Page 79 of Oz
I pat her shoulder and go into the lounge. Silas is just coming down the hall and he grins at me.
“Alright?” I ask. “Were your eyes blinded by the bathroom?”
He grins. “I’ve never seen that shade of pink before. It’s very powerful.”
I shake my head. “She’s got the colour picking ability of Timmy Mallet.” He laughs and I sigh. “Well, you’ve seen it all. What do you think?”
To my surprise he glares at me. “There’s still almost a challenge about you at the moment. It’s like you’re waiting impatiently for me to look down on you and your mum for living here.”
“Can you blame me?” I say sharply. “The others–”
“Weren’t me,” he says sharply, the anger in his eyes startling. “Please do me the courtesy of not treating me as if I’m the ghost of your old boyfriends.”
When Silas is angry his voice gets impossibly posh. I open my mouth and what comes out is instinctive. “It’s very different from where you grew up.”
He nods. “It is. But that’s not your or your mum’s fault. I admire you both.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve both had a lot thrown at you and you’ve risen from that as this tightknit loving family. When we’re here, I don’t see what you see. I see a warm home and the two of you. You’re this special club of two who love and protect each otherabove everything, and all I want is to join that club and have you care for me like that.”
He looks so vulnerable that I can’t fucking stand it. It hurts my stomach and my heart. I cup his cheek in my hand, feeling the softness of his skin and the warmth as if he’s brought the Cornish sun with him. “Ido,”I say fiercely, for once not considering my words and the consequences and just speaking bluntly and from the depths of me. “I do, Silas.”
His smile is glorious.
Chapter
Sixteen
From now on I’m going to be known as Herbert Humpadick
Oz
The next few days pass in a rush as everybody gets into gear for the party. It’s held twice a year. The winter one is held inside the house but the summer one takes place in a marquee on the west lawn that looks out to sea.
Events like this are a bit like a juggernaut gathering speed. You think you’re ready, but then everything happens at once and the fact that the word Oz seems to be on every single fucker’s lips doesn’t make it any easier.
“Oz, when shall I tell the marquee people to come?” “Oz, when are the tables coming?” “Oz, the caterers need to know when to set up tomorrow.” “Oz, can you sign this?” “Oz, where is the seating plan?”
“Oz, do you–”
“Oh myGod,I’m changing my fucking name,” I snap without turning around. “From now on I’m going to be known as Herbert Humpadick and I won’t be answering to that poor fucker Oz’s name any more. Please pass all your questions onto someone that can actually find a fuck to give.”
There’s a soft snort, and when Chewwy barks I turn to see Silas standing in the entrance of the marquee. Beside him are two men. One is a very beautiful man with shoulder-length wavy blond hair who is staring at me with a smile quirking his lips, and the other … oh shit! This one is a redhead, but even though he looks very little like Silas apart from the nose and pretty eyes I know instantly that this is Henry, his brother.
“Good afternoon,” he says, coming forward, his voice so similar to Silas’s that it’s uncanny. “Herbert Humpadick, I presume?”
“Oh shit!” I sigh. “Just ignore me, for Christ’s sake.”
Silas laughs and Henry’s lip quirks. “I think that might prove to be difficult.”
He looks me up and down and it’s so quick that I almost miss it. I wonder what he’s thinking. I’d hoped to meet them on the steps of the house with Silas. I’d have been dressed in something elegant. Okay, strike that. I’d have been dressed in something clean and ironed. I don’t own anything elegant. Instead I’m dressed in shorts that used to be black but are now a greyish sort of colour, a black vest, and Converse hi tops that have so many holes they’re actually airy. I’m also a sweaty mess and highly fucking sick of this event.
“This is Henry, my brother,” Silas says, coming around to sling his arm over my shoulder. He’s a brave fucker as I’m very sweaty after moving a load of tables. “And this is his boyfriend and our former stepbrother, Ivo.”
I blink.
“Whydo we always lead with that?” Henry sighs and Ivo smirks.
