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Lewis shudders. “All right, so maybe I’m not up for anything. What I meant is anything you’re actually into because I don’t believe for a second you’re into that. I’ve a good idea of the sorts of things that turn you on, Iona.” He nudges my shoulder. “We’re pretty sexually compatible, you and me.”

“Iona!”

Our conversation comes to an abrupt end because my half-brother, Archie, runs over, sporting a bright smile that’s missing a few teeth. He’s nine years old and utterly adorable. They say every cloud has a silver lining. Well, as devastating as the revelation of Da’s secret second life was, Archie is the one good thing to have come out of it, even if I don’t see too much of him. He lives here in Inverness with my da, who left Bannock after the truth came out, and Kirsty, my da’s new woman. I get on okay with her, but I wasn’t exactly disappointed when Da said she couldn’t make it today.

“Hi, you.” I wrap my arms around Archie and give him a squeeze.

“Good to see you, Iona.” My da places a hand on my shoulder then bends over and kisses my cheek. “And Lewis! It’s been much too long. You’re a man now.”

Grinning, Lewis stands and shakes Da’s hand. “You’re looking well, Ewan. And Archie, hi! My name is Lewis. Can we shake hands too?”

They do, then Da and Archie sit opposite us at the table. We catch up and order burgers. I ask Archie the usual questions about how school is going and how he’s getting on at his sports clubs, while he asks me what I’ve learnt about snakes and lizards on my course. He really wants to get one—Da is less keen.

Soon Archie’s interest turns to Lewis. “Are you Iona’s boyfriend?”

“No, we’re just—”

“Yes!” I interrupt, taking Lewis by surprise—and myself too. I bite my lip then offer Lewis a shy smile.

Archie scrunches his face up, puzzled by this contradiction.

“Well, he’s sort of my boyfriend,” I clarify, wondering how to explain this. “He lives in Bannock and I live in Glasgow, so we don’t see each other very often. But when he visits me, it’s like we’re boyfriend and girlfriend.”

“Oh.” Archie shrugs.

Da chuckles, his eyes twinkling with a touch of nostalgia. “I always knew you two would end up together. You were inseparable growing up.”

“Aye, well, we’ve not told anyone in Bannock,” I say. “We’re not planning to either—it’s hush-hush. I trust you can keep quiet about it. After all, you’re no stranger to a secret relationship.”

Da raises his brows, unsure if this is an attack, but I smile to let him know I’m just teasing. At some point you have to be able to joke about these things.

I glance at Lewis. “You don’t mind that I said, do you?”

He grins. “Not at all. It means I get to do this.” He slings an arm around me and pulls me close, giving me a quick peck on the lips.

“Ew!” Archie protests. “I don’t want to see you kissing!”

A rush of warmth spreads across my face, and I can’t help but giggle. It’s both thrilling and mortifying to be kissed in front of Da and Archie.

Our food arrives and we chat some more as we enjoy it, then afterwards we say our goodbyes. Archie, who’s already bored of grown-up talk, is excited about going swimming with Da, while I’m happy to have Lewis to myself for a while. We’ll drive through to Bannock later, so I can catch up with Maw and Aidan, but once there we’ll have to revert to just being friends. Hanging out together in Inverness isn’t nearly as exciting as hanging out in my bed in Glasgow, but it’s something.

We go for a chilly walk by the River Ness, and despite the risk of bumping into someone from Bannock, Lewis holds my hand. His is warm, as it always is, even on a day like this, and that sends a pleasant tingle through me. We can chat endlessly, he and I, but we’re just as comfortable in silence, and we’re quiet as we stroll today, simply enjoying the scenery and each other’s company.

After a while, I sing under my breath:

Gin a body meet a body

Comin’ thro’ the rye,

Gin a body kiss a body

Need a body cry?

“Oh, I know that one,” Lewis says. “‘Comin’ thro’ the Rye’ by Robert Burns, right?”

I shoot him a sideways glance and arch an eyebrow. I’ve known him my whole life, and he’s never expressed any interest in old songs and poems. “Charlotte, Erin, and I went to a Burns supper at the end of January, and that one stuck in my head. How do you know it?”

“Er, because it’s practically our theme song, Iona.”