Page 23 of Quiet Longing

At this, she studied me, her eyes running over my face. “You’re a deep thinker.”

“Maybe,” I shrugged, passing her one of the cups of tea before I lifted my own and drank some. Hell, it was strong. I was a bigger lad than Tristan, but maybe this stuff would knock me out, too. I turned my head, wincing a little at the herbal taste, only realising my error when Charli gasped.

“Rhys, oh my goodness. What happened to your jaw?”

As soon as she asked the question, every muscle in my body tensed, and I was back at my house, my Dad shoving me into the wall. My shoulders still hurt from the way he slammed me. And even though Charli’s voice was soft and concerned, Ireallydidn’t want to answer her question. I wanted to forget what happened, wipe it all from my memory.

“It was, uh, just an accident,” I muttered, grabbing my mug. “I better get back to bed. Goodnight.”

“Rhys,” she said, sounding worried, but I didn’t stay, not if she was going to ask more questions, because the only thing I hated more than telling the truth about my dad was making up stupid lies to protect him.

Derek was still snoring lightly when I returned to the room. I swallowed back the tea in several large gulps and prayed for sleep.

6.

Charli

The tea didn’t work.

Or maybe I just couldn’t stop thinking of Rhys, the way his expression had clouded when I’d asked about his bruised jaw. It didn’t take a brain surgeon to put it all together, especially after what Derek had insinuated about his home life and then how stressed he’d seemed on the phone when his dad had called.

There was also the fact that he was suddenly staying with my cousins for the next few weeks because of supposed renovations on his house. I had a feeling my aunt and uncle knew about Rhys’ dad and had offered for him to stay with them for a while. It confirmed what good, kind people they were, but I still worried about his mother. Where was she? Was she still at home with his dad or somewhere else? I couldn’t imagine Rhys leaving her if his father was as awful as I suspected.

He’d only mentioned her once, but his voice had been fond when he’d spoken of her and maybe a little sad. My chest hurt imagining the kind of situation his family was in.

The next morning, I came downstairs in search of breakfast. I spotted Rhys right away, sitting at the end of the long table in an oversized hoodie. Now that I’d noticed it, the bruise on his jaw was unmissable, and I wondered why no one else had asked him about it.

Was I missing something?

Then again, judging by the way he reacted to my question last night, maybe they all knew Rhys was uncomfortable discussing his private life and carefully avoided the subject.

“Charli, come have pancakes,” Aunt Jo said cheerfully. “I’ve made enough to feed a small army.” I was impressed by how puttogether she looked first thing in the morning. I’d had a restless night’s sleep thanks to my worrying over Rhys, and my eyes were puffy and tired. I looked at him again, wondering if the tea had worked for him. His eyes looked a little sleepy, too, so maybe not.

Rhys sat next to Derek, quietly eating a bowl of cereal. He glanced my way once briefly then returned his attention to his food. Had I upset him last night by asking about the bruise? Should I have ignored it like everyone else? Maybe he was ashamed. It was understandable that he wouldn’t want to talk about it, especially if his father was the one who hurt him.

My stomach twisted in a strange way. It was an unfamiliar feeling. I didn’t like to imagine what sort of man Rhys’ dad was. Sure, there was a chance I’d misinterpreted things, but it only seemed like a very small chance.

Grabbing a plate of pancakes and blueberries, I went to sit next to Nuala. I drizzled some maple syrup over my plate then poured a cup of coffee. It pepped me up as soon as I took my first sip.

“So, what’s everyone’s plans for the day?” Aunt Jo asked as she came to perch on a seat, holding a small teacup.

“It’s Aidan’s birthday this weekend,” Tristan answered first. “We’re helping him plan a big party at his house. It’s gonna be epic.”

“Oh! How exciting,” Aunt Jo exclaimed. “I didn’t realise his birthday was coming up. I’ll get him a card.”

“Are Charli and I invited to the party?” Nuala asked, pouring herself some orange juice.

“Sure,” Tristan replied while Derek said at the same time, “Definitely not.”

“Why?” Nuala complained, sending Derek sad puppy eyes. “I’m friends with Aidan, too.”

“Don’t listen to your brother,” Aunt Jo interjected. “Of course, you can go to the party. There’s absolutely no reason why Nuala and Charli should be excluded unless, of course, there are things planned that wouldn’t be suitable for them.” My aunt eyed her son shrewdly.

Derek shrugged, looking irritable. “You know what Aidan’s like. The party will be raucous. I just don’t want the girls getting caught up in all that.”

“I’m sure we’ll be able to handle it,” I said, arching an eyebrow and meeting my cousin’s gaze directly. I wasn’t typically into parties, but it bothered me how Derek didn’t want us there. Besides, by the look on Nuala’s face, she was excited to go, and I wanted her to have some fun considering her friends were excluding her.

He released a sigh. “Fine. Don’t come crying to me if it all goes belly up.”

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