“Tyler, we have to get going in ten minutes. Are you ready?” The door opened, and I swung the rose behind my back.
“What are you doing there?” my father asked as I stood rigid at the window. He looked behind me, frowning. My heart accelerated.
Turning my head, I gazed outside, but Dean was no longer there.
“Why are you standing there with the window open? You’ll catch your death.” My father marched over to the window, looked outside, and closed it.
“I thought I heard a noise, so I opened my window to take a look. It was just Mrs. Crowther’s cat knocking over a bin.” The lie coursed through my veins and I braced myself to get questioned further. He was a lawyer, after all. He could sniff out liars and cheaters from a mile away. Instead, he just smiled, showing me his perfect white teeth. My father had always been an attractive man, always perfectly dressed and manicured. Just like my mother.
“Well, don’t be long,” he finally answered. “We have the table booked for eight and it’s already ten till.”
I smiled brightly, thankful that he didn’t get suspicious of me or, worse still, ask what was behind my back. “I’ll be right out, Dad. I just need to freshen up.”
Walking closer to me, my father cupped my chin. “You never need to freshen up, pumpkin. You always look beautiful, no matter what.”
I smiled sweetly at my father and watched as he left my room. A deep breath left my lips as I closed my eyes. That was close.
*****
A couple days later, everything was going swimmingly. I had visited Jeremy every chance I got, and although he looked increasingly pale, he was determined to get out of there tomorrow. He was so happy and full of life that I prayed this would aid in his recovery. He had read all six books in the series I had bought him and was on to another one now. He had Twiglets coming out of his ears, with a load more waiting for him when he moved in with me. I had set him up to start school the following week, and had made sure I prepared everything to be as comfortable and as “bore-free” as possible while he was living with me.
I was at work and it was almost lunch. Andrew Walker had seemed a little preoccupied today, but I put that down to the fact that there was a big story going around the news again about a second judge and even a local MP involved with underage prostitution and drugs. The craziness of the world never seemed to end.
Gathering my bag, I made my way outside to meet my mother and father for lunch. I couldn’t believe I was actually managing to get to see them both today. I deliberately picked a restaurant opposite the McDonalds Jeremy told me he met Julie outside of. I had been coming here at different times of the day, hoping to find a girl that matched her description.
As I neared the restaurant, I noticed my mother and father were sitting and waiting patiently for me. They both saw me and got up. “Tyler, how’s my pumpkin?” my father asked, giving me a peck on the cheek.
“I’m good, thanks. What about you two?” I sat down opposite them and the waitress came by to take my order for a diet coke and a Caesar salad. My parents ordered the same.
“Can you believe your father wants to buy another boat?” My mother rolled her eyes, but smiled at him.
“What’s wrong with the one you have?” I frowned. My mother gestured with her hands as if to say, Exactly.
“I want something bigger,” he answered with a smile. My dad always had a nice smile. With his teeth as perfect as my mum’s, my dad always kept in just as good a shape. The only thing he didn’t do was dye his hair. His hair was greying at the sides, but he looked rather distinguished. It suited him.
“Dad, your yacht is fifty feet long. How could you possibly want something bigger? The one you have is perfectly adequate.”
My mother waved her hands in front of me. “There’s no use trying to tell him, Tyler. I’ve had exactly the same conversation with him and he won’t listen.”
“It won’t be long before your big birthday, Tyler,” my dad said, conveniently changing the subject.
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for reminding me, Dad.”
“Oh, honey,” my mum said, placing her hand on my knee. “That’s when all the fun begins. You’ll have boys in their teens just drooling over you. And you just wait until you hit your forties. It’s even worse,” she giggled.
I shook my head with a chuckle. “I have no intention of becoming a cougar, Mum, but thanks.”
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do with the money?” my father asked.
I sighed, noticing the waitress coming over with my drink. I stayed silent until she went away, but I wasn’t happy. I was to inherit a trust fund of God knows how much from my parents once I turned thirty. It was always in the cards. My sister got hers three years back when she got married. Now it was time for mine, and I wasn’t happy. I was independent and always had been. I didn’t want or need their money.
“No, Dad. I haven’t.”
My mother suddenly piped up, getting all excited. “Oh, you could buy one of those new apartments they’re building down on Markham Street. I’ve heard they’re going to be spectacular. Lotus Apartments, I think they’re called.”
Snapping my head up to meet her gaze, my mouth gaped open in shock. “What did you just call them?”
My mother stared at me blankly. “Lotus Apartments. They even have the flower as their logo. It’s run by some big hotshot developer who no one knows. It’s a pity as, apparently, he’s quite young and very hot. You two could have been introduced.”
My heart started thumping. It couldn’t possibly be true, could it? Was my stranger, my Lotus, this mystery man in charge of the development of these apartments? Surely it must be a coincidence.
“If nobody knows who he is, how can people know he’s young and very hot?”
My dad laughed. “I keep telling your mother to stop listening to idle chitchat. The man’s probably in his sixties with a beer belly and lots of facial hair. I really don’t know where she gets it from.”
