Page 100 of Goldilocks
Eric had been in the middle of talking about finding work down here.
“For the rest of the year?” Eric asked.
“Either that or drop out.” Sam put his empty breakfast plate on the coffee table. “I don’t really like it. Writing essays is the most boring thing in the world and I fall asleep in class half the time. Even before my dyslexia got worse, it was a huge pain in the ass.”
“If you don’t like the course, then you don’t need to do it,” Eric said it as if it were no big deal at all that Sam wanted to drop out. There was no judgement in his expression, not even a trace of it. “I didn’t realise that you had dyslexia…I know first-hand how much harder reading difficulties can make everything. Think it over, of course, and see if that’s how you really feel and it’s not just exams that are stressing you out, but I don’t see the point in dedicating years of your life to something you don’t like even slightly.”
“Keep in mind this advice is coming from a secondary-school dropout,” Ivan butted in.
Eric elbowed him none too gently. “You didn’t finish secondary school either.”
“I did my QQI level 4 in Youthreach, though,” Ivan pointed out. “And I did a QQI level 6 for business and accounting so I could figure out how to run my shop.”
“Irun your shop,” Eric said with a pointed frown.
“You did,” Ivan said. There was nothing sharp in Ivan’s tone of voice, and there were a million complicated things in Eric’s expression as he looked at Ivan.
Sam could read the tormented indecision on Eric’s face loud and clear. “You don’t need to move out here, Eric,” he said, as gently as he could. He didn’t want Eric to think he didn’t want that or that he didn’t want to get the chance to know him better. But he could see that the choice was costing Eric. “You’re settled down in the city with a job and obligations, and a life.”
Eric’s gaze moved to Sam, and the indecision eased away. He offered a wobbly smile. “I want to come back,” he said. “Ivan can tell you. I haven’t had one good night’s sleep since I went home, and I know that’s not going to change. And Sam…” His brows pinched together. “I’ve wanted to come back for years. I missed you so much. I was just afraid. Afraid that I’d end up falling back into old patterns. That I’d end up small and angry all over again.”
If Ivan was upset to hear that Eric was choosing Sam over him, it didn’t show on his face. Sam didn’t shrug Eric off again, and his brother’s earnest tone tugged at his heart. Eric had made his decision, and Sam would respect it. “I can’t promise I won’t make you angry if you move back,” he said, keeping his tone light.
The tension eased from Eric’s expression until the corners of his mouth were tipping up. “I’d expect nothing less.”
“Less aggression when it comes to letting Eric see your old man would be nice,” Ivan butted in.
“Ivan,” Eric scolded.
“He’s your dad too.”
“I have to introduce Roan to him.” Sam ignored Ivan.
Eric swallowed audibly; talking about their dad already had him on edge. Without even glancing at Eric, Ivan put a hand on his knee and squeezed. “Do mermen need to ask for the parents’ approval to date?” Ivan asked.
“I don’t need anyone’s approval for anything,” Roan answered. “Least of all, anyone’s permission to be with my mate.”
Ivan laughed, and Sam repressed a groan. He tilted sideways so his cheek touched Roan’s bare shoulder. “If anyone asks that, just say my dad approves. He’ll like you.”
“How do you know?” Eric seemed genuinely curious.
“Dad likes everyone,” Sam answered. “I’m sure he was even nice to Ivan when he stopped by.”
“You know, despite what you keep implying, I’m a very well-liked guy,” Ivan said pointedly.
In spite of the way Ivan kept managing to strike every nerve in Sam’s body with skilled precision, Sam could picture Ivan being popular very easily. Given his quick read of people and his tendency to smooth things out, Sam bet many people liked spending time with Ivan. Sam bet he made it easy for them.
Sam met Ivan’s eyes. He could also see Ivan subtly getting people on his side. Needling so that they would agree with certain implications and gentle accusations, which, at their core, weren’t so gentle at all.
“You don’t need to look at me as if I stole Eric away from you,” Ivan huffed.
It was the other way around, wasn’t it? Sam wasn’t so mean as to point that out.
Sam averted his eyes, letting his attention sway to Roan. “We have to go back to the ocean. Dad’s at Aunt Mal’s house.” Eric knew where his dad was already, but that wasn’t what Sam was saying.
“Oh,” Eric said, realising immediately.
Sam expected anxiety to fill him and was surprised when it didn’t. He could see that Eric was nervous about meeting their dad again. There was anxiety and maybe a bit of fear, the same way he’d felt about the boat when he’d seen it again. But Sam wasn’t afraid of Eric hurting the boat by being anxious around it, and he wasn’t actually afraid of Eric meeting their dad either. If anything, Sam suspected Eric would come out the other side of the meeting with hurt feelings rather than Oisín.