“Oh, piss off.”
“You are!”
“You’re drunk, Margaret.” She was right, though. I’d found myself needing to speak like a London roadman less and less. I hadn’t even noticed it at first, but the more comfortable I got at Buckford, the less natural it felt, and it had melted away. I leant down and kissed Gran on her forehead. “You get some sleep. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Petey Boy.”
I turned off the lamp and slipped out of the room.
Chapter 44
William
There were footsteps on the stairs, and Petey’s face appeared. He was stunning. Freshly showered, hair still damp, in tiny black boxer briefs.
“Aw, those aren’t Daisy Dukes.”
“I’m not ruining my only pair of jeans so you can live out your teenage fantasy.”
“It’s a veryadultfantasy.”
“I bet. Sometimes I forget you’re bisexual.”
“Who said I’m bisexual?” We both knew the answer.
“Aren’t you?”
I shook my head. “I’m Petey-sexual.”
He smiled, and I held my arms out. He climbed onto the mattress and collapsed back into me. I wrapped him up in a hug, rolling onto him and smothering him—showering him in kisses. It was true. “Petey” was as much definition as my sexuality would ever need. I loved him so much my body ached. So the fact we only had another week or so left together before he would have to return to London had started haunting my thoughts like a spectre. I tried to shake it off, not wanting Petey to sense anything was wrong.
“Can I say,” I said, “your gran is magnificent.”
Petey smiled. “She’s my favourite person in the whole world.”
“I know. But, I mean, I’ve literally never known anyone to beat Mum at Scrabble, and your gran did it three times on the hoof. It was spectacular.”
“Your mum took it well, I thought.”
“There were twice as many tiles on the board as there should be by the end of that last game. How on earth did Peggy win?”
“Oh, she cheated.”
“No way!”
“I gave Gran the heads-up, so she volunteered to score. She’s a maths whizz. Kept adding percentages onto her score when your mum wasn’t looking.”
“She out-cheated Bunny Winters? Incredible.” I kissed my way around Petey’s neck. “I can see where you get your smarts from.”
Petey smiled. It was beautiful. I smooched my way across his body. With everything going on, it had felt good to bask in the simple pleasure of family. But even better to be alone and basking in the pleasures of Petey.
“You did great today,” Petey said. “I’m very proud of you.”
Pride burst from my chest like that alien in, well,Alien.
“Thank you.”
“I can’t believe my gran is here,” he said. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
