Page 21 of Too Good to Be True

Rowan

T he next morning I got up earlier than usual, despite the few hours of rest. After Seth’s return, we stayed up talking for quite a while.

We need to become really familiar with each other; otherwise, the judge won’t buy it.

We don’t have a lot of time to do that. Between my day job, his night job and the kids, I think the only time we can try to connect is when we are awake in bed.

A bed we now share.

I try not to think about it for now, and concentrate on making coffee, which in this house we apparently still make the old-fashioned way, with just an electric kettle and a powder of dubious quality.

I make a mental note to stop by the house later to pick up my coffee machine when Logan joins me in the kitchen.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning. Isn’t it a bit early for school?”

“I thought I would work on my project before I go.”

“Project? What project?”

“It’s for the science fair.”

Logan grabs a box of cereal from the shelf, then some milk from the fridge.

“And what are you planning?”

He picks up a bowl and a spoon, then looks at me doubtfully. “Do you really care?”

“Sure.”

“Then sit down.”

I take my freshly brewed coffee and join him.

“I’ve made a list of probable choices. I have to present three of them to my teacher and together we will choose the most suitable one to present.”

“And is it a long list?”

He shows me a paper.

“Definitely long.”

“And it is not the first one I have written down. My previous ideas were all rejected.”

“Why?”

“Because he is a nerd. And nerds always have to complicate things.”

Mason joins us in the kitchen. He also gets some cereal and a different box from his brother. I watched their different choices: Logan poured the multigrain cereal into his bowl, while Mason chose the one with honey and nuts.

“How come you’re up too?”

“I could hear you with my head under the pillow.”

“I didn’t know we were talking so loud. We’d better be careful not to wake Emily and your uncle.”

“Even cannonballs won’t wake Uncle Seth,” Mason mumbled, before shoving a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. “Emily’s just locked herself in the bathroom.”

“And what does Emily eat for breakfast?”

Logan points to the other box on the shelf. I stand up and pick it up: Oreo cereal.

“You don’t have any oatmeal, do you?” I ask.

They both say no.

I guess multigrain are not so bad.

I prepare a bowl and spoon for Emily, and they both say no again.

“What?”

“Emily’s is the pink one with the hearts.”

I thought it was Seth’s, but I don’t say it out loud.

I change the cup and put it back on the table as Emily joins us.

“Good morning, Mason,” she walks over to him and plants a kiss on his cheek.

“Good morning, Logan,” she walks over to her second brother, who leans in to allow her to plant a kiss on his cheek as well.

“Good morning, Rowan,” she says, looking at me expectantly.

I take a few seconds to realise that she wants to greet me properly, too.

I lean down. She stands on her toes and plants a very tender kiss on my barely shaggy cheek, which makes me smile immediately.

“Thanks for thinking of me,” she says before pouring milk into her cereal.

“And… er… What is Uncle Seth having for breakfast?” I ask as indifferently as possible.

“Eggs and bacon. Or eggs and sausage,” Logan informs me. “Sometimes a cereal mix.”

I look at him curiously.

“It’s a mix of ours.”

“Oh, right.”

I also eat eggs at the weekend, when I have more time to prepare something for breakfast. But I doubt Seth eats an omelette made only of egg whites.

“May I?” I ask Logan, pointing at his box.

“Help yourself.”

I take a bowl too, a blue one with gold dots, and sit down with them.

“You were saying about this project.” I pick up where we left off.

“None of the ideas I came up with really excite me.”

“Why is that?”

“They look like things that anyone can do.”

“He wants to do special things,” Emily tells me. “Difficult things.”

“He wants to be a know-it-all,” Mason adds.

“That’s not true!” Logan warms up a little. “I’m just trying to stand out from the crowd. What’s wrong with that?”

“If you want, we can work on it together tonight,” I suggest.

All three of them turn to look at me and I am immediately uncomfortable with what I have just said.

“What’s going on here?” Seth’s voice makes me turn away, almost knocking over the bowl of cereal.

“We’re having breakfast. Come sit down.” Emily stands up to signal her uncle to sit down. There are only four chairs at the table. Seth walks over and sits down, with Emily sitting on his lap.

“Good morning,” he says to me, a barely perceptible blush on his beautiful face, still showing the remnants of last night’s glitter.

Did I just mention he has a beautiful face?

Shit.

“Good morning to you.” I try to look away from the face in question and immediately get up from the table. “There’s coffee,” I say. “I just made it.”

“Some coffee is just what I need.” He reaches into one of the cereal boxes and takes a big handful, stuffing his mouth and chewing noisily.

I smile, and I don’t even know why, standing in this family’s kitchen, the coffee carafe half lifted, that strange, inexplicable feeling of light and morning filling me.