My mother tut-tutted in my dad’s direction and waved her hand in a slapping gesture. “Derren, come on. You really don’t think a man of his stature could stay hidden for very long, do you? Pretty soon, someone will reveal him, unless he reveals himself.”
The prospect of this had my head swimming. It wasn’t possible that my mum knew what was going on with me and Lotus, but it was quite close to the mark. Surely this man isn’t my stranger.
As I contemplated this, our food arrived and we began eating. “Have you seen much of Ian lately?” my father asked with a raised eyebrow.
You think my eyes would be tired with all the rolling, but I knew exactly where this was heading. “We see each other every day at work, and every Friday for Bolognaise night.”
My father laughed. “Bolognaise night?”
Taking a bite, I nodded my head. “Yes, but he thinks I made this recipe myself when, in fact, I got it from a cookbook.” I laughed a little at my own joke as my parents gave each other a smile.
“It turns out,” my mother said towards my father, “that they’re not FWB’s after all.”
Looking at my mother, I frowned. “FWB? What the hell is FWB?”
She leaned forward, whispering, “Friends with benefits, of course.”
“Mum!” I shouted a little too loudly. I looked around and saw a couple of people staring but, luckily, I wasn’t loud enough to gain the attention of the whole restaurant. “Can we not discuss this here, especially in front of Dad?”
My dad laughed. “I’m not a silly old fool, Tyler. You’re almost thirty. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing behind closed doors.”
My eyes widened, getting paranoid for a second. Surely, he didn’t know. I doubted we’d be having this light-hearted conversation if he did. Inwardly shaking my head at the preposterous thought, I sighed. “Please floor, swallow me up.”
My mother gently tapped my father’s hand. “Derren, let’s not wind the poor girl up any further.”
I nodded to
wards my mother, thinking this was the end of the conversation. “Are you seeing anyone?”
Closing my eyes, I sighed a little. Why were my mother and father always so interested in my love life? “No,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m not seeing anyone. I have too many other things happening in my life at the moment.”
My father sat up in his chair a little higher and gazed at me. “Like what, Tyler?”
I knew the day would come when I would have to tell them about Jeremy. I had kept him a secret long enough, but now that he’s coming to live with me, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. People in my life had to know. So, I went to work telling them about Jeremy and how we met, and that I was setting up my apartment and getting it ready for when he moves in.
“Tyler,” my father sighed, folding his napkin on the table. “What I think you’re doing is a very courageous, very selfless thing, but don’t you think you’re taking on a lot of responsibility here? He’s a teenage boy and, not only that, he’s a sick teenage boy.”
I sighed. “Which is precisely the reason I need to do this. He’s had this kind of attitude from people his whole life. He’s never known what it’s like to have a proper family because people would never allow themselves to get too close. When that happened, Jeremy shut everybody else out, pretending he didn’t care that nobody wanted to get close. He craves to be loved. In the short time I’ve gotten to know him, I’ve fallen in love with him. He’s the most friendly, loyal, caring sixteen-year-old boy I have ever met, and he needs to have a family. He has the right to a family, and I’m going to make damn sure he has me as his family. Please support me and understand that I have to do this.”
I hung my head, willing myself not to get too upset. I had been trying to keep my feelings about Jeremy in check, but my worry was always there, bubbling away. I did love and care for Jeremy like he was my little brother. I would do anything to make him happy and even more to make him well again.
Feeling my mother’s hand on mine, I looked up. For the first time, I saw a real admiration in her eyes when she smiled at me. “Darling, why didn’t you tell us about him before? Of course we support you, if this is how you really feel. You obviously love and care very much for this boy. All we ask is that we meet him as soon as he’s settled.”
I smiled at my mother and looked to see the smile on my father’s face, as well. I needed both their support on this, and judging by the way my father was looking at me, I had it. “Thank you,” I sighed, feeling like a massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
“What you’re doing is very admirable, Tyler. We couldn’t be more proud of you.”
Nodding my head, I could feel the tears in my eyes. “Thank you, Dad. Thank you for believing in me.”
Patting my hand, my mother tut-tutted again. “It’s not a question of not believing in you, Tyler. We have always believed in you. You’re a very stubborn young lady, but we always believed in you.” She raised her eyebrow at me, making me laugh.
“Listen,” she said, serious all of a sudden. “I know we offered countless times and I know you’ve turned us down each time, but if you ever need anything from us, you know where we are. Your father and I are only a phone call away and will only be too happy to help.”
I nodded, but my parents knew me by now. They knew I would never come to them for anything. Not unless it was an absolute emergency that I desperately needed help with. It was a strange relationship, really. Normally, parents were keen to let their children fly the nest and do their own thing. Learn from their mistakes, make their own money, and choose their own paths in life. Not my parents, though. From the very beginning, they had been keen to guide me. Keen to hold my hand every step of the way and offer a way out when needed. In a sense, it was probably good because that only gave me the strength to want to move forward on my own. Instead of grabbing the easiest option, I was turned off by it.
