Page 29 of Hold On

“There’s only one rule,” Col said. “We don’t dig deep holes. Okay?”

“Sure.” Ren nodded.What was that about?

Chapter Five

Dominic wondered what the hell he’d been thinking when he’d agreed to go to the beach today. He’d spent a large part of the night trying to figure out how to get out of it without looking like a dick, and come up with nothing. As he headed out of his bedroom, he wondered if he could say he was feeling ill. But there was a human whirlwind in the kitchen.

“Morning,” Theo called. “Help yourself to breakfast. I’ve already made the picnic with the help of Sarah, the cook from the hall. We almost had my father and James coming with us. So I said it was a naturist beach except they said they were definitely coming and I panicked until James remembered he had an appointment. Liar. They want to meet you once you’re settled in. Don’t get excited about it being a clothes optional beach because it isn’t. Col’s gone to get the cart from James. I’ve piled up all the equipment downstairs and the sun has come out as ordered. This is going to be so much fun.”

Had Theo drawn breath?Looks like I’m going.“Is there anything I can do?”

Theo shook his head. “Col is so excited that we’re all going out, and particularly that you wanted to go out. He just wants you to be happy. He’s a bit worried about Ren though. Are you okay that he’s coming with us? Col said I should have waited until he’d gone to ask you and then you could have had time to decide if you wanted him to come and asked him yourself. I’m sorry. Col told me off. And he’s right. I wasn’t thinking.”

“I like Ren.” Dominic shocked himself with that admission.

“He definitely likes you. He couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

Dominic’s heart thumped. He hadn’t noticed because he didn’t want to be caught staring at Ren.

“Does he know…?” Theo turned to look at him without finishing the question.

Dominic guessed what he was going to say. “No. I’ve not told him. We’re just on the edge of friendship.”Maybe.He didn’t even know how to make a friend, how he could let himself trust. It came as a shock that Ren wanted to be anywhere near him. He wasn’t exactly fun to be around.

“I’m sorry. It must be really difficult. I mean, it’s not the first thing you want to tell someone or even if youshouldtell them and I’m going to shut up because I’m making things worse. Let’s just have a fun day. Not worry about the past or the future. Just enjoy ourselves. You are going to change into shorts though, right? It’s going to be hot and you’ll probably want to go in the sea.”

Oh shit.He was going to need an explanation for his bruises. Dominic made himself marmalade on toast and poured a coffee from the machine. It tasted so different to the coffee he was used to, full of depth and flavour. Then again, everything tasted different.

“Did you go to the beach when you were a boy?” Theo asked.

“A few times.” He’d been to the sea twice, taken Col on the bus for the day. They’d hardly got there before they’d had to set off back. He wondered if Col remembered.

“I used to love it. Then I hated it. Well, you know why. Col said he’d told you about my sister dying when a hole in the sand collapsed on her. I love the beach again now, though I still get that pang in my heart when I’m on the sand.”

“I bet you want to tell kids not to dig holes too deep.”

“I have quietly told a few parents when I’ve seen children digging holes. I couldn’t help myself, but they were okay about it. I’d like to tell everyone who goes to the beach what happened to Felicity, but I know I can’t. It’s a bit like warning kids not to jump into flooded quarries in hot weather. They still do it. As Col keeps reminding me—I can’t protect the entire world, and do I want to spoil someone’s day out reminding them there’s danger everywhere? Of course I don’t.”

Dominic sipped his coffee. He liked Theo more and more. He was perfect for Col.

Col came into the room. “Morning! Cart’s in the car along with everything else you piled up out there. But we’re not taking the metal detector. Once you start doing that, you get obsessed.”

His brother went over to Theo and kissed him. Dominic looked away and filled his mouth with toast. This world was so alien to the one he’d left behind that sometimes he wondered if he’d ever fit in.

The doorbell rang and Dominic pushed to his feet and went down the stairs. Maybe Ren had come to say he wasn’t going to be joining them, but he stood there in blue swim shorts, neon green T-shirt and flipflops, carrying a backpack. There were spades and trowels standing in a stack of four black buckets at his side.

“Not coming?” Dominic said.

Ren winked. “I live in hope.”

Oh God.

Theo and Col clattered down the stairs behind Dominic.

“We all ready?” Col asked. “You going to change?” He looked at Dominic.

Dominic headed back up the stairs.

He took off his jeans and underwear, and pulled on the yellow and blue board shorts Theo had convinced him to buy at TK Maxx. At least his bruises weren’t so bad below the knee. His hip and thigh looked the worse.

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