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“—You’re going to make us all cry.”
Dinner broke up. Neev had homework. Etta’s phone rang. Flip went to watch TV. Gin disappeared. Reece cleared the table and Charlie stacked the dishwasher. He found Gin on the back steps watching next door’s cat torture a lizard in the yard.
He sat above her and she leaned back on his shin. He tugged her ponytail. “Did Charlie upset you?”
She shook her head.
“Something upset you.”
The cat picked up the lizard in its mouth and brought it closer to them, dropped it and sat over it. The lizard was foxing, like Gin. “Are you going to tell me or play dead?”
She turned sideways so she could look at him. “You upset me.”
“Me? What did I do?” He laughed, he sounded like Flip, and Gin gave him the evil eye.
“I saw your face, but there’s no point talking to you because you’ll make it a joke.”
Shit. “What did my face do, Gin, baby? I won’t joke, I promise.”
“You’re sad inside out and all the way through, and I can’t stand it.”
Ah. “I’m—” Fuck, what could he say, she’d nailed him with a combination punch. “I’m—”
“You might not josh but you’ll lie.”
He grabbed her and pulled her up onto the step beside him. “I am sad. I miss Audrey and Mia badly, but it’s not the end of the world. You heard Charlie. Audrey loved me and I have that.”
?
?But she’s not dead. I don’t get why she doesn’t love you anymore but you still love her.”
There was a thump from above. Neev stood on the top step. “Love sux. I’m not doing it.”
“What do you mean you’re not doing it?” said Gin. “You’re already doing it. It’s not like you can avoid it.”
“Family and stuff’s okay, I have to love them, but I don’t have to do the lovey-dovey, kissy-kissy crap, it’s naff.”
“Do you think Polly is a dork to love Les?” said Gin.
Neev sat. “Don’t care, not my problem, not doing it.”
Reece could see Gin’s face, she was upset, she wasn’t foxing now. None of them needed any further aggravation. He put his arm around her narrow shoulders. “Okay, Neev.”
Neev prodded him in the back. “Okay what?”
“You don’t have to do it. It’s one of those things you get lucky with, but it’s not a rule like no knees or elbows, no kicking or head butting.”
“No what?”
“Never mind.”
“He’s talking about boxing,” said Gin.
Neev said, “I’m not doing that either.” Smartarse.
“Shut up, Neev. I was talking to Reece about Audrey.”
“Oh, keep your twisted knickers on.”
