Page 50 of Outlier

We made our way to the restaurant in uncomfortable silence. I refused to let Vicky go, despite the tense atmosphere.

“Right,” Ollie said from across the table after we’d finally sat down. “Maybe now, we can sort this out.”

“There’s nothing to sort out. I’m seeing your sister,” I told him, something that was completely obvious, seeing as I hadn’t let her leave my side once, and I had my arm slung over the back of her chair now.

“Half-sister,” Vicky added.

I gritted my teeth to stop myself saying anything.

“I want to know when all this started,” Ollie snapped. “You’ve been ignoring her for months.”

“I think you’re forgetting the gala when you dropped the ball, and I saved the day. You’re welcome, by the way.”

“Iletyou take Vicky home from the gala,” Ollie said through gritted teeth. “That does not mean I gave you permission to do whatever you liked with her. In fact, I specifically remember telling you to keep your bloody hands off her.”

“Language, Ollie,” Lottie snapped as she approached our table with Hayley in tow.

“Hey, stowaway,” Ollie’s voice was immediately softer, as was his way with this little girl.

Lottie’s sister was just that cute.

Hayley smiled at him and gave him a hug, then a low wave to the rest of the table. She was a shy little thing. Up until recently, I’d never actually heard her speak.

Hayley had selective mutism triggered by trauma. Her mum had been an alcoholic and had neglected Hayley before Lottie took custody of her. For the longest time Hayley only spoke to Lottie, but now we were hearing her quiet voice more and more.

I frowned. Childhood trauma. Is that why Vicky didn’t speak when she was little? What exactlywasthe trauma?

My chest felt tight at the thought, and I pulled Vicky’s chair even closer to mine.

To my surprise, after hugging Ollie, Hayley went directly to Vicky.

They looked at each other for a moment, then even more surprisingly, Hayley spoke.

“Mikey has his arm around you,” Hayley said.

“He tends to do that,” Vicky replied, as Hayley pulled a chair over so she could sit next to Vicky.

“Good,” Hayley said in a quiet voice, glancing around as she realised everyone was watching her.

Vicky shrugged. “Ithink it’s good. He has very nice arms.”

Lucy snorted so hard with a suppressed laugh that the little shit almost spat out her drink.

Then Hayley smiled at Vicky before peeking around her and smiling at me.

It was the first outright smile I’d ever got off the kid, and it was because I made her friend happy.

Hayley pressed her hand to her own chest before she pressed it to Vicky’s.

Vicky repeated the move, and when I glanced at Lottie, her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. When her gaze met mine, she gave me a watery smile.

Vicky’s layers just got deeper and deeper.

Ollie had been watching this exchange and saw Hayley bestowing her approval.

His jaw tightened for a moment, and I thought he was still going to go off, but instead, he looked at the ceiling for a moment before his eyes came to mine.

“Don’t fuck this up, Mayweather,” he growled.