“I don’t ever lie,” he snaps. He watches me for a long few seconds. “I think you must be a very loyal person.”
I blink at the change in subject. “Why?”
“Because you really seem to need to think the best of Jez. Why is that?”
I’ve been asking that question of myself for a few years now. I’m no nearer an answer. I sink into the chair feeling suddenly incredibly weary. “He knew about you?” He nods. I don’t want to believe him, but his face is full of a brave kind of honesty. “How?”
He shrugs. “When my mum died, I was only a few months old. My grandparents didn’t want to take me on, so theyemployed a private detective to find Jez. I’m not supposed to know about this,” he quickly adds. “I found the papers in a box in my grandfather’s study. I stumbled across them.” He winks. “Just fell over them in the safe.” He waits for me to laugh or smile, but I’m reeling. My heart is screaming that he must be mistaken, but my brain is saying it’s true. I think I already knew, to be honest—knew that Jez was hiding something. Undeterred, he carries on. “Anyway, to cut a very boring story short, Jez told them he wasn’t interested in the information and had no intention of ever claiming the most beautiful baby that has ever lived.” He spreads his hands, his gestures as graceful as ever. “And voila. I was brought up by Cynthia and Brian from Little Bentley.”
“Did he—” I clear my throat. I already know the answer, but I have to ask. “Did he pay anything to support you?”
He shakes his head. “Nope. Not a bean.”
“I’m sorry.” The betrayal is already hot in my blood. Jez knows my thoughts on people who abandon their kids. Knows it and lied to my fucking face. “He told me he didn’t know.”
His face is apologetic. “He’s obviously a very great liar. Well done to him. Round of applause.” He does a herky-jerky version of a Mexican wave, but stops when I don’t join in. “Sorry,” he mutters, suddenly serious as he drifts to my side.
“Why areyousorry?”
“Because I’ve disillusioned you about your good friend.” He bites his lip, his eyes worried. “And I don’t think that’s good for you.”
I’m unexpectedly touched by his concern, but I immediately bury the emotions somewhere deep, where I’ll either forget about them or drag them out at the earliest opportunity. I need to lighten the situation.
“Worry about yourself and that mouth of yours,” I advise him.
He chuckles, his face lighting. “Why? My mouth isamazing. It’s one of the best bits of my body.”
“Your lack of confidence must close a lot of doors in life,” I say gravely.
“Maybe, but it certainly hasn’t impacted the bedroom ones. They’re always wide open.”
Silence drops for a few beats. I clear my throat. “I wish that you’d had a different start in life.”
He stares at me as if analysing me for sincerity. Then he gives a graceful shrug. “Could have been worse. My mama could have had a bunk-up with Ed Gein.”
He’s obviously had enough of the serious conversation. “Yes, but look on the bright side. You would have had some very unusual lamps around the house.”
He laughs and I bite my lip to hold in a smile. I stand up and he pastes a disappointed look on his face. “Oh, are we not having sex?”
“Not tonight, Satan.” I want so much to keep him here, but I can’t. “Well, I must show you out.”
“It’s a small room, Reuben. I think I can find the way.” He inches closer, and I take a wary step back, which makes his eyes twinkle. “I wanted to say thank you for your present.”
I take another step, no longer bothered if it shows weakness. I just need to be out of the range of the tractor beam he seems to employ around me. “What present?”
He pouts. “Oh no. Have you forgotten so soon? That must be your age. Your gift of art supplies.”
I’d plopped them in his lap when we got back to the hotel, and pretended Jez had left them with me. “They were from your dad,” I say feebly.
He throws his head back, laughing.
“Shh,” I chide. “He’ll hear you. Why is that so funny?”
He subsides, wiping tears from his eyes. “Because he never bought me those.Youdid.”
I open my mouth to argue but close it when he eyes me knowingly. “What gave me away?” I finally ask instead.
“Erm, the sheer astonishment on Jez’s face.” He starts to laugh again. “I was very tempted to make him go through the presents in the bag one by one and tell me why he chose each of them, but even I’m not that hard-hearted.”
