Until Harry(14)

Bloody woman, I thought.

We both turned our heads and glanced at the kitchen door when my father, brothers and Kale walked in, talking about ordering takeaway from the local chippy because none of them felt like cooking. I didn’t realise how hungry I was until food was mentioned. I couldn’t even remember the last time I ate anything.

An hour and a half later and I was still sitting at the kitchen table, but now I had a belly full of chicken, chips and at least a litre bottle of Coke. I was so full I felt like I was going to burst. When we were finished, we all went into the sitting room and sat down so we could digest our food in comfort.

“So, when are you going back to New York?” Lochlan asked me after a few minutes of mindless chatter.

I noticed he said “New York” and not “home”.

I didn’t look at him, Layton or Kale as I said, “I don’t know yet, but not soon. I’m going to help Mum and Nanny with Harry’s house after we hear his will on Monday.”

I made a mental note that I needed to change my flights home and extend my stay at the Inn.

Lochlan said nothing.

Layton cleared his throat. “Well, that’s great.”

Yeah. Great.

I nodded. “Yeah.”

I felt Lochlan’s gaze back on me. “How long are you going to stay away when you go back this time? Ten years? Twenty? Or just come back when one of us dies?”

I didn’t even flinch at his jab.

“Loch,” Layton pressed, “don’t start with her – not tonight. She just got home, for fuck’s sake.”

I appreciated Layton shutting down Lochlan before he had a chance to have a go at me, but I looked up to my brother’s intense gaze, and instead of remaining silent, I said, “I’ll be back for the holidays.”

Lochlan blinked at my reply, clearly stunned speechless at my response. So were Kale and Layton, who looked at me with wide eyes and gaping mouths. They were shocked. I noticed, in Kale, it was the first real emotion I had seen him express since I arrived. The old Kale would usually tell me a story from the emotions constantly displayed on his face, but not this poker-faced Kale.

What happened to you? I wondered.

“Christmas?” Layton murmured after a moment, his eyes unblinking.

I shrugged, trying to downplay how much of a big deal they thought it was. I mean, it was a big deal, but I didn’t want them to act like it was.

“Yeah. Nanny made me promise to come home every year for Christmas.” I shook my head in annoyance. “She said missing me was pushing her in the direction of a heart attack, and if she died, it’d be my fault.”

Things were silent for a moment, and then male laughter filled the sitting room. I focused on Kale when he laughed, and I felt dejected when his laughter didn’t reach his eyes and seemed forced.

I pushed my observations aside and grunted. “It’s not funny; she placed the ultimate guilt trip on me. We’re burying Harry tomorrow, and she decides to throw this curve ball at me? The bloody vixen.”

The light-hearted laughter continued, and I fought off the smile that twitched at the corner of my mouth.

“That’s genius, you have to give it to her,” Kale said.

I hated that he was speaking to me; things would have been so much easier if he left me alone. It would hurt, it would damn well hurt, if he ignored me, but that hurt would be nothing compared to the pain I felt right now. I didn’t get how he could chat to me like he didn’t ruin me.

Goodbye, Laney Baby, his voice echoed in my mind.

I forced away the memory that tried to creep its way into focus. I cleared my throat and didn’t look directly at him as I replied, “She’d agree with you. She’s pretty pleased with herself right now.”

Kale snorted, and I hated myself for thinking the sound was cute.

I swallowed the hurt I felt and looked down to my leg when it vibrated and continued to vibrate. I reached into the front pocket of my jeans, took out my ringing iPhone and saw “Roman” flashing across the screen.

Fuck, I cringed. I forgot all about Roman, he was going to kill me.

“Excuse me for a few minutes,” I said to the lads, then stood up and quickly stepped out into the hallway, closing the sitting room door behind me.

“Hey, Ro, what’s up?” I said, keeping my voice low.

The gasp that came through my receiver was dramatic and expected. “‘Hey, Ro, what’s up?’ Are you fucking serious right now, Lane?” Roman, my very-high-maintenance friend, bellowed at me. “That’s all I get?”

I pushed a few strands of hair that escaped my plait out of my face. “I’m sorry, okay? The past few days have been crazy. I should have told you I was going to be gone for a few days.”