“It seems like it. But why not say?”
Seph accepted the coffee from the waiter. I was on juice instead, my caffeine intake having hit the unhealthy mark about eight am.
“I know when I had a melt-down a couple of years ago, everyone felt guilty. That’s why they don’t complain when I move in with them, apart from Max. What if Jack feels shitty because his brother’s homeless and he feels he should’ve done something about it.”
“I kind of get that. But I’m pretty sure that if his brother wanted to stay with Jack, he’d sleep on the sofa and give him his bed.”
Seph nodded. “Probably. But things are never that simple.” He put his cup down. “I’m going to speak to Callum about crashing at his while he’s away. Then I should probably find somewhere to live in by myself.”
“Or meet a nice girl.”
He nodded. “I’d like to. It’d be great meeting someone who isn’t interested in either pursuing their career, money or using me as arm candy.”
“Because it’s not like you take advantage of women like that, is it?”
His grin was utterly charming, dark eyes like melted chocolate. I should’ve been all over Seph Callaghan the moment I met him, but he felt too much like the brother I never had.
“I can’t help it. But they know the score. I don’t lead anyone on.”
From what I knew, he was right. However, I couldn’t think of many girls that I knew who wouldn’t hope that they could capture the over grown boy that was Joseph.
“I feel sorry for the women you date.” I did. As much as I’d buried my feelings for Jack in work, my time alone now felt empty. There was a quietness I hadn’t known before and an ache that I was struggling to smother. The first man I’d slept with in years had distanced himself enough to make me feel as if he’d turned into a ghost.
“Don’t. They have a good time.”
“Just not as many as they wanted.”
He shrugged. “Promise me you’ll speak to Jack.”
I nodded. “I will. I don’t get why…”
“Simone, you probably won’t until you speak to him. You’ve told me often enough that you have your own demons – he’ll have his too. We all do.”
“The wisdom of Joseph Callaghan.” I stood up, coffee break over and I knew Seph had court in a couple of hours and needed to meet his client.
“Always.” His eyes flickered to the door to where a tall blonde I recognised from a magazine I’d once looked at in the hairdressers. “Can’t wait until this case is over.”
“So you can bang your client?”
The woman tossed her hair back in what could’ve been a seductive manner when she spotted Seph.
“Absolutely not. Being Diandra’s next dinner is not on my wish list. I’m not into Callum’s leftovers.”
“Oh. I think I’ll leave you to it.” I started to shift away.
“Yep, that’s right, leave me to the wolves…”
* * *
By the followingday I was pissed off and half-mad at Jack. For a week and half, I’d tried to pretend that nothing between us had happened. It had been harder than I’d thought. When I left Eliot, I’d been full of rage and so fucking angry, I hadn’t mourned our few years together, understanding that I’d had a lucky escape. I’d been angry at myself for wasting time, for not listening to the warning bell that had echoed at times because I’d convinced myself that it was just me.
I’d known Jack months. Up until a few weeks ago, I could use less than ten fingers to count all the things I knew about him. Now I craved something other than sticky garlic ribs.
Him.
And I was angry.
Angry that he’d made me feel something other than numb.
