Cancer reached out and took one too, dropping it into her mouth and shaking her head when I glared at her.
‘Stop being such a stonehead.'
She laughed along with her friend. I was tempted to get my food and leave. A fresh pint sat in front of me. I couldn't resist it.
‘So, Taurus, what do you do?' Sophie asked.
The dreaded question entered the air. I shoved a handful of crisps into my mouth so I didn't have to answer.
‘He's in between jobs at the moment. He was training to be a fitness instructor.'
///
Cancer's rescue could have been perceived as kind, but she'd only done it to save her own embarrassment. Who liked having a brother that was unemployed?
‘I could do with a fitness trainer,' Sophie said. ‘Can I hire you?'
My chewing paused as I glanced at her. She was a fuller figured girl. Short with rounded hips and a bit of a stomach. I liked how she looked. It was natural.
‘I didn't actually qualify,' I replied, scrunching the empty packet in my hand.
She shrugged and flicked her hair over her shoulder. ‘That's okay. Just charge me less money than a normal trainer would.'
I glanced at Cancer. She had her eyebrows raised and watched me closely. My head was starting to clear slightly. I was still wasted. Were they teasing me?
‘You want to hire me as your fitness trainer? Seriously?'
Sophie nodded without smiling. She was being genuine. Could I do it? Could I use what I had learnt to help someone else to get fit? She didn't need to lose weight; she looked good with a little bit of meat on her. If she wanted to tone up, that would easy.
‘Okay, if you're being serious, I'll do it.'
A small smile spread on both their lips. What had just happened? Sophie picked up her glass and eyed me over the rim as her lips took a small sip of cider. My gaze zoomed in on her when she put the drink down and leant towards me.
‘I hope you're gentle with me, Taurus,' she whispered.
‘Sophie! That's my brother you're flirting with.' Cancer laughed.
Shaking my head, I downed the rest of my drink and stood to leave. Women were out of my comfort zone. They made no sense to me whatsoever. I had never understood them and was sure I never would.
‘Are you going already?' Sophie pouted.
She looked the same age as us. We were all twenty one. When I had met girls my own age in the past, I had been put off by their immaturity.
‘Things to see, people to do. If you want to train, be outside our house tomorrow morning at eight.'
Grabbing the remaining packets of crisps, I left them to it. Cancer would show Sophie where we lived if she was serious. I wasn't sure if she would show up. There were much more exciting ways to get fit. Maybe she would like to explore them with me.
The sun shone directly in my eyes, so I pulled my cap low. Standing on the pavement, I debated whether to go home to smoke some more or walk it off. Glancing up the street, I paused when my gaze landed on a man that I recognised.
He ran towards me, his head ducked low and his hands in his pockets. I stepped back, ready to fight if he attacked. When he came to a stop in front of me, I frowned and raised my hands.
‘Wait! I need you to give this to Cancer.' He held out a piece of paper. ‘Nick doesn't know I'm here. He has no idea that I'm doing this.'
The man was average height with green eyes. His gaze shifted around us as I took the paper. He was the man that we had captured and kept in the loft. Cancer had looked after him when he had been there. She even helped him to escape, according to Aries.
‘You need to leave her alone.' I stuffed the paper in my pocket.
‘Please do this for me. I know you don't trust me, but it's to do with Cancer's safety.'
I nodded once and he rushed off the way he had come.
I wouldn't go back into the pub. I needed to clear my head. Why did he have to ask me? If I were any of the other men, I would go straight to Aries and give him the note. He had been suspicious of Cancer ever since she had let the man escape.
‘Taurus, I thought you were going somewhere,' Sophie called as they came out of the pub.
I had hoped for more time to think about my decision, but it seemed I would have to deal with it now. Cancer followed her friend as she put the strap of her bag over her head.
‘Cancer, I need to talk to you,' I said, not looking at them as I started to walk towards our home.
Footsteps sounded behind me. I ignored them. Hopefully Cancer would make Sophie go away, otherwise I would seem rude when asking her to leave.
