When Newt realised there was a character in the show called River Cartwright, he smiled. He wondered if River’s name was really that or something ordinary. Maybe the Leo Miller of his Amazon account.
Newt had watched very little TV while he’d been locked up. He hadn’t had a TV in his room at the YOI by choice. Not wanting one in his cell in prison had kept him on his own for a while but when he had a cell mate that wanted a TV, there was nothing Newt could do and at least everyone watching used headphones. Newt didn’t need TV to entertain himself. There was one in the recreation area, but he rarely wanted to see what everyone else seemed to be addicted to. Reality TV, Traitors, soaps and football were not his thing. But this show, oh it was good. Fast, funny, exciting. He really enjoyed it. The quirky characters, the compelling story line…
River fell asleep halfway through, his head resting on Newt’s shoulder and Newt’s heart beat faster. He didn’t wake him. For a little while, Newt could pretend they were boyfriends, that he had a different life, living in a lovely house with a good-looking guy. He had to believe there’d be happiness in his future, otherwise what was the point in anything? One day, he’d love someone and they’d love him back. That was his ultimate dream, to cling to someone so tightly that nothing could tear them apart. He’d written an essay about love as part of his degree course, and that included how a rush of hormones could blind you to the things you didn’t want to see.
Like River being straight.Newt winced.Yeah, right.
When the episode ended, he switched off the TV. River slept on. Had River ever been in love? Did he love Dila? Did Dila love him? Newt would have thought that if you’d been as badly injured as River, that someone who loved him would have wanted to be with him, to help him, look after him. Was it different when you were a celebrity? If River had been his boyfriend, Newt wouldn’t have left his side while he recovered.
River stirred and opened his eyes.
“You missed half of it. We can watch it again. I don’t mind. It was really good.”
River pointed to the ceiling.
“Bed?”
He nodded.
“Say it. Bed. Bed.” Newt exaggerated the movement of his mouth.
“Pem.” River gritted his teeth.
“Look at my lips. Puh—for please. Buh—for bed.”
“Be…d. Bed.” His eyes sparkled and Newt smiled.
“I am so good at this.”
River elbowed him.
“Do you need me to do anything? Tuck you in? Read you a bedtime story? Make sure you clean your teeth?”Give you a blowjob?
A shake of the head, a brief smile and River headed upstairs.
Newt tidied until the kitchen looked as perfect as he could get it. He polished the worktop with some special granite spray, plumped the cushions on the couch and ran the dry mop over the floor. Then he checked Linda’s list, and thefridge for what he could make for them to eat tomorrow. Nachos. He’d never had them but they sounded easy enough.
He’d just finished cleaning his teeth when his phone rang. Unlikely to be his probation officer, so it had to be Max. Again. He phoned daily. Twice a day for the first couple of days. It reminded Newt that he needed to send his PO his new address. He’d been delaying in case he was thrown out.
“Hi,” Newt said.
“How’s it going?”
“You’ve stopped making your first question—Have you killed him yet?”
Max chortled. “I so wish you were my type. I take it he’s still alive?”
“He’s fine. I took him to the seaside today and yes, we were careful. He was well covered up. It did him good to go out, have a walk on the beach, eat fish and chips.”
“That’s already an improvement on a normal day. Didn’t take the Aston, did you?”
“No. I didn’t try to. He’s learned a few words. River, Newt, bed and cock. And yes…sort of. Oh, that isn’t what it sounds like.”
Max chuckled. “Do I need to know why those particular words?”
“I’m trying to make learning fun.”
“That might be the secret. Nothing has worked up to now.”
