Page 73 of Night Call

Blake cleared his throat, a sound that echoed around the hospital corridor. “When I thought the baby was mine, I wanted to change. I wanted to be there. I realised that my future didn’t actually matter, and neither did mine and Rebecca’s feelings towards each other. I was about to take a year-long career break, and I… Well, it’s how I ended up on the murder squad. Lucas took my place in Child Protection, and no fucker else wanted the homicide position. So here I am. Waiting with corpses in haunted morgues at one o’clock in the fucking morning.”

Pember bit his lip. “I didn’t… I mean, it’s probably not haunted, I was just teasing you.”

“You have a habit of doing that.”

Pember gave a small smile. “You tease me too.”

“You’re very teasable. Little legs.”

Pember’s nostrils flared, heat creeping up his spine at the memory of Blake pressed against his back. He quickly changed the subject. “What about your parents? Are you still in touch?”

“We speak every now and again. Send Christmas cards, sometimes visit. I think my father’s still mad for how ill I made my dad, and I… It’s hard to organise things with my work, and?—”

“It’s not hard,” Pember replied, grabbing the phone and sitting up. “It’s not hard. You’ve made time for me and Val. Why can’t you do it for your parents?”

Blake hummed. “I made time because I had a bossy little omega blackmailing me.”

“I was not blackmailing you! Only gently suggesting.”

“Tell that to my toes. They still haven’t recovered from their Wellington boot induced torture.”

“That wasentirelyyour own fault.”

Then they were both laughing, which was highly inappropriate given Blake’s location, but something about the absurdity of it all had Pember unable to contain himself. When he did eventually settle down, he took the phone off loudspeaker and gripped it to his ear.

“But, seriously, Blake, stay in touch with them. Please, don’t end up like me and my family.”

There was a pause, then: “Pem, about that… what’re you going to do?”

“I don’t… What can I do? She’s my mum. I can’t take out an injunction against her, or a harassment order, or whatever Professional Standards were going on about. I just can’t do that to her.”

“And what about what she’s doing to you?”

Pember huffed, running a hand through his hair. “I told you she’s not well.”

There was a scratching sound, suggesting Blake was running his fingers over his five o’clock shadow again. Pember wondered how that might feel against his cheek.

“You said this started before your sister passed away,” Blake continued. “That she was obsessed with finding you a mate. Making you do things you didn’t want to. I’m sorry, but it sounds like she was only obsessed with putting you in harm’s way. She’s sabotaging you because she?—”

“Don’t comment on something you don’t understand,” Pember snapped. “You don’t know. You don’t knowat all.When my sister died, it was like something broke in her. Something broke inme. I don’t know whether to be angry or sad. Upset, o-or fucking livid. Watching someone you love kill themselves isn’t like in the movies, Blake. The lights don’t go down and the ominous music doesn’t come up. I was scared. I was alone. I didn’t know what to do. I still don’t know, and neither does she.”

“I didn’t… I’m so sorry, Pem. I didn’t know you were present when she?—”

“You wouldn’t,” he sighed, wrist beginning to ache because of how hard he was gripping the phone. “I don’t talk about it. Not even to Mum. Imogen, she… she threw herself under a train at Charing Cross tube station, and I…” His eyes slipped shut, expression turning blank. “Sorry. I don’t know why I’m telling you this. You’ve got more important things to?—”

“Coffee.” Blake cut him off.

“W-what?”

“Come for coffee with me. Or something else. Something you like. Away from work, the police station, and away from Bell Lane. Anything, it doesn’t matter. Just let me take you somewhere you can be yourself for a bit.”

Pember flushed and looked down at his knees. “You… Oh.”

“You don’t want to?”

“No, I… I do, I just… I don’t know why you’d want to do that… with me.”

Blake snorted. “Are you fishing for a compliment or something?”

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