It was in the middle of getting the bill, which my parents insisted on paying, when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Looking outside, I spotted a girl with blonde hair, around fifteen or sixteen. She glanced at her watch like she was waiting for someone. Surely this wasn’t the famous Julie I had been hearing about all these weeks.
There was only one way to find out.
Throwing my seat back, I glanced down at my parents’ shocked expressions. “I’m really sorry, but I have to dash. You don’t mind, do you?” I looked at them pleadingly and they smiled.
“Of course not,” my father said. “You get on with what you need to do. We’ll sort everything out here.”
I thanked my father gracefully, then gave them both a peck on the cheek before rushing out the door. Thankfully, when I looked again, she was still standing there, waiting for someone. As I crossed the road to approach her, she looked at me a little warily, but smiled.
“I’m sorry to just come up to you like this, but is your name Julie?”
The girl smiled, but she was still a little wary of me. She was very pretty. I certainly had to give Jeremy his due. He had very good taste. Her hair was straight and silky, her blue eyes were dark, but radiant. She had freckles, but they were just lightly touching her face, almost kissing her cheeks. She was going to be rather beautiful when she got older.
“Y-yes,” she said with a slight stammer. “I’m Julie.”
Holding out my hand, I smiled. “My name’s Tyler O’Shea. I’m a very good friend, and guardian, of Jeremy.” I saw the hint of recognition in her eyes as she took my hand. “I take that look to mean you know who I’m talking about?”
She nodded with a shy smile. “Yes, but I don’t understand what you’re doing here.”
Placing my hand in my pocket, I pulled out a card so she knew I was telling the truth about who I was. “I’m sorry,” I said, trying to alleviate the pressure. “I promise I haven’t been stalking you.” I inwardly rolled my eyes at the irony. “I was just having lunch with my parents over there in that restaurant.” I pointed and, at that moment, my parents came out and gave me a wave. I waved back and turned towards Julie again. “When I saw you, I couldn’t quite believe my eyes. Jeremy told me you met outside this McDonalds, and I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence when I saw you. I’ve heard so much about you, I feel I practically know you already.”
She smiled shyly again and placed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Jeremy talks about me?” she asked, diverting her eyes to the ground.
I couldn’t help the smile. It seemed Julie was just as taken with Jeremy as I was. “All the time,” I said, smiling.
Julie looked up, saw my genuine smile and gave me a beaming one back. It was then she looked at my card. “It says you work for the Daily London?”
I nodded. “Yes, that’s right. It is how Jeremy and I first met. I run a column called From Afar. Basically, it helps people with secret crushes let the crush know how they feel. Jeremy contacted me about you.”
With a gasp, Julie’s eyes widened. “He did? I would really like to see it.”
I couldn’t believe my luck here. I can, hopefully, see Jeremy’s last wish come true. “Would you like to come inside for a milkshake?” I offered, gesturing towards the McDonalds.
Julie bit her lip and looked around. She was conflicted. “I’m meeting a couple friends for lunch.”
I nodded. “Okay, but I promise it won’t take long.” I didn’t want to pressure the girl but, at the same time, I wanted to speak with her more. Preferably off the street.
Finally, she caved, giving me her sweet smile. “Okay, my friends are always late anyway. It will teach them a lesson.”
Laughing, I motioned for Julie to walk in front of me and opened the door. She ordered a strawberry milkshake and I ordered a coffee, and we sat down by the window. “Here would be good so you can see when your friends arrive.”
Julie nodded and looked at me for a few seconds. “You’re very pretty,” she acknowledged.
I blushed a little. “Why, thanks. So are you. I can see why Jeremy is so smitten
.”
“So what did he say about me?” she asked in her eager teenage voice. I had to smile, remembering those days myself. The days when I was in love with Dean.
Taking out my phone, I searched for the original article and handed her the phone. Julie sat there for a while, reading and smiling. You could tell this all made her happy.
“He wants to kiss me?” she asked, her eyes wide with both anxiety and excitement.
I nodded. “Yes, he likes you very much. The problem is that he’s been quite sick and in the hospital, so he hasn’t been around.”
Clasping a hand over her mouth, Julie gasped. “Oh no. Is he okay? I was wondering why I hadn’t seen him in a while.”
Patting her hand gently, I smiled. “He’s fine. Every day, he fights, and every day, he grows stronger. He’s the most caring, funny, and loyal boy I’ve ever met.”
“Is he still in the hospital?” I nodded. “What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s been fighting Leukaemia virtually his whole life. It’s been very hard for him, but with the right care and the right people, I’m sure he will pull through. It is what I’m driving towards every day.”
She smiled at that. “You care for him very much.”
I nodded. “I do. It was never about the story, Julie. I don’t care about the story. I care about getting Jeremy better, and I think one of the people who could help along the way is you.”
“Me?” she asked with a screech.
I nodded with a laugh. “Yes, you. Would you not like to meet him? I mean, properly?”
Julie blushed a little and bit her lip. “I don’t know. I’m a little shy.”
Suddenly a several knocks on the window resounded, making both Julie and I jump. The two girls outside started laughing, then made their way towards the door.