Page 81 of After the Siren
Stavs glanced across at him. Jake sometimes got the feeling that he had questions about Kyle. Jake would have answered them, if he’d asked, but as a rule Jake avoided discussing the last guy he’d fucked with the guy he was currently fucking.
‘Did the crash interfere with you getting drafted?’ Stavs asked, instead.
‘Nah, it was early in the season and I was only in Year 10, so we were good. I did my ACL justafterI got drafted, though.’
‘Ouch.’
‘Yeah. I thought I was going to go nuts, not being able to play.’ Hewouldhave gone nuts without Keeley and Lydia keeping him entertained, even though Keeley had been flat out with uni. He’d started messaging Kyle, too. Sending him photos of the beach, Plugger, things he’d fucked up trying to cook. He could still remember the thrill of nerves every time his phone buzzed on the table. The way things had ended had spread back through all those good memories like poison. But it had been good, at the beginning.
He and Stavs chatted about nothing much for the rest of the ride: high school, Stavs’ NSW team, what it was like to play in Sydney. Stavs never talked much about his family. Jake got why, after that chat on the beach, but he was curious.
Stavs went a bit quiet as they pulled into Jake’s street.
Jake decided to stop pretending he didn’t know Stavs was stressing. ‘They’ll like you,’ he said. ‘It’ll be chill.’
‘I know.’
Stavs had actually brought a proper gift for his mum and Lydia, like they were inBridgertonor something. It was a little basket with tea and spices and things Jake couldn’t identify. Lydia was going to flip.
Jake heard Plugger barking as soon as he got out of the car. Somebody opened the front door and Plugger exploded out, hurling himself at Jake, who just about managed to catch him. He put him down almost immediately, because Plugger was a big dog, and he wriggled when he was excited, but he knelt down to give him a proper cuddle. ‘Hey, hey, say hello to Stavs.’
Plugger did say hello, and Stavs was pretty relaxed about being slobbered on. That was good, because it was hard to be in the house and not get slobbered on a lot.
Jake dropped his bag at the top of the stairs, trying not to trip over Plugger, and hugged his mum. He hadn’t seen her in person since she’d lost her hair. She had a bandana wrapped around her head (she’d probably used it to flag, back in the day). He knew she hadn’t gotten a wig – she said that ifshedidn’t have a problem being bald, everyone else could fucking deal with it – but it was winter.
She hugged him just as hard as she always did.
‘Fuck, it’s good to see you,’ he said, trying not to squeeze too hard.
‘Good to see you, too.’
Stavs was shaking hands with Lydia. ‘Thanks for having me,’ he said, handing over the gift basket. It wasn’t unprecedented for one of Jake’s mates to bring gifts – Xen always brought jam or something – but this was definitely the poshest gift they’d ever received from a friend of Jake’s. The tea was injars.
Lydia beamed at him. ‘You’re welcome whenever you want,’ she said, investigating the jars. ‘Wheneveryou want.’ Jake sensed he was going to have to work to avoid drinking the type of tea that tasted like grass clippings soaked in hot water.
Stavs offered his hand to Jake’s mum. ‘Theo,’ he said. ‘It’s lovely to meet you.’
Debbie shook his hand. ‘Lovely to meet you, too. I’ve heard a lot about you.’
Stavs gave Jake an alarmed look. Debbie caught it and laughed. ‘All good things,’ she reassured him. ‘At least recently,’ she amended.
Stavs laughed, and Jake could tell he’d already started to chill out. It was pretty hard not to relax around his mum and Lydia.
Debbie ushered them both into the house, still laughing, and Jake felt, just for a second, the heat of tears behind his eyes.
Chapter Nineteen
Teaching people to surf was often a bit funny, but teaching Stavs to surf was hilarious. Jake had thought he’d pick it up quickly – he was athletic, and he had good balance and whatever from all of that pretzel yoga.
He did not pick it up quickly.
They’d headed to the beach after dumping their bags and sitting down for a cup of tea. Paddy and Xen had arrived a few minutes after Jake and Theo, and Keeley had come over for some lunch – and to eyeball Stavs. He hadn’t told Keeley about what was going on with Stavs, but she was good at picking up clues, and he might have been mentioning Stavs more than was wise. He could tell her, of course, but then she’d probably give him some good advice, and he wasn’t interested in getting any of that.
Stavs had been allowed to help Lydia assemble sandwiches in the kitchen – a rare privilege. Jake was not allowed to help with sandwiches because he ‘mangled’ the bread. Kyle had never been allowed to help with the sandwiches. Lydia hadn’t liked Kyle, and while she’d neversaidthat, she had her ways of showing it. Stavs sliced bread beautifully, of course, and actually seemed to enjoy the cup of grass-clippings tea. His mum had already givenJake a couple of looks that he knew meantwe’re going to talk about him later.
Jake had no idea what he was going to say.
He’d enlisted Keeley to help with the surfing lesson because she was a better teacher, and because it meant that Jake could watch while Stavs tried, and failed, to stand up on the board, his face twisted into an adorable expression of intense concentration. It also meant he could admire Stavs in the borrowed wetsuit.
