“What?”
“Isn’t that a bit much?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“When did you two get so close?”
“Jesus, Nick, are you serious?”
“Does it look like I’m joking?”
Ryan crosses his arms and glares at me triumphantly. “Do you get it now?”
“What?”
“You want to break my nose, right?”
“Of course I fucking do. Did that look like a friendly hug?”
“So you think the way you hug Christine is normal?”
Oh, fuck. Now I get it.
Shit. I really owe Ryan an apology. Not that I’d apologise to him in a million years.
“Fuck you,” I say instead, taking Casey’s hand and leading her inside.
The whole family’s here. Big shock. Especially on a Sunday.
Mum comes barrelling over, throwing her arms around Casey. Looks like she’s picking up her role as the family victim today. I could save her, shift the attention onto myself – but I’m not going to. She needs to learn how to fend for herself in this family, to swim with the sharks without losing a limb. It’s good for her. So I leave her to my mother’s chatter and head into the garden, where Ian is trying to take a nap with the love of my life resting on his chest.
“Hey, bro!”
“Shh! Fuck, Nick. I’m trying to get her to sleep.”
“Give her to me, I’ll take care of it. You don’t know what you’re doing.”
“And you do?”
“Obviously. I can do everything.”
“Shut up.”
“Just give her to me. I haven’t seen her for two days. That’s two days too long.”
Ian lets me take his daughter, and I immediately feel full. She’s in my arms, so pure and so beautiful, her scent wafting into my nostrils. It’s something I want so badly – but I know it won’t be easy to get.
“You’re so in love with her,” Ian says, shaking his head. “I’d never have guessed it.”
“I can’t help it. It was love at first sight.”
“I’m not talking about my daughter, you idiot.”
“Mmm?”
“Your T-shirt,” Ian says, gesturing towards my chest.
I love her arseit says.
