Scott shrugged. “She’s going to move. Then she won’t be a problem.”
Zack said nothing, which was often more of an issue than him saying anything.
“Severton’s not good enough for her,” Scott said, aware that he was using a very big spade to dig himself a very big hole.
Zack looked at him and shook his head. “She’s thinking of leaving because she wants something more in her life. Like a family, kids who have a father and if she can’t have that then a job working with children. You can see where she’s coming from.”
“I don’t see where she’s coming from.” Scott looked away from Zack. He did. He got that Severton couldn’t be everything for everyone.
“You know, toning it down with her might be good. I don’t want her to leave. Sorrell would be gutted. I would be. She’s been a friend for so long,” Zack looked at him so that Scott couldn’t ignore the stare.
Keren and Sorrell were friends; there was a good chance that Keren had told Sorrell what had happened between them and then Sorrell might’ve told Zack.
“I asked her out.” He couldn’t meet his brother’s eyes as he said the words.
“As in a joke?”
“Fuck no,” Scott said. “For real. I wanted to ask her out when I came home from Uni, before she left, but Jake told me she laughed when someone mentioned I Iiked her.” He briefly told the story, kicking himself. He was twenty-fucking-one when it had happened. Why had he let it eat away at him for so long?
Zack said nothing, taking a sip of his pint.
“You’re not going to give me a lecture?”
“What would be the point? You will do what you want, like you always have. Jake was bullshitting you. You realise that? Keren wouldn’t have said anything like that, especially to him,” Zack shook his head. “You know she got chatted up in Manchester on Friday? Sorrell told me. Some bloke who worked in finance bought them drinks in a bar.”
Scott twitched his legs, wanting to kick something. “I’ve left it too late.”
“You fucking think?”
“Thanks, bro. Your words of encouragement and support never fail to fill me with confidence,” he growled.
Zack laughed. “Are you serious about her? Or is this just a case of messing with her head?”
Scott almost laughed. He wished he could be that cruel. “You remember when that turd of a dentist worked for her two years ago when Geoffrey retired?”
“Wayne something,” Zack said. “He spread a load of shit about her sleeping with him.” His eyes narrowed. “You…”
“Filled his face in.”
It shouldn’t have been his proudest moment; he had broken the man’s nose and given him one hell of a shiner. But the fucker had said nothing else about Keren and had left Severton quietly. It had been his only option.
“Jesus, Scott. You made a mess of him. Why didn’t he say anything? And more to the point, why didn’t you tell Keren?” Zack said, rubbing the scruff on his face that he called a beard.
“I didn’t think she’d appreciate it. I know I argued with her, but if anyone else spoke to her wrong…” He squeezed his hands together. “How do I unfuck this? Come on, you’ve managed to get Sorrell to live with your sorry arse so you must have some ideas.”
“Hang on,” Zack said. “You’ve had a thing for her for thirteen years?” He squinted as if he thought he might be waking up in some parallel universe.
“Well done, you managed to do the maths,” Scott said. “I need a plan. I don’t want her to move.”
Zack’s face gave him away. Scott could see that his brother didn’t hold out much hope.
“Ells said Sam – that’s the bloke from the bar – was really interested in her. And that Keren talked about him a lot on the way home. If she’s thinking about shifting to Manchester, I don’t see how you’re going to get her to stay.” He slapped him on the back. “I’ll speak to Sorrell. I know she doesn’t want her to move so she’ll be on your side.”
“Sorrell and no one else. Hang on, how else do you know that Keren never said that to Jake?” There was a very good chance he was going to make a mess of his cousin at some point.
“It’s Jake. If she had said that he’d have fucking verbally toasted her for trying to show off in front of her mates or something and everyone would’ve known about it,” Zack said. He was watching the door, probably for Sorrell because there wouldn’t be anyone else he was interested in.
“Why would Jake tell me that?” Scott said. “Why make that shit up and let it fester for years?”
