Chapter 45

“Aaron!” she said triumphantly, in a tone of voice like she was echoing Paolo. “Aaron, that was it, he’s popped over to see Aaron.”

“Oh,” Tav said, feeling inexplicably a bit put out. Aaron always came to Bole Hill Park, too, but…but, you know, Luca had started out already then. “Okay, I’ll go round and find him there. Thanks, Mamma Alessandra.”

“Oh, you. Go on, shoo!”

Tav…shooed. Shot? Whatever. He left. Aaron only lived up the hill, and as Tav loped back down the alley and out into the street, his initial annoyance died out. It was only half eight. And Aaron was a middle child: his older sister was, like, twenty-six and left booze just lying around the place. Luca had probably just escaped to start drinking early or something, ‘cause God knew Angelo was turning into a little shit who’d bug you until you shared nowadays.

Anyway, Aaron lived in a massive house. No squashing together in a shared bedroom for him.