Chapter 67

“The whole being-a-bloke thing?”

Eli went scarlet.

“You…you know that Eli’s…?”

“Of course I fucking know,” Rob said, snorting. “I’ve had sex with him, you do notice when a guy’s missing the meat and two veg.”

Fuck scarlet. Purple.

“I…see,” Mum said.

“I did tell you that Rob knew,” Eli protested weakly.

“Well, yes, but…well…in all honesty, Eli, and please don’t get angry, dear, I didn’t quite…believe you,” Mum admitted, going a little pink herself. “I mean…I thought you were just…trying to convince us that Rob had accepted it.”

“Oh fucking thanks, Mum!” Eli snapped. “That money Rob gave me for Christmas? Before Dad went ballistic, I was trying to tell you it’s for my last surgery. It’s the last bit of money I needed!”

“Seems a bit shit,” Rob said roughly, “that I have to be coughing that up when his pretty well-loaded parents can’t be fucked to fork over a bit towards it.”

Mum went scarlet and started spluttering. Jenny, by contrast, had gone very quiet. “I—well, I—”