“Piss, piss,” Jacob repeats, and I pull a face. How does he always pick up on the swear words? Okay, maybe I don’tgot this,and I’m not the best role model.
“Please try to watch your language,” Henry chastises, which is hilarious coming from him, but he’s right.
Meg reprimanded me once and said I shouldn’t draw attention to when he repeats a bad word but to deflect.
“Right, so you going to make us tea or what?” I ask him, tickling his belly.
He wiggles from me to set him down and rushes over to his kitchen.
And I follow.
“Go on, get out of here. We have a tea party to attend,” I call over my shoulder.
Once the front door is closed and I hear the sound of the engine, I watch Jacob to see his reaction, but he seems happy enough, for now at least.
Of course, I helped out when I lived here, but this is the first time since I moved out.
“Looks like it’s a boys’ night, buddy.”
After about an hour and a half of having plastic utensils and cutlery shoved at me and watching some night time garden thing on the TV, I take him upstairs to get him into his pyjamas.
And then reach for Peter Pan, the book my mum used to read to me and my sisters when we were small. Well, until my dad put an end to it, that is.
So yeah, I’m not embarrassed to read a book to a toddler. Reading is the best form of escapism; besides, I really enjoy putting on the voices too and seeing his little eyes sparkle with amusement. It makes me wonder how my dad ever hurt us. I look at his tiny form. He’s not even mine, and I would lay down my life for this little boy.
Because I’m a soft touch, I read the book three times before he finally falls asleep gripping his teddy comforter.
As quietly as I can, I make sure the monitor is on, head back downstairs, and make myself a cup of tea.
I have a text message from Naomi, not that I’m surprised. I didn’t hear anything yesterday, which meant I was likely to today. I’m short with her, removed even, yet she still talks to me like we’re together, which is bullshit, as we were never really together.
Swiping the screen, I’m assaulted with a photo of her in naughty lingerie. Before, it would have had my dick hard and my pulse racing, but not anymore. Delete.
Stirring my tea, I walk back into the living room and sit in my favourite spot on the sofa. I wonder if I offer to buy them a new one they’d let me have this when I finally find a place of my own. Most of my stuff is still boxed up in my old room, and everything here, apart from our bedroom furniture, we split three ways between Henry, Ethan, and me when we moved in.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved living with my mum, but my sisters can be a handful. Even though I’m the youngest, I still feel responsible for them. I might not have been able to protect them before, but I sure as hell can now.
Grabbing the remote, I go to Netflix and notice they’re still using mine, cheeky fuckers.
My phone buzzes, and I glance at the screen and then swipe.
Tinker Bell: Hey, don’t suppose you’re free tomorrow, are you?
I smile and quickly type out a reply.
Me: I am in the afternoon. Why, are you asking me out on a date?
Taking a satisfying sip of my tea, I watch the bubble, waiting for a reply.
Tinker Bell: No, but I do need your services.
I have to hand it to her, she does know how to give as good as she gets.
Me: Oh, do you now. Are you after my man meat?
As soon as I press send, I sit forward. “Shit.”
Fuck, I think I might have just gone too far.
