Page 127 of The Long Way Home

“Oi, hold on, where the fuck did this tidal wave come from, then?”

I shake my head at him. “It’s a storm surge.”

“What’s a storm surge?”

I give him a look and wish desperately I knew the answer because I love knowing everything. “I don’t know.”

Henry nods at my necklace. “I thought you lost that.”

“Oh—” I press it into my chest. “Um—”

Christian eyes it. “Didn’t we tear apart a club in Athens looking for that?”

“Well…”

“I swear to god if you had it all this time, I’ll go back to 2014 and smack you in the head.”

Henry squints at him, thinking back. “Didn’t you…?”

“Yeah.” Christian nods, annoyed. “I punched a lad from Bristol for that.”

“It was Manchester, actually, and I maintain he stole it.”

Henry eyes it. “Where’d this one come from, then?”

I breathe out airily, shrugging my shoulders like it’s nothing. “Your brother gave it to me.”

“My brother gave it to you?” He pulls back, surprised but a little smug.

I nod.

Henry’s eyebrows are up. “When?”

“Yesterday,” I mumble.

Everyone sits up straighter.

“Yesterday?” Taura blinks. “You mean on Christmas?”

“I mean—” I frown, not liking their tones. “It was late, like barely December 25th still, but technically, yes, I suppose. ‘On Christmas,’ whatever that means.”

“It means he gave you a Christmas present.” Christian gives me a look.

“So what?” I wave my hand. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Your childhood sweetheart and ex-boyfriend you had a secret love-child with gives you a Christmas gift and it means nothing? Even though you’re wearing it?” Henry asks pointedly.

I glare at him and know we both know it means everything to me. I just don’t know what it means to BJ.

“Jake Gyllenhaal,” Christian says loudly, casting me a line. “Smash?”

“Have,” I tell the TV.

And the whole room stares over at me.

“Just kidding!” I laugh. “It was just a kiss.”

Henry throws the remote at me. “Shut up. Really?”

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