“Um . . . All right, mate? I’m Charlie.”
“I know.” Leo flicked his gaze to the arts-and-craft session going on at the far side of the large, open-plan living room—Lila, Kate, and a bird called Fliss, all plaiting stupid pieces of string like it was the best thing in the world—and back to the kid. “Who cares?”
“Fair enough. I’m guessing you’re Leo?”
“If you say so.” Leo eyed Charlie, who pushed himself off the doorframe and ventured into the room to fiddle with the TV. He was taller than Leo, and lean, like he hadn’t quite grown into his legs yet, with olive skin and shiny dark hair.I wonder what his eyes are like.For a moment, Leo regretted not bothering to take a proper look, then movement at the dining table caught his attention.
“I’m hungry. Dinner soon?”
Leo signed back,“When they tell us where the food is.”
Lila started to reply, but the foster monster, Kate, rose and waved her hand. She shook her head when she had Lila’s attention and signed along with her speech. “We eat together in this house, Leo. Dinner’s at seven, but you can have some fruit if you’re hungry.”
Leo frowned. He was used to sign language being their own secret code. He’d forgotten everyone in this new place probably signed better than he did. “I’m not hungry.”
“Okay, sweetie. Let me know if you change your mind.”
Kate left the room. She came back with a bowl of grapes for Lila. Leo wanted to cross the room and check they were seedless. Grape seeds irritated the cough Lila had developed since the fire, but something stayed him.
Charlie touched Leo’s arm. Leo hadn’t noticed him slouching on the arm of the sofa. “Do you want to play Xbox downstairs?”
Leo kept his gaze on Lila, despite a strange urge to acquaint himself with the face attached to the blazing fingertips on his arm. “Downstairs?”
“Yeah, in the cellar with all the games and stuff. Want to see?”
Yes.“No, thanks.”
Charlie let his hand drop and glanced over Leo’s shoulder. Leo didn’t have to turn to know that he’d caught the eye of someone behind them.Reg, I bet.The bloke had been lurking like a stalker since he and his wife had turned up at the house of the latest set of foster parents to show Leo the door.
“Um, what about PlayStation?”
“You say ‘um’ a lot.” Leo finally took a proper look at Charlie. Wished he hadn’t. Charlie’s dark-brown eyes and full lips were a distraction he didn’t need. “Have you got a stutter or something?”
“No.” Charlie got up and turned away, head down, slender shoulders slumped. Leo almost felt bad, until Charlie stopped, his hand on the door. “I’m going to bring the Wii up. I don’t give a shit if you play or not, but anything’s got to be better than staring daggers at my mum’s back.”
Twat.
Charlie left the room. Reg took his place in the doorway. “Charlie’s a good kid. With any luck, you’ll be going to the same school soon, so it might be good to spend some time together.”
“Okay.”
Reg raised an eyebrow but said no more. He moved to the table with the others and hovered with his hand on Kate’s back. Leo waited for her to jump and move away, but she didn’t. In fact, she smiled, which did nothing to calm the burning in Leo’s chest. He smelled whiskey and smoke, and the scaly, burned skin began to smoulder as Reg pulled up a chair beside Lila. He reached for the bracelet she was working on, signed something Leo couldn’t see.
Then he touched her arm.
Leo jumped up and darted across the room. He wrenched Lila from her chair and tugged her behind him. “Get your hands off her.”
Reg pushed his chair back and stood. Leo steeled himself, but instead of advancing on them, Reg retreated to the big bay window and raised his hands. “I wasn’t going to hurt her, Leo. No one’s going to hurt you here.”
The growl in Leo’s own throat surprised him. He’d wanted to hit Dennis, but he wanted to hit Reg more. Wanted to wipe that fake, patient stare from his fake, patient face. Wanted to punch him until he punched Leo back and showed his true colours.
He pulled Lila farther behind him and balled his hands into fists. He stepped forward, but Kate blocked his path. She was a petite woman, half the size of his own mother, but her unmoving stance stopped Leo in his tracks.
“Leo, honey. Let Lila go. I’m going to take her upstairs so she can wash her hands for dinner.”
She held out her hands. Her smile was kind, but Reg’s presence behind her set Leo’s teeth on edge. He tightened his grip on Lila. She squirmed and tapped his arm, but he held firm even as a mist descended in his noisy brain. How many times had Dennis torn them apart? Locked Lila in her room so he could punish Leo for putting himself between Dennis and their mother?
“Leo.” For the second time that day, Charlie’s gentle voice startled him. Charlie put the games console on the arm of the couch and Leo felt his liquid gaze all over him. “Lila’s okay. She’s safe with Kate.”
