Page 111 of Toy Boy

I’m shutting this down now, I’m really not in the mood.

“And I’d appreciate it if you stopped listening to, and spreading, rumours.”

I leave the kitchen and head outside. But once out on the terrace it feels like the atmosphere changes the second I appear. Hushed voices, the odd glance in my direction, or am I just imagining it because of what Hanna’s just told me? Either way, I need some space, so I head across the road to the harbour, and take a moment or two to catch my breath. And think. But a moment or two is all I get before I’m interrupted by Josh.

“Hey, Mum. You okay?”

“Of course I’m okay. I’m not the one who was hit by a car.”

He rests his forearms on the railings and clasps his hands together as he stares out ahead of him. “How is he?”

“Still under sedation. As far as I know, though, he’s going to be fine.”

“I thought you’d still be at the hospital.”

I look at him. “Why would I still be at the hospital?”

His eyes meet mine. “Because you still care about him?”

I look away, focus on one of the tourist boats making its way back into the harbour. “Yes, I still care about him, is that what you want to hear?”

He leaves a couple of beats before he speaks again. “I know people are talking.”

I let out another sigh, turn around, and lean back against the railings. “Jesus Christ… Who are these people, Josh?”

He frowns slightly, because he’s completely unaware of my recent discussion with Hanna. And how irritated it’s made me. “I don’t know. But the Beachcastle rumour mill is very much in action… Did you know?”

“Know what?”

“About Scott and Xander’s mum?”

“Yes. I knew. Although, I didn’t know in the beginning. I’ve only just found out myself.”

“And that didn’t send alarm bells ringing?”

“Like I said, Josh, I’ve only just found out. The night of Tim’s party, to be exact.”

“Do you think there’s even a tiny sliver of truth in those rumours, then? About Xander deliberately targeting Scott because he blames him for the death of his mother?”

“If you really thought there was any weight to those rumours, Josh, wouldn’t you be questioning Xander?”

“Probably…”

“So,areyou? Questioning him?”

“No…”

“Well, there you go. And just for the record, no, I don’t think he deliberately ran Scott over. But…” I let out another sigh as I watch a steady stream of tourists disembark the boat and file along the harbour front on their way back to the beach, the cafés, their hotels, “he did come to Beachcastle Bay to confront him.”

“He did?”

I look back at my son, ever the detective. “But that has nothing to do with what happened today, Josh. Xander was already regretting his decision to do that, to come here and see Scott, he was over it. Today, that was nothing but a coincidence.”

“Okay…”

“No, Josh, don’t do that. Don’t.”

“I’m worried about you, Mum.”

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