Page 256 of The Long Way Home

Can’t imagine that going down too well if I’m honest, but worth a shot.

Afterwards, everyone piles into (one of) the living rooms to watch something. Christian suggests a horror film and all the girls veto it, even though I love watching scary films with Parks, because she holds on to me when she’s scared, but then I realise she’d be holding on to someone else.

We land on Jurassic Park, because it’s pretty much the greatest film of all time.

We watch the film. I watch Parks.

After, everyone’s falling asleep except for me and Magnolia, because we’ve done this before. Know the drill. Know how to be alone in a house where that should be an impossibility.

Everyone peters off to bed.

Parks gets up, catches my eye and goes to the kitchen.

She doesn’t know how to clean. I know how to clean, though.

Julian follows her in.

Jordan looks up at me tiredly.

“You go up to bed, I’m going to give them a hand—” I nod in their direction.

“Okay.” She yawns, stretching her arms up over her head.

“I’ll be up in a minute,” I tell her, hoping it’s a lie.

I walk into the kitchen and Julian’s in the doorway on the phone, holding up a finger at her saying he’ll be one minute.

Picture of chivalry.

He glances over at me, nods with his chin, mouths, “You good?”

Parks looks up at me.

“I’ll give her a hand.” I nod towards Parks. “You take your call.”

Julian looks from me to Parks, juts his mouth out a bit and then shrugs.

“Better you cleaning than me, man.”

He walks over to her, slips one hand around her waist and the other behind her head. Kisses the shit out of her. She goes pink as he does it.

“Wake me up when you come up,” he tells her.

She goes pinker. Nods.

He walks towards the door but turns back around.

“You watch those hands, Ballentine.” He points at me. “I know how I left her.”

She tilts her head at him, rolls her eyes embarrassed.

I give him one curt nod and he leaves.

I look over at her, eyes wide, heart racing.

“Wow.”

She swats her hands, embarrassed.

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