“What were you talking about?” Seth asks, pulling me out of my daydream, the first one I have allowed myself in so many years.

“Rowan offered to help me choose a project for the science fair.”

“Rowan did what…?” He turns towards me, forcing me to straighten up immediately and finally pour the coffee into a pink cup. I bring it to the table and Seth thanks me.

“Logan told me he was having a hard time choosing between the proposals, so…” I shrug, pretending that this is something of little importance.

“That’s very kind of you,” Seth says.

“No problem, really.” I carry my cup to the sink. I look around for the dishwasher when Seth must be reading my mind.

“Just leave it in the sink. I’ll deal with it later.”

“Are you working today?”

“Just a few hours in the warehouse. A load is coming in today.”

“Warehouse?” I ask curiously.

“Uncle Seth is a warehouse boy at the club sometimes,” Mason informs me.

“You didn’t tell me that.”

“What does it matter? It’s the same club.”

“The same one you make costumes for.”

Seth adds milk to his coffee.

“Are you telling me you work three jobs?”

“Something like that.”

“Uncle Seth cares about us too much,” Logan says, making his uncle blush.

“Why don’t you get ready for school?” He encourages the kids, who get up eagerly. “We’re leaving in twenty,” he tells them, before leaving us alone.

“Aren’t you going to be late?” He then turns to me.

“You should have told me.”

“What difference does it make?”

“It does.”

Especially in my eyes.

“These are all precarious jobs. I am sure the judge would not appreciate it.”

“You have to tell me everything, Seth, even the things you think are unimportant.”

“You don’t want me to keep secrets from you?”

“I’m your lawyer.”

He takes a sip of coffee, then lowers his eyes to his cup.

“You have to trust me.”

“But I do, believe me.” He looks at me again. “I trust everything you say, and if you want me to tell you everything… let’s start with the fact that this colour looks divine on you.”

Instinctively, I glance at myself. My face is on fire.

I’m wearing a teal shirt.

“It goes well with your eyes and with that suit.”

“Thank you, but…”

“But wasn’t that what you meant?”

I laugh and shake my head gently.

“I understand, Mr Kennedy.” He stands and approaches. His bare feet on the floor, quiet and unobtrusive. He lifts his hands and adjusts the collar of my shirt. A wave of pure, electrifying energy, like a jolt of lightning, runs through my body, leaving me tingling all over. “Now you’re perfect.”

The hands slide slowly away. It takes all my strength not to grab and hold them just a moment longer.

“Have a good day, Mr Kennedy.” His lips brush my cheek, then his footsteps walk away in the chaos that now reigns in my mind.

PAUL SITS IN MY office at lunchtime with his pasta salad and energy drink.

“Did we have a lunch date?”

“Do I have to make an appointment to have lunch with you? You were quiet this morning, so I thought I’d come and see what you were up to.”

I sigh heavily, then take off my glasses and throw them on the table, irritated.

“And now I understand why.”

“Did you at least bring me something?”

“Sure. Not me, obviously. George, bless him!” He shows me a paper bag, which I accept without hesitation. If George took care of the lunch, I have nothing to fear. “By the way, I sent him on a break. Out to get some air.”

“You did well.”

I unpack my bag and, to my great delight, find a chicken and pesto sandwich and an iced tea with no sugar.

“We should give him a raise,” I say before biting into my sandwich.

“I think you’re right.” Paul pops a forkful of pasta into his mouth. “How’s the hearing preparation going?” he asks with his mouth full.

Fortunately, he did not ask me how the move-in was going.

“It’s progressing.”

“And…”

“It’s too early to tell, but I think we’re pretty much doomed.”

“You mean to tell me that your sacrifice for the common good will not lead to victory?”

“I don’t know, Paul. The opposition is fierce, and Seth… Well, you’ve seen him too.”

“I like him.”

“Hmm?”

“Seth. The kids. Ross. Mr Yang. I like them all.”

“Maybe you should have pretended to be his partner.”

“I wouldn’t have tricked anybody. Besides, you’re his lawyer, not me!”

“Would you have done that? If you were his lawyer…”

“I wouldn’t have gone that far.”

“Not even knowing that he had no hope?”

“You shouldn’t have done it either.”

“If you came to tell me I fucked up, save your breath. I already know that.”

“I’m here to support you.”

“Oh yeah? I wouldn’t have guessed.”

I drink some of my tea while Paul swallows more pasta.

“You knew, didn’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You knew I would get involved.”

Paul takes a sip of his drink. “I knew you would care about this case and that you would do your best. Did I know you’d crawl into his bed?”

“Paul!”

He laughs.

“More and more arsehole.”

“And you get screwