Seph turned round and smiled at me. It was a charming smile, one that probably disintegrated women’s underwear, bras and resolve; won court cases and freed up parking spaces.
It didn’t work on me.
Mainly because I’d had some form of spell cast on me by his brother and now I was immune to any male bar Callum, but also because I remembered Seph absolutely chundering up his guts when he’d drank too much alcohol one night and it hadn’t been pretty.
“Had a wonderful time in Africa and the next lot of filming should be just as good, even though we’re filming separately.”
His smiled dropped. Seph frowned and I forced back the urge to straighten his brow and kiss it better. Clearly, if sleeping with Seph wasn’t on your agenda, then mothering him was.
“I thought you were doing all the vet stuff together?”
“We were, but they’re splitting up the places to wrap up filming quicker.” I hadn’t got my head round it yet. I hadn’t got my head around or made sense of a lot of things.
“Does Callum know?” Seph now looked worried. He’d always been a boy who wore his thoughts on his face as well as his heart on his sleeve.
“I don’t know. He hasn’t said anything. We’ve only really texted.” I’d tried calling him, but he hadn’t answered, responding by text a few hours later.
Seph shrugged and bit into another prawn cracker. “He won’t be happy if you’re not together.”
“I’m pretty sure he won’t mind.”
Seph shook his head. “I’m pretty sure he will. In all the photos with you and him, the ones where he’s taken selfies, I’ve not seen him look like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s happy. Callum’s never happy, not properly.”
I picked up a har kau, the little prawn dumplings that I was mildly addicted to. “Why’s Callum never happy?”
Seph tipped his head back onto the seat of the sofa. “I don’t know. He’s never gotten on with Dad. I think because he didn’t take law like the rest of us – apart from Ava – he’s always felt a bit out of it. He’s been away so much. He had it really tough when he was little with what happened with their first mum too, although they all did, I suppose. I think he feels like he doesn’t belong some times.”
Lost. That was Callum. At college, he’d been everyone’s favourite; Mr Popular. People either wanted to be him or sleep with him, apart from possibly me, at that time anyway. But he’d never bared his soul to anyone; no relationships had duration, everyone was a fuckbuddy or a friend. Except maybe me.
“What about you? You’re a big family. Where do you fit in?”
Seph smiled, looked down at his t-shirt that was splashed with hot and sour soup. “I’m the one they worry about. But they shouldn’t.”
“Why’s that?”
He tipped his head to one side. “Because before I get too lost in myself they notice it and set up a rescue party. They continually take the piss because I’m always staying with someone and hate being on my own, but if I moved out they’d be checking on me every two minutes.”
“Doesn’t that get a little claustrophobic?”
He shook his head. “No. I’ve grown up with noise. I like busy houses. I’m used to them being around and I don’t have anything to prove.” Suddenly he sounded hugely adult. “I’m really good at my job. I know other solicitors hate coming up against me in cases. If I didn’t have that then maybe I’d doubt myself, but I don’t have to.”
My opinion of Seph changed in a heartbeat. “When do you think you’ll have your own place?”
“When I’ve met someone. I know that sounds soft, but I don’t want to build a home just for me. I like doing things for other people and I don’t want that to make me sound like a martyr or any shit like that. I’d like to be able to choose sofas and row about whether to have a dark hallway or a light one with someone I cared enough to row with.”
“Who would win?”
He grinned stupidly and stared at the floor. “She would.”
“I hope you meet her soon.”
He grabbed his bottle of water. “I don’t know. Maybe.” He looked at me as if he could see right into my soul and maybe he could, because Seph Callaghan was something different. “Have you seen all the photos Callum posted of the two of you?”
I hadn’t. I’d seen a few, but I’d tried not to stalk his social media, telling myself that I was an adult and I wasn’t interested. I wish I had the same will power with chocolate and pizza.
