“It…was…amaze…Hmm…amazing.”
“Bloody hell, Newt. That bonus is definitely coming your way.”
“It’s River doing all the work.”
“Keep it up. Don’t get him killed. I’d have difficulty explaining ‘eaten by a tiger’ to the insurance company.”
River laughed.
“By the way, I had Harry Gardner asking about you again. He wants to come and see you. He asked if there was anything he could do to help. Course he doesn’t know about your speech issue. I’ve put him off. But we do need to think about getting the word out that you’re recovering well. I’ll come next week. I expect you to be reciting Shakespeare.”
River hadn’t missed Max’s comment about Newt’s bonus for getting him back to what he was. For a while he’d forgotten that Newt was being paid to be with him, to look after him, do speech therapy with him, take him to feed a tiger. Maybe to have sex with him. A trickle of ice slid down his spine. Had Max thought that might help him get well? A taste of something he wasn’t supposed to have?
Newt put his arm around River’s shoulder and it was all River could do not to shrug it off, but Newt didn’t let him.
“Hey! I’m not doing this to get a fucking bonus. I want you to get back to where you were before you fell, but at your own pace. I like being with you. Max led me to think you were impossible. You tried to convince me of that but you’re not. You’re just sad and scared and frustrated. I don’t want you tobe any of those things. Look at what you’ve done! Survived a mini tsunami at the beach, didn’t drown before I reached you in the river, managed to feed a tiger without it eating you, communicated with a tiger… You can do anything.”
River managed a small chuckle. There was so much he wanted to ask Newt, and he didn’t have the words. Not yet. If he wasn’t careful, he’d spoil this by pulling it all apart. Did he expect Newt to be doing this for nothing? Give up the life he had, presumably the job he had to come and babysit him? No one would do that without being paid.Stop trying to wreck this and enjoy it.
“Sti…stay,” River said and pushed to his feet.
He came back with the two letters he’d put in the drawer in the hall.
“I wondered where those had gone. Max asked me to forward all your mail.”
River shook his head.
Newt grabbed his phone. “Let’s sit on the couch.”
River dropped the brown envelope on the coffee table, sat next to Newt and held out the other one. “Me. My name. How?”
“Ah, right. No one is supposed to know River Lawson lives here. Well, only a chosen few are supposed to know.”
River opened it, looked at it in despair, then held it out as he sat beside him. “Read.”
Newt scanned the first few lines, gulped and looked at him.
“What?” River demanded. “Sss…speak.”
“It says… Shit. I don’t want to read this to you.”
“Yes! Newt! Read.”
“It says…” Newt swore quietly, then exhaled. “Why areyou still breathing? You’re a talentless shit. Next time maybe youwon’t be so lucky.”
River recoiled, his face white. Newt dropped the letter and took River’s hand.
“Listen. This sort of thing goes with the job, right? Fame and celebrity attract all sorts. Lovely fans and not so lovely nutjobs. People proposing to you and others who just like being mean.” Newt tapped into his phone, then said, “Look! These people have all had hate mail. I’m going to read you the list. Ed Sheeran, Tom Daley, Selena Gomez, Zayn Malik, Simone Biles, Taylor Swift. There’s loads more and these are just the ones who spoke out about it. Don’t let one idiot spoil all the great things that are said about you.”
“Like?”
“Erm… You have lovely nails?”
River rolled his eyes.
“Sorry. But you need to laugh about this. Don’t let it get to you. Maybe this is why Max didn’t want you to open them.”
River pulled back. “Them? More?”
