Mateo slow-blinked, like he had when he’d come round in the clinic. “Lili?”
“Yeah. She’s the piece of you I never knew was missing.”
Mateo inhaled, steady and deep. “Ju wants to give the new baby my name. So when she changes Liliana’s, they’re the same.”
“What did you say to that?”
“Told her to give them both yours.”
“What? Why?”
“Cos...” Mateo’s eyes drooped shut. “I hate my dad and you loved yours. And I wanna fucking marry you.”
He was gone then, dead to the world, leaving me reeling, but in all the good ways.
His precious joint was still tucked behind my ear.
I put it where he’d find it when he inevitably woke up two hours before me and tucked our clasped hands close to my chest.
Then I fell asleep safe in the knowledge that he loved me more than anyone else ever could.
* * *
I woke up to the smell of bacon and lemon tea.
And the sensation of a bristly jaw rubbing against mine.
“It’s me,” Mateo whispered. “Just me.”
It took me a moment to crack an eye open. Another to be conscious enough to see him, bearded and dishevelled, waving a mug of necessity and a plate of heaven.
Only a heartbeat to smile. “What time is it?”
“Ten. I’d have left you longer, but Rubes was dishing out breakfast and I didn’t want you to miss out.”
“He okay?”
“Rubes?”
“Yeah.”
Mateo shrugged. “Seemed to be. You know where the smoke is?”
“Your stash? No. But the blunt you were chucking around last night is over there.”
Mateo’s lazy grin widened. He claimed the joint and moved to the window to smoke it while I demolished the bacon roll he’d brought me.
When we were done, he came back to bed and dumped his head in my lap, his newfound favourite pastime. I was pretty fond of it too, especially when he fell asleep and I got to study his ridiculous eyelashes in peace, but I had bad news for him if he thought he was kipping there all day.
I had somewhere to be, and of course he came with me.
If he had time, he always did.
We met Cam half a mile away from the compound. In a three-bedroom house with a garden and a decked patio.
Mateo glanced around. “Buying another house, boss?”
“For that hooligan cat some arsehole brought home?” Cam eyed me. “Tempting, but not quite. Come here, brother.”