‘What's wrong?' Cancer asked.
I stopped and let her catch up to me. Sophie was gone. My breath rushed out of me as I took out the note.
‘I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do … Your boyfriend just gave me this to give to you.'
We ignored the cars that drove past. Clapham was a busy part of south London, which was ideal for us. It made it easier for twelve attractive twenty one year olds with the names of the Zodiac signs to blend in.
‘My boyfriend? I don't have a … ' She swallowed as she took the paper and opened it.
Her eyes scanned the written words as her cheeks turned red. She folded the note and tucked it into her bag.
///
‘Oh, no you don't. You're lucky I didn't go straight to Aries. You need to at least tell me what he said.' Funnily enough, my high had completely deserted me.
‘It's just a love note,' she squeaked.
She tried to push past me. I grabbed her arm and linked it through mine as we walked. She didn't struggle or try to break free. She knew that she wouldn't win. I always won in these situations.
‘Let's get home. I'll tell you there,' she muttered, leading us back to our flat.
Once inside, I released her and dumped my crisps on the island in the middle of the kitchen. Aries and Gemini played poker at the table.
‘Father is coming for dinner tonight. We need to discuss everything he learnt when he was with Nick,' Aries said in our direction. ‘I want you all to be there.'
I glanced at Cancer. She shook her head and gestured towards the living room. I would keep quiet for now. I knew how overbearing Aries could be. He'd been giving her a hard time recently.
‘I'll be there.' I followed my blonde sister out of the kitchen.
‘You can't tell anyone you saw Matt,' Cancer whispered.
‘Matt?'
She huffed as she slumped on the sofa. I didn't know his name was Matt. Why was she getting irritated with me?
I stood over her, scratching the stubble on my chin. She was asking me to keep something from the family. Our father had only just been rescued and she was keeping some sort of secret about one of his kidnappers.
‘You have to trust me,' she pleaded, looking up at me.
I didn't know Cancer that well. She usually hung out with the other half of the siblings. We had formed into groups of six, although we still ate dinner together as a whole family.
‘If you want me to keep your secret, you're going to have to tell me what's going on. Why are you protecting someone who works for Nick?'
Her eyes widened as the boys in the other room shouted about their game.
‘You're a good cheat, Gemini!' Aries shouted.
‘I was being honest before. It's a love note.' She opened her bag and pulled the paper out. It was a big piece of paper folded several times. I could see that there was a fair amount of writing on it.
‘You mentioned before that you thought he was your twin flame, but isn't he married?'
My words hit her in the heart. I could tell by the way she put a hand on her chest and rubbed. I didn't see what the problem was. He was married, so she should just forget about him. It obviously wasn't going to happen when he was attached to someone else. Why would she even want him?
‘I didn't know he was married when he was in the attic. We spoke a lot … '
As her sentence trailed off, I wished I had a joint on me. Why couldn't it have been one of the others that had taken the note for her? I couldn't be bothered with her crap. It had nothing to do with me.
‘Okay, I'll keep your secret. I'll probably forget once I've had a smoke anyway.'
She launched from her seat and threw her arms around my neck. I stiffened but didn't return the gesture. ‘Thank you. I promise to sort it out.'
Shaking my head, I left her. I didn't want to know any more than I already did.
‘I don't think I've ever known you and Cancer to gossip,' Aries said as I poured myself a drink and picked up my beloved crisps.
‘Her friend has asked me to be her personal trainer. It looks like I may have a job after all. We'll see if she turns up at eight o'clock tomorrow.'
My head was held slightly higher than when I had left. A part of me hoped that Sophie would turn up, just so I could rub Aries' nose in it.
‘Eight o'clock in the morning? Good luck with that,' Gemini said, chuckling along with Aries as he shuffled the deck of cards.
‘How would you know what time I get up?' I replied. ‘You're never here in the mornings.'
Gemini shook his head and dealt the hand. ‘A stoner sleeps all sorts of hours.'