Mitch smiled. “That was easy. First I checked the net and found out whatever I could, and then when I thought it was safe to leave you, I went to the chemist to get the script filled. I asked the pharmacist there, and she gave me some additional advice.”
Finn looked at him with a strange expression, like he was trying to figure something out. “Another one for the tab, then?”
“You’re going to owe me big-time. But who’s counting?” Mitch laughed. He drank the last of his coffee and put his empty mug on the table. “What do you want to do today? How about we watch a movie, or do you feel like going for a walk?”
Finn brightened, the smile on his facemaking Mitch smile in return. “A walk sounds awesome. I’ve been cooped up in here for days. You too. You must be dying to get out in the fresh air.”
I’d be happy to stay indoors for another week, even longer, if it meant I could stay here with you.
Mitch shook his head to get rid of the ridiculous thoughts. He picked up his mug and stood, holding out his hand for Finn’s mug. “I’ll take careof these, then get some shoes. Meet you back here in five.”
The smile on Finn’s face reached all the way to his eyes, and the way he hurried from the room, obviously eager to head outside, made Mitch glad he’d agreed to the walk. A little of the earlier warmth returned, and he knew he had a stupid grin on his face as he headed to the kitchen.
THE SUBURBwhere Finn grew up was on the outskirtsof Sydney. It was a semirural area with a combination of residential houses, large properties, and market gardens, and a quieter pace than the city. Finn’s family home was on a large plot of land—not large enough for agriculture, but large enough that the nearest neighbors weren’t within shouting distance. The house was pretty much like most of the homes in the area. Built over fifty yearsago, it was single story, constructed of weatherboard, with a terra-cotta-tiled roof. It didn’t stand out from the other houses on the road, all of them in some state of disrepair, although some were better maintained than others.
“What was it like growing up here?” Mitch asked as they walked side by side down the road.
Finn looked around him. Memories flooded back, not all of them bad, butvery few of them good. He played it safe and stayed on neutral territory, not trusting himself to delve too deeply into his childhood.
“I liked school. I went to the local public school. It’s not too far from here. Just another couple of kilometers up the road.”
“And when you weren’t at school?”
I did anything I could to stay away from the house.“I used to ride my bike a lot. Played some sport,mainly soccer. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
“You rode a bike when you were kid?” Mitch’s tone was disbelieving.
Finn laughed and nudged Mitch’s shoulder. “A push-bike, you idiot. Not a motorbike. Although I did have a PeeWee.”
“Oh.” Finn could almost swear Mitch was blushing, but maybe he’d give him the benefit of the doubt and attribute the slight flush to the walk and the heat of the day.
“Yeah, I spent a lot of time riding. To and from school, down to the creek. To the shops you found the other day.”
“And what about friends?”
“I… ah….” His throat felt thick, the memories causing a lump in his throat. His voice caught.Stupid!He reprimanded himself for letting the emotions get the better of him. He knew better than to give in to those old feelings, had thought he was beyondall that. He blinked at the sudden moisture in his eyes.
Mitch placed a hand on his arm, and Finn became aware he’d stopped walking.
“Finn?”
“Sorry.” The flood of embarrassment was acute. “I don’t often think of the past.”
“And I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be asking you so many personal questions.”
Unexpectedly he had the desire to tell Mitch how he was feeling. He wanted Mitch to know him—therealhim. Not the person he tried to display to the world.
“It’s okay.” He took a deep breath. “And I’m fine now, honestly. I just hated growing up here.”
“You don’t like the area?” Mitch tilted his head as he looked at Finn. Finn could see himself reflected in Mitch’s sunglasses, and it was somehow easier to talk without seeing his eyes properly.
“I liked the area fine. Dad did too. It suitedhim to blend in to the neighborhood, to seem no different to anyone else. But people knew. We had people coming and going at all hours, most of them arriving on noisy-as-shit Harleys. Everyone within a hundred miles knew this was where the Fury’s president lived. Parents warned all their kids to stay away from the house—hell, to stay away from the street.”
“And that included you?” Mitch’s tonewas quiet, his eyes soft.
“Yeah,” Finn whispered and dropped his gaze. Mitch squeezed Finn’s shoulder. Finn forced himself to raise his eyes and plastered on a smile, but he hated the thought of Mitch pitying him. He shook off Mitch’s arm and started walking again, keeping his voice light as he continued. “But the one good thing that came out of it was all the time I spent at school and the library.All those hours spent studying meant I got to go to university.”
“I’m sure it was more than just the study. I’m sure there was some intelligence at play too.” Mitch’s tone was teasing.
