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“Yes, I better. Eleanor needs then for baking. It was nice to meet you,” I say before rushing towards the gate. I feel eyes on me the whole way, but I don’t risk looking back.
Twelve
Rick
I watch her, my eyes narrowed and burning a hole in her back as she walks away. What is she doing here?
“She seems nice,” my mum says casually as she reaches me.
“I wouldn’t know,” I state, turning back to Max and pushing him again.
“Hmmm. Whatever you say.” Mum walks to the side of the swing so she can see Max better. “Max, it’s time for tea. Come on, Gramps has done your favourite.”
I stop the swing as it comes back to me, lifting Max down. He heads straight for my mum, taking her hand and leading her away.
I turn back to the gate, staring at where she disappeared on to the main road. My phone pings with a text. It’s Seb letting me know they’ll be here in an hour.
I jog after my mum and Max and stuff all thought of the dark-haired beauty with cornflower blue eyes down into the depths of me. I’m not going to think about her, mention her or dream about her. Okay, so that last one is a little out of my control, but I can damn well try.
Seb and Jamie arrive just as we finish washing up. Max seems to be wearing most of the water, so I’m not entirely sure how clean the dishes are.
Thankfully, we were able to secure the spot next to us for them. Once they are all set up, we have a beer under the awning with the patio heater on.
We talk shop for a little while until there’s a lull in the conversation, and Jamie announces she’s turning in for the night.
“Wow, Jamie Morgan calling it a night before midnight,” I joke.
“Hey. I’m still a party animal, but this one—” She pokes Seb in the ribs. “Has been working me hard every—”
“Don’t need to hear it, Jamie,” I stop her, holding up my hand and feigning a grimace.
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. Just training, Rick. A regime you came up with, I believe.” She kisses Seb goodnight before turning back to me. “If that’s the first place your mind went, I’d say you need to get laid, Sully.”
“I second that,” Seb chimes, raising his hand like a fucking schoolboy and laughing.
“Fuck off the pair of you.” There’s humour in my words but some heat too. I avoid making eye contact with Seb knowing full well the bastard will see what I’m not saying.
Before he met Jamie, he was the master at hiding behind humour to mask his true self. Jamie’s helped him embrace who he is, accept his past as just that and not allow where he comes from to define him.
Am I envious? Hell yes. But I’m also extremely happy for him, and Ryder and Cam too. They deserve to be loved, to be happy and experience what it is to love soul deep.
I had that once.
Not anymore and never again.
Seb clears his throat. “So, you want to tell me about it?”
“Nothing to tell.” I adjust my position, feeling edgy and wanting to end this conversation.
“Come on, man, I saw your face when Jamie said you should get laid,” Seb presses.
“I got laid. It’s no big deal, Seb,” I snap out. Great. If he wasn’t suspicious of my mood before, he damn well will be now from that reaction. I decide the only way to stop him from giving me a grilling is to change the subject. “I received an email from an unknown yesterday morning.” I lift my eyes to his, noting I have his attention, and he’s letting our earlier topic go for now. “It contained a link to a video from my last special ops mission.”
“What the fuck, Rick!”
“My thoughts exactly. Look, I slept like shit last night, so I’m calling it a night too. When Ryder gets here tomorrow, we’ll chat more.” I get up, grabbing the empty bottles to put in the rubbish and head inside. I hear Seb shutting off the patio heater before he too goes inside.
I hope my news doesn’t give Seb a sleepless night. Although, he has Jamie to take his mind of it.
