Page 50 of Excess

“If you were Uncle Blake’s girlfriend, you could be my aunty. I’d like that.”

I was only human. How was I meant to stay detached in the face of that?

“That would be cool,” I agreed. “But I get to be your friend instead, and that’s pretty good too, right?”

Freya took a sip of her water, watching me over the rim of the cup. I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt so judged in my life, and I’d had my fashion choices eviscerated in high-society magazines for years.

“I guess so. But I think it would be better if you were my aunty. I’ll tell Uncle Blake that.”

I suspected that I’d only make it worse if I tried to talk her out of it, so I changed the subject to her sleepover instead and hoped she’d forget all about it.

It was a quick meal to throw together, and half an hour later, Blake joined us around the island while I dished up bowls of pea and prawn risotto.

“Where’s the butler?” he asked, looking around as though Graeme would pop out of a cupboard.

I did my best to hide my smile. “He has the afternoon off. I suspect he spends it having tea with Mama, though they’re both very cagey about it when I ask.”

Blake scowled at that, though he perked up considerably once he started eating.

“This is so yummy,” Freya said. “Inika is a good cook, isn’t she, Uncle Blake? I want her to be my aunty.”

He went very red in the face, and I slid a glass of water across to him, shaking with laughter in my seat.

“However, Freya is happy that her and I are friends. Isn’t that right, Freya?” I prompted.

“Kind of.” She shrugged before shovelling an impressively large spoonful of risotto into her mouth.

“Great,” Blake mumbled, clearing his throat. “I wonder what other interesting observations you’ll come up with this afternoon, Frey.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, understanding the sarcastic tone if not the actual words. Suddenly, she tilted her head, turning her gaze back on me in a way that was somewhat terrifying.

“Or you could be my dad’s girlfriend—”

Blake made a strangled sound. “Don’t even finish that sentence, Freya.”

Chapter 15

BLAKE

“We’re home!” Freya yelled, taking off her shoes and neatly stacking them on the rack by the door before turning around and watching to make sure I did the same. “Dad! Where are you?”

There was a muffled sound from the vague direction of Leo’s bedroom and Freya skipped off, undoubtedly to fill him in on her afternoon at Inika’s house. I had no idea what he’d make of it, but I was going to lose my shit if he complained so much as once. He’d known for months that Freya was going to have today off school, and he’d gone and got himself wrecked at that new club he’d found anyway.

He’d wanted to talk about it, but I’d avoided the conversation. I didn’t want to indulge it anymore.

“Cup of tea?” Dad called from the kitchen.

“Please.” I made my way down the hall, winding my way around baskets of laundry and assorted clutter. Freya was always going around after Dad and Leo, sorting their things into neatish piles, but my house had never looked like this before they’d moved in.

It felt selfish to even think it, considering what they’d been through, but I missed having my own space.

“Did you figure out what was wrong with the car?” I asked, entering the kitchen as Dad added a splash of milk to each cup.

“Blown head gasket. It’s round at Jasper’s now. He’ll fix it.” He was retired now, but Jasper had been a mechanic his whole life and had taken care of our vehicles for as far back as I could remember. “Hope it didn’t leave you in too much of a lurch?”

Dad passed me the cup, looking sheepish.

I often wondered what Dad’s reaction would have been if the roles between Leo and I were reversed. He’d always been harder on me than my twin. If I’d abandoned my parental duties whenever it was convenient or because I’d made stupid choices the night before, I doubted he’d have been as forgiving.

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