Page 10 of Charlie Sunshine
“And you’re worried?”
“Of course I am.”
“Is that why he’s moved in with you?”
I contemplate the question. “I do want to look out for him, but I just feel more settled when he’s here, if that makes sense.”
Aidan smiles. “Even though you’re not much of a one for sharing living space?”
I shrug. “Charlie’s the exception to that.”
“Charlie’s always been your exception,” Sam says. “Right from the first minute you met him.”
I smile. “He’s the same. We look out for each other.” Both men watch me, and I groan. “Don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what?” Aidan asks, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Don’t look at me with those heart eyes. Charlie and I are best friends and nothing else, and that’s all we’ll ever be.”
“Okay,” Sam says in a suspiciously obedient voice.
“We are,” I argue. “And if you think we’ll be something more, get that out of your head. I don’t want a relationship with anyone, and Charlie’s already in one.”
“Already in what?” Charlie’s voice comes from the lounge, and he appears barefoot and dressed in his ancient Levi’s and a grey T-shirt proclaiming that he has no shelf-control.
“You’re in a relationship with Harry,” I say. “Isit still him? Because I haven’t seen him since you moved in. Oh, how I live for the time when he stays here, and I can see so much more of him. As if working with him isn’t bad enough.” Aidan and Sam look anywhere rather than at Charlie, who is glaring at me. Seeing the look on his face, Iimmediately backtrack and say in a penitent voice, “I’m so sorry. What I meant to say was that I do hope you haven’t dumped him for Jamie.”
Jamie is a posh boy who follows Charlie around like he’s Brad Pitt covered in strawberry ice cream on a hot day.
Sam shudders. “Oh,him,”he says in a disgusted tone of voice.
“Dad,” Charlie chides.
I stare at Sam. “Why that face about Jamie? He’s as likeable as Winnie the Pooh.”
Aidan laughs, and Charlie nudges him. “Jamie said something that offended Dad.”
I look at Sam. “Offendedyou?What could he possibly say to offend you?” I ask in an amazed voice because Sam gives Charlie a run for his money in the easygoing stakes.
Sam mutters something, and Aidan laughs harder.
Charlie shakes his head, a smile tugging at his wide mouth. “Jamie thought that Enid Blyton wrote ‘Dracula.’”
I start to laugh. And once I’ve started, I can’t stop. “Oh my God,” I gasp, “that’s priceless. The Lord of Darkness having a picnic with fresh tomatoes and lashings of ginger beer,” I say, wiping my eyes. “Did you try to have one of your really long literary conversations with him, Sam?”
“Like the ones that are always wasted on you?” he says with a twitch of his lips.
“Sleep aids are never wasted on me,” I say solemnly.
Sam throws his head back and laughs loudly. “Misha, you have always been and will alwaysbea little shit.”
Aidan nods. “He speaks the truth.”
I look at Charlie. “How is it that you’re hanging around with someone whose idea of reading is looking at the titles of the videos on PornHub?”
“Jamie’s not so bad. I actually met him in a library.”
I think of the sweet upper-class boy. “Was he lost? Had he stopped in for directions?”
