Page 42 of Suddenly Beck

‘No.’ I smile. ‘Although, I’d love to hear all about her. I mean your mother.’

‘Oh, Mother,’ he snorts. ‘Well, she’s nothing like your mum, your mum’s lubbly.’

‘Lubbly?’ I grin. ‘Do you mean lovely?’

‘Yes, that’s what I said… lubbly.’ He swerves slightly again, and I wrap my arm tightly around his waist, with his arm draped across my shoulder. ‘You really should listen, Beck. It’s rude not to listen.’ He swallows and blinks. ‘What was I saying?’

‘You love my mum,’ I remind him helpfully.

‘I do,’ he sighs, leaning his head comfortably on my shoulder, and I try not to think about how right it feels. ‘Your mum is everything a mum should be. She’s funny and sweet, she’s interested in each one of you. I watched her tonight. I saw the way she looked at all of you. She enjoys being your mum, and she smiles, like… a lot.’

‘Doesn’t your mum smile?’

‘No,’ he scoffs. ‘But then, to be fair, I’m not sure she can with the amount of Botox she has in her face. Also, I don’t think she’s capable of feeling anything so it’s probably a moose point.’

‘A moose point?’ My mouth twitches.

‘Umm hmm.’ He nods emphatically. ‘Moose point. Anyway, my mother is like a Harp Seal, an... I know that you’re thinking that sounds cute right? Wrong… the Harp Seal is the least maternal creature in the amnial kingdom.’

‘Animal kingdom?’

‘Thass right, amnial kingdom. I mean, it will literally abandon its young weeks after it’s born. You know what, Mother could even be one of those species that eat its own young, except you know… if it wasn’t for the calorie content.’

I actually, at this point, don’t know whether to be amused or absolutely horrified at the description of his mother.

‘Do you still live with them?’

‘What? Noooooo.’ His eyes widen as if the thought is too horrifying to comprehend. ‘I have my own place in Chelsea.’

‘Chelsea?’ I blink slowly.

‘Umm hmm.’ He nods. ‘I might sell it though. I don’t like Chelsea. I don’t like London. I don’t like Nathan. Nathan was so unhappy, not like Nat. Nat’s a lot more fun.’

It’s hard trying to keep up with his scattered thought process and slurred speech, but I think I’m understanding the general gist of what he’s trying to tell me.

‘How did you end up here?’ I ask as I try to steer him toward the B&B, but he shakes his head.

‘Nope, I want to go down to the beach. I don’t want to go back just yet. It’s too quiet all on my own. I’m always on my own.’

My heart gives a helpless little thud at that quiet admission.

‘Okay, Nat,’ I reply softly. ‘We’ll go down to the beach for a while.’

He beams at me, and my stomach does that stupid, weird swoopy thing, the same as it does every time he hits me with that smile.

‘So, how did you end up in the bay?’ I repeat my earlier question as we head down the hill toward the grassy dunes at the edge of the beach.

‘The rabbit made me do it,’ he replies.

‘The rabbit?’ I repeat slowly.

He stops suddenly and reaches into his pocket, rummaging around for a moment, then exclaims in triumph as he drops a little silver object into my hand. I lift it up in the dim streetlight and see it’s a fifty pence piece, only it’s one of the ones from the Beatrix Potter collection, which has Peter Rabbit stamped on the front.

‘You tossed a coin?’ I realise what he means.

He nods. ‘I was at Paddington Station, staring up at the departures board with no idea where I was heading, then I found this coin on the ground. I tossed for it. North or South. I could’ve ended up in Edinburgh, but instead, I was heading for Penzance when I got on the wrong bus, and then you pulled me out of the sea.’

God, he’s so cute when he’s drunk.