Page 128 of All the Forbidden Things

“I’ve put you and Max over in the cottage because I thought my girls would drive you crazy if you’re going to be staying for a month or longer. After what you’ve just told me, my thoughts are that you’re going to wanna hide out for a lot longer once news of you and Max breaks. But is you guys staying over there going to be a problem for your brother if he suspects something’s going on?”

“To be honest, I love my brother, but I’m not letting anyone stand in the way of this.” I twist my cup around in the saucer as I stare down into it, tiredness and all of today’s drama washing over me again. “I’ve had things happen to me, things done to me, that I’ve had no control over. This isn’t going to be one of them,” I finally look up and say.

Marnie rubs her hands over her face and smiles her all-American-Californian-boho-girl smile and says, “I’m so excited for you. So excited and happy for both you and for Max, and I really, really and truly hope it works out. You have my support, Billie, one-hundred-million per cent.”

“For what?” Jay walks into the room and asks.

Max

“I’m telling ya, you couldliterally see the snail trail she left behind as she walked away, she couldn’t take her eyes off you.”

I shake my head at Jake’s crass comment and stare towards the window from our booth at Aqua, which is on the thirty-first floor of The Shard building.

We’ve only got as far as placing our drinks order and have already signed four napkins and taken six selfies with other diners. I’ve chatted, I’ve smiled, I’ve signed, and the whole time my heart has ached for Billie and Layla, or should that be Layla and Billie? Fucked if I know, and after barely sleeping a wink last night without them, I don’t have the energy to think about it too much.

“Dude, your head’s so full of the nanny you can’t smell the fanny right under your nose,” I think is what Jake says, but I’m so lost in my thoughts that I’m barely listening.

Marley spits his drink, Lennon chokes and follows it up with, “Oh no, no, no, no. Do not tell me that means what I think it means.”

I turn my attention back towards the conversation at our table, a smile on my face as I think about the FaceTime phone sex I’d had with Billie at two o’clock this morning, then again at seven.

“For fuck's sake, Young, you’ve gotta be kidding me. Billie, the nanny? Billie Wild?”

My heart lurches, landing in a spot too high up in my throat. My eyes dart between Jake, Lennon, and Marley, who are all staring at me.

“What?” I question.

“Are you even on the same planet as us right now?” Lennon asks.

“Sorry. What?”

“What Lennon wants to know is are you fucking Mary Poppins?” Marley says.

“Who?”

“The nanny,” Marley answers slowly.

My first thought is that Billie thinks Marley Layton is hot.

“You don’t even know my nanny,” I tell him. Does he?

“Cal’s little sister, the redhead, right? Short, big tits, nice arse—” I glare and he just grins and keeps talking. “Dude, her picture’s been plastered all over the newspapers and gossip sites this weekend. You’re part of our label, so it’s my job to know what the fuck is going on with you. Plus, I’m nosy, and she’s gorgeous, so I had a look. Gotta say, man, well played, well fucking played.”

“Yeah, yeah, we get it, Marls, but she’s twenty-two. Twenty-fucking-two. Younger than your own daughters,” Lennon states.

Marley grins at me and winks. “You ol’ dog.”

“You’re not helping here, Marls.”

“Shut up, Len, the boy did good. And as long as he’s happy, I don’t see the fucking problem.”

The waitress reappears, and we all remain silent as she puts our drinks down in front of us.

“The problem is … The problems are, she’s his nanny, for fuck’s sake. She’s twenty-fucking-whatever, and she’s Callum Wild’s little sister. Talk to me, Max, and start making sense. What the fuck’s going on with you right now?” Lennon asks, his eyes narrowed on me from across the table.

My eyes dart from Marley to Jake as my sluggish brain plays catch up.

“Sorry, dude,” Jake says from where he appears to be trying to sink lower into his seat.