Page 125 of Just Between Us

Never mind the fact that Cole detests his family. “I know, that’s another reason why I didn’t want to talk about it.”

“Damn, I get it. But you three make an insane couple—wait throuple. Oh, this is too good. Please invite me over to watch.”

I should be embarrassed but it’s Connor and Marie, outside Jenna they are my best friends. Instead, I roll my eyes. “Are you positive you’re not the least bit interested in men because you talk about me having sex a lot?”

He laughs. “I did kiss Ollie during the stag-do but it didn’t get me hot or anything so I’m sure, but I’d pay to watch you three though. You know, like those sex museums in Amsterdam.”

“How much are we talking?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Two-fifty, best I can do.”

I shake my head gravely. “Sorry, too low. We only work in the high thousands.”

Connor grins and Marie quietly mutters, “Ew,” and we all burst out in fits of laughter.

Now that all my friends and sisters know, it’s time I tell my mother.

I sit around the table with my mother and the twins. Zara is telling us about a girl she went to high school with who is now a famous model. I watch my mother as she pretends to listen closely, but I can tell something is wrong, her eyes keep glazing over before clearing and smiling again.

I’m on high alert. What if Kenny has threatened her? My stomach twists at the idea.

“So, Kai, when are we meeting your boyfriends?” Zoe asks, turning to me.

My eyes widen as my mother coughs on her food. “Boyfriends? What?”

My cheeks heat as I give Zoe a pointed stare. I thought Zara would be the one to blurt it out, not her. She grimaces, eyes apologetic.

“Um, remember when I told you I was seeing someone?” I ask.

My mother nods, eyes still wide in the way mothers look at you when you say you’re moving across the world. “It was actually someones. We’ve been seeing each other pretty seriously now and they are the ones I went to Monaco with. Well, they took me.”

My mother looks confused for a second. “Wait, you’re seeing two people.”

“Two guys,” Zara corrects. “And they are hot.” She pulls out her phone and scrolls a second before showing my mother the screen. I crane my neck. It’s the picture of Levi, Cole and I in Monaco from Kez’s film camera.

“Wait, how do you have that?”

Zara shrugs. “I airdropped it to my phone when you showed us.”

Of course, she did.

My mother opens her mouth and then closes it again before turning to me. “You look really happy,” she says quietly.

My sisters and I exchange glances. She sounds like she’s about to cry. Mum rarely cries. The only time she cried was when the twins left for university and when I told her about Kenny.

“I am,” I say. “I can’t wait for you to meet them.”

“How does this weekend sound?” Zara says excitedly but Mum still looks a little sad. A lone tear travels down her cheek.

“Mum, are you okay?” Zoe asks.

She looks up and hands Zara back her phone. My stomach knots, dread creeping in.

“I have something to tell you,” she says. She takes in a quiet breath. “It’s your father, he’s—he’s gone. The police found him in this flat this afternoon. I didn’t—I wasn’t sure how to tell you.”

I suck in a breath. “What?”

Mum clears her throat. “It looks like it was an overdose or a bad batch of drugs. They aren’t sure yet.”

---