“Hope there’s biscuits to go with that tea?” My dad throws his head back and laughs, instantly reminding me of Cam. I push the little stab of emotion away from my chest and watch my brother’s reaction. He closes his eyes for a long moment while my mum squeals and cries and jumps down from her stool. I watch as Marley smiles at Ash and quietly says “You knew about this, didn’t ya?” and I can’t help but smile as she nods and he reaches out and takes her hand, kisses it and says, “Thank you.” I get kisses and cuddles from my mum and dad, then Ash.
“Look at ya, you sexy suntanned whorebag. You look like a fucking super model all brown and skinny. I wanna snog the face off ya. I’ve missed ya so much, ya bitch.” She gives me a big wet sloppy kiss. “Do not ever leave us again.”
I shake my head. “I don’t plan to.” Although with all that’s just happened in the car, that’s probably not entirely the truth. I turn and look at my brother. I can see his eyes shining with tears. I shake my head. It’s the sob that’s trying to escape that I’m saying no to, but it doesn’t listen as I step into his waiting arms.
“Little sister Georgia, you’ve made me cry, you cow.” I laugh.
“Big brother Marley, you’ve made me cry, you wanker.”
“Language, Georgia, honestly, I hope you didn’t swear like that in front of Kathy and John.” I turn and look at my mum.
“When was the last time you visited Aus, Mum? Every other word is fuck this and fuck that. They even say shit and wanker on the radio.”
“Well, regardless, I don’t want the rest of the family thinking you wasn’t brought up the right way.” I smile and give my mum a one-armed cuddle; the other is around Marley, who doesn’t seem to want to let me go.
“I’ve missed ya, Mum. I’ve missed all of ya so much. It’s good to be home.”
We all make our way into the front room and drink tea and eat chocolate biscuits and have a general catch up. Len, Ash and Jimmie head off around three to collect their kids from school; before he leaves, Lennon tells me he’s done what he can, but an Australian paper has printed pictures of Cam and I together taken in the club and has run with a story that we left together to go back to my hotel room, from where we didn’t emerge until the next morning. The story then turns into complete bullshit by saying we then flew back to England together on my private jet. The problem I now have is explaining to my parents and my brothers what I was doing with Cam on Saturday night before the story makes the papers over here tomorrow morning.
Bailey arrives just after Lennon leaves and as I have the members of my family who this story is going to piss of the most all together. I decide now is as good a time as any to try and explain it.
My dad and brothers are all drinking bourbon and my mum has poured me and her a wine. I really don’t feel like a drink, but I take a long sip from the glass and instantly feel my head spin. I’ve had no food of any substance since the half a burger I ate Saturday night. If I was still in Australia it would be late Monday night by now, meaning I’ve not eaten for two days. My mum’s in the kitchen clanging about as she unloads the dishwasher so I call her in to sit down.
“I need to tell you all something and I don’t want any of you getting pissed off or jumping to conclusions.” I look at each of the members of my family in turn. My mum crosses her legs, probably expecting the worse, my brothers all simultaneously sit back in their chairs and look at me over the top of their glasses. I smile at their likeness.
“Saturday night I went to the opening of the club that Jodie has been working on in Sydney. I didn’t want to but Jax and Brooke refused to let me stay home on my own and curl up in bed and cry like I wanted to.” I take a sip of my wine, my eyes darting between my dad and Marley as it’s the reactions from these two that concerns me the most. “Turns out that Cameron King is part owner of the club and I bumped into him there.” My dad’s eyes widen, Marley’s narrow as he sits forward in his seat.
“Cameron King’s got a club in Sydney now? Fucking hell, he’s gone up in the world, still, fair play to the boy; he’s always worked hard and tried to keep his nose clean.” Bailey rolls his eyes and then meets mine square on. My dad still treats me like I’m five years old when it comes to his business dealings, and he has no idea that I know exactly how his money has been made. Most of his dealings may be legit nowadays, but they most certainly weren’t in the past.
“Why are you telling us this, George?” Marley asks. I wipe the sweaty palm of my left hand over the knee of my tracksuit bottoms. I look at the velour and the way the colour changes as it’s brushed forward and back. I look up and meet Marley’s eyes.