Page 179 of Every Silent Lie
“And that will never not be okay.” He gets to his knees and hoofs me up, and I land on his thighs with force, my front crashing into his. “Remember what I said yesterday,” he whispers into my neck. “Whenever you need a moment, take it. But you’ve got to give me a signal so I know.”
“What’s the signal?”
“Give me your hands,” he says, encouraging me out of his chest. He takes the index finger on each hand and pushes the tips together. “Like this.”
“Okay.”
“Are you ready?”
I nod. “I’m ready.”
“Okay.” He loops an arm around my lower back and gets us off the bed, setting me on my feet.
“Are you?” I peek down at his boxers laugh when he rearranges himself, his cheeks blowing out.
“Five a.m. is a win,” he murmurs, taking my hand and walking us out of the bedroom. We find Albi outside a closed door.
“Aunty April and Uncle Blaine’s door’s locked,” he grumbles, trying the knob again.
“The crafty fuckers,” Dec says under his breath as he bends and inspects the knob. “Albi, there’s a coin in Daddy’s drawer next to his bed. Go fetch it.”
He zooms off and returns a few moments later, holding up a two pence piece. “What ’cha doing, Daddy?” he asks as Dec slips the coin into the dial beneath the knob. “Getting us in.”
Albi claps his hands, squealing his delight, bending to mirror his daddy’s pose. “What if we wake them?” he whispers.
“That’s the point, isn’t it?”
“Will they be mad?”
“Do we care?”
“No!”
The lock clicks, and Dec turns a crafty smirk onto his boy. I’m melting bit by bit . . . and pining for Noah at the same time. “Ready?” he asks.
“Ready!”
“Okay.” Dec stands, takes Albi’s hand, and pulls me to join them with his other.
“Oh God,” I whisper, getting the drift. “I’m not sure they’ll appreciate me bombing them out of bed too.”
Dec kicks the door open, and I don’t have a moment to give it another thought. I’m being hauled toward the bed, Albi squealing his excitement. I just catch April and Blaine bolt up, their eyes wide, before we all dive onto the bed.
Grunts and shouts of surprise mix and blend before laughter drowns the room. “Seriously?” April wails, half outraged, half elated.
“Seriously,” Dec counters, as I find my way to my feet, embarrassingly out of breath.
Albi’s in hysterics as he rolls around in the duvet. “Seriously!” he yells, getting to his feet and bouncing up and down between April and Blaine. “Father Christmas came, Father Christmas came!”
“Come here, you little rascal.” Blaine grabs Albi’s pyjamas and drags him over, pinning him down and tickling him until he virtually stops breathing, squirming around on his back.
“Get up,” Dec demands.
“I’m naked,” April declares, her eyebrows high.
“Me too,” Blaine adds.
“We’re leaving,” Dec blurts, pushing me out of the room. Albi overtakes me, and Dec stops, looking back at his sister and brother-in-law. “If I don’t get morning sex, neither do you. Get up.” Then he slams the door.
