Page 47 of Something Real with the Sea Monster
I flush. Is this what meeting the parents feels like? Because the chorus of excitement and hugs and the flurry of questions feels good. It feels really good. And having Jack’s arm around me almost the whole time and feeling like a real part of it feels best of all.
“You didn’t tell me your parents were coming back today,” I whisper to Jack while Rob and Joanne are saying something to Noah.
He colors. “Ah, it kind of slipped my mind. I mean I knew it was today, but I was a little pre-occupied.”
I giggle.
“And you’ve been doing renovations?” says Joanne, breaking into our little moment.
Jack starts explaining about the hot tub and the social media campaigns and the new website, and Rob just shakes his head. “We should have retired years ago and left all this to you, Jack. Sounds like you’re doing a better job than we ever did.”
“You want help with your bags?” says Jack, deflecting. I wish he’d let people compliment him more.
“Hang on a moment; I want to see all this social media stuff. I’ve got a lot to learn, from the sounds of it,” says Joanne.
“Oh come on, Joanne, that can wait until we’ve all had a cup of tea, can’t it?”
“It’s no problem; I can show you now.” I’m just about to pull out my phone when Joanne goes around the desk and opens the laptop.
Jack turns, holding out his hands. “Oh wait, you don’t want to—”
It’s too late. The screen is already open, and Mrs. Wilson’s mouth drops open too. “Oh my god!” She tugs the sunglasses down over her eyes and squints at the screen more closely. “Oh my god. Jack, you’re glowing!” She stands and drops the sunglasses onto the counter, beaming at both of us like she hasn’t just seen our homemade porn movie.
I blink. Glowing? That’s not what I expected her to say, and then I remember. I stare at Jack. “Glowing? Really? And when were you going to tell me?”
He shifts uncomfortably, but he’s got nowhere to hide. “Ah, I can explain.”
TWENTY THREE
Jack
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Tegan hisses, grabbing my arm. I glare at Noah over Tegan’s shoulder, and my little brother almost manages to wipe the smirk off his face.
Almost.
Can you take them somewhere else?I mouth at him, jerking my head to indicate our parents who should not have had to witness what they just saw. I blame myself for having it open on the work laptop, but in my defense, I couldn’t look away.
Tegan marches me out of reception and through the carpark to the storage room where we keep the linen and toiletries and things for the rooms. When she closes the door behind us, her face falls into shadow, so I reach behind her to flick on the light.
I kinda wish I hadn’t, though. The scowl on her face is scary enough to bring a giant to his knees.
“I can explain,” I say again, raising my hands in a signal of surrender.
“Well you’d better start because the way I see it, you’ve been lying to me for weeks.”
“No, not lying.” I swallow. I can tell from her expression this is the wrong approach. “OK, maybe omitting the truth. I didn’t think you would want me to tell you.”
“You didn’t think maybe it was important for me to know? That maybe it’s a big fucking deal?”
I hesitate. That’s my mistake of course. Tegan doesn’t give me a chance to catch my breath.
She thrusts an angry finger into my chest. “Don’t you think I deserve to know maybe the most important piece of information you could have kept from me? Don’t you know how much I’ve agonized over this? What if things go well and all of a sudden you meet her? What am I supposed to do then?” Her lip wobbles, and it guts me seeing the raw emotion in her eyes.
I didn’t know she was so worried.
Taking a step forward, I reach for her. “Tegan, you are her. You always have been. Always will be.”
She pulls away, turning her head. “No, I’m not. I can’t be. Because I can’t be mated to a guy who would keep this sort of thing from me.”
