Page 122 of Inhuman Nature

“I’m sorry.”

Rake kissed him on the forehead. “Forgiven.”

“If it helps,” Shaun said, “my parents never found out what truly happened to me and think I’m dead.”

“What is it with you and giving us the least helpful information ever?” DJ asked gently. “That broke my hearta little bit.”

“Ah. I just meant that you can speak to your parents. Plan it out. Keep a relationship with them to an extent. You don’t need to just disappear.”

“Until it becomes very obvious none of us are ageing.”

“You and Rake can get away with appearing the same for another decade or so, I’m sure.”

“But will that fly for you? You barely look twenty, let alone thirty. Nobody is gonna believe that.”

Shaun stared at him for a long moment. “That doesn’t matter. Your parents only know Rake. I’m not part of this discussion.”

“No, you’re going to meet my parents,” DJ insisted.

“For—What? Why?” Shaun looked at Rake, as if he might back him up. DJ caught Rake’s eye and tried to not-so-subtly tell him to repeat what he said.

“If I had to meet Tom and Femi as his boyfriend, so do you,” Rake confirmed with a decisive nod.

Despite that not being the exact way DJ would have framed it, he was glad of the backup. “It’s settled then. You’ll meet my parents.”

“I’ve never had to do that before.” Shaun looked like he was being sent to the gallows, not being invited to meet a painfully middle-class couple in their fifties who lived in Worthing.

“It’ll be fine,” DJ said. He even sort of believed his own words.

They said goodbye to Kit shortly after sundown the following night. DJ asked him to keep in touch, but could tell Kit was antsy about making any such promises. After a few too many thank-yous on their end, Kit rushed off without a backwards look.

“Maybe one day he’ll stop running,” Rake said.

Shaun stared down the empty street for a long moment. “For his sake, I hope so.”

They traipsed back upstairs, tidying the messy flat as they discussed what to do next. After a lot of back and forth, they decided to tell DJ’s parents that they were moving to Australia. It made sense. He could still talk with them on the phone given the ‘time difference’, and the high cost of flights and his dad’s ever-growing fear of flying would work as a deterrent to them visiting. Also, both DJ and Rake had the skills to manipulate images for posting on Instagram to keep up the charade.

It was foolproof, even though every fibre of DJ’s being protested the lie.

DJ burst into tears no fewer than four times as they drove to his parents’ that Friday night. It got to the point that Rake made DJ switch with him, even though Rake hated driving.

Shaun also offered to drive, but it became apparent that he’d never driven a car before and was just trying to be helpful. It helped, but only because it made DJ laugh so much that he ended up doubled over in the seat. He didn’t miss the sneaky smile Shaun shot Rake, but chose not to comment on it.

When they arrived at his parents’ house, the mood became more subdued. DJ had texted ahead about Shaun, figuringhe would give his parents some time to digest the news. His mum had already responded with her usual stream of emojis, including a shocked face and a love heart, and his dad had simply thumbed up the message like he did with any other.

His parents must have been watching out the window, as the front door opened when they clambered out of the car and into the beam of the automatic porch light. Bernie, his parents’ Jack Russell, bounded out to greet them as they walked to the house.

DJ took an unnecessary breath as he approached his parents, terrified they could tell something was different with him. But, as his mum pulled him into a warm embrace and his dad gave him a back-slapping hug, he relaxed a little.

“Good to see you, Rake,” his mum said. “Andyoumust be Shaun. Do you like hugs?”

“Hello,” Shaun said, waving awkwardly. “Um…”

“Mum, let him get inside first.”

“Fine. But I want an answer, young man,” she said.

DJ ushered his parents through the hall so Rake and Shaun could follow. It was only thanks to his new enhanced hearing that he heard Shaun whisper to Rake, “DoI like hugs?”