a breath. “That’s it. That’s all I wanted to say.” He turned and opened the kitchen door, and the noise of the party rushed back in.

Owen couldn’t move.

The kitchen door had barely closed behind Jeff when Owen heard raised voices from the other side of the serving hatch. A moment later, Cyn walked into the kitchen, accompanied by Babs, both their expressions grim.

Owen stared at them. “Oh no.”

This was going to be bad.

Babs folded her arms. “We heard every word.”

Owen closed his eyes for a second. “Of course you did.”

“I’d apologise for eavesdropping,” she said, “but we’d both know I was lying.”

Despite everything, a laugh escaped him.

Then Cyn stepped forward. “You’re an idiot.”

Owen stared at her. “Apparently that’s the theme of the evening.”

“Jeff’s an idiot too,” Babs added. “And I will be explaining that to him later.” She sighed. “Because that was not how I wanted to discover my son is in love with you.”

He opened his mouth, but Babs lifted a hand.

“No. Not now. We will have that conversation. Probably several conversations. Possibly after I’ve stopped wanting to strangle both you and Jeff.”

Owen almost smiled.

Almost.

Cyn watched him for several seconds. Then she sighed. “Let me see if I have this right.”

Wariness stole over him.

“You love Matt.”

His throat tightened.

“You decided that because you love him, the kindest thing you could do was remove yourself from his life.”

Owen looked away.

“You’ve made yourself miserable. And according to Jeff, you’ve made Matt miserable too.”

“I didn’t mean⁠—”

“I know.” The quiet certainty in Cyn’s voice stopped him. “I know you didn’t mean to hurt him. That’s the problem with you, Owen. You always find a way to convince yourself that destroying your own happiness is noble.”

He flinched.

Cyn stepped closer. “You think because you’re willing to suffer, that means you’re protecting someone else.”

Owen swallowed. “Sometimes it means exactly that.”

She nodded. “And sometimes you’re just deciding that everyone else is better off without you.”