Page 72 of Worth Every Penny
“What?” I groan.
“You said we needed to talk. About Charlie. ‘Call me ASAP’,” he quotes.
Blearily, I remember leaving him a voicemail from the car last night. “What time is it?”
“It’s ASAP, dick-head. What’s wrong? Has something happened? Is he all right?”
I hold the phone away from my ear to glance at the time on the screen. Five past six in the morning. Seb is panting down the phone. “You’re at the gym, aren’t you?”
He grunts. “Yup. What do we need to talk about?”
“Charlie found his mum fucking some guy in the kitchen.”
There’s silence, then, “Shit. This’ll destroy Matt. Shotgun not breaking the news.”
“Shotgun? You’re such a child.”
The thing is, Seb’s right. Matt would never cheat on his wife. And he won’t forgive cheating either. Our father cheated constantly when we were growing up. Dad’s still at it, only now the women are younger than we are.
It was an unpleasant environment to grow up in.
One time, we came home from school to find Dad in a compromising position with the housekeeper. Matt was furious. He told our mother, who screamed at him like he was the one who’d fucked up. She made us swear never to tell anyone. Never to mention it again. To let our father do what he needed, with whomever he wanted. After that, we all pretended it wasn’t happening. The dirty Hawkston secret we were never allowed to share.
“I think Matt knew. Or at least suspected,” I say, as I recall Matt asking us to watch Charlie before he left for New York.
“Then it won’t be so hard for you to break it to him when he gets back,” Seb replies.
I sigh. “I’ll do it now. No time like the present.”
“Now? It’s the middle of the night in New York.”
“Oh. Right. Later then.” I pause. “I’ve got him staying here. Charlie, I mean.”
“That sounds sensible. I thought you were at the Lansen’s old place for the party?”
“I was, but I had to leave. Had to pick Charlie up from the police station in the middle of the night.”
“The police station? Why?”
“He went on a bit of a vigilante rampage. Graffitied abuse all over the guy’s van.”
“He drives a van?” Seb snorts. “Did Gemma get tired of Matt’s array of chauffeur-driven cars or what?”
I acknowledge the comment with a short huff, amused that this is what Seb chooses to focus on. “Look, I’ll need you to take Charlie.”
“What? No way. He’s all yours.”
“Come on. Just a few nights. Share the burden.” My mind goes to Kate, the soft feel of her skin, the sweet smell of her neck, and the sound of her moans. My cock twitches beneaththe sheets, already hard. Morning glory doesn’t even cover it. I glare at it like I can shame it down, then shift my focus back to the conversation. “I can’t be bringing people here when Charlie’s recovering from witnessing his mum get railed on the kitchen table.”
“People? Multiple people?” he laughs. “You sly dog.”
The phrase makes me think of my father and I grimace, swallowing down the bile that rises in my throat. “Mind your own business. But, yeah, I want some privacy. Having a teenager in the house isn’t great right now.”
“What makes you think I don’t need the privacy?”
“Fuck’s sake. I’ll take him back. Just give me a few nights.”
“Okay. But not until next week. I’ve got ‘multiple people’ staying until then.” I can almost hear him grinning.