‘No, when were you going to invite me to the wedding?’
‘Sometime this weekend. By a cliff edge, as you seem to—’
‘Do that, then! Let’s pretend you didn’t kind of ask me. And let’s pretend I didn’t indirectly tell you I want to gatecrash your future. Let’s do that in Devon, so those nice moments don’t have this damn place as a background. Let’s forget it all!’
‘Can you give me a hint of an answerabout the wedding?’
Charles attempts to look indecisive, but his bliss evidently spreads all over his face because Loris doesn’t hide his relief. He presses their lips together, then jumps and pulls away, apologising for this impulse. Charles holds him back by the scarf, hoping the entire street is watching.
The after-effects of the lounge altercation take advantage of Loris being out for the count that night. Charles sleeps terribly.
At 4am, he goes to the bathroom to record a long voice message for Elsy and George. To explain and relive what happened while it’s still hindering.
It soothes him to put it into words and to picture his friends puffed-up with pride. It also exhausts him. He drops off the moment his head hits the one corner of his pillow that Loris hasn’t claimed during his absence.
The alarm clock is painful, and their morning dynamic is drastically shifted, as Loris is a bundle of excited energy.
Charles runs on autopilot until they pick up the rental and, the second they set off, he crashes out again, one of Loris’ jumpers balled-up between his head and the window.
When he wakes up, he finds himself alone in the car parked by a viewpoint. Loris is sitting on the grass thirty feet away, his hair flying, his legs stretched towards a panoramic painting of blues and greys.
Charles drinks some lukewarm coffee from the thermos flask and slips on his makeshift pillow. He plods in Loris’ direction and slumps against him, yawning.
‘You’re too far from the edge.’
‘I’m worried about this wind. Safer to walk closer when we’re a fat meal heavier.’
‘Food. Good plan.’
Loris brushes Charles’ jawline with his knuckles. ‘You okay?’
‘I love you.’
‘Does it answer my question?’
‘Yes, because it answers most of mine.’
Loris lifts Charles’ chin and locks their lips together.
An army of children come hurtling around them, disrupting the tranquillity of the spot, but even their playful screams leave Charles’ absolute quietude unscathed.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Two months later
Teetering towards the bar, Charles scowls at Elsy’s fleer above the tray of empty glasses he volunteered to collect all around the North Haven. ‘It’s harder than it seems!’
‘Is it?’
She slides her palm underneath the tray, lifts it off Charles’ hands and whirls around while sipping her gin and tonic.
‘I could do that too. I just don’t want Patty to consider hiring me. Replacing Loris in her life stops at being her tenant.’
‘Sure, Chips, sure. But wasn’t his rent really cheap because he was helpful here?’
‘Shh! Let’s not remind her of that.’
Especially not tonight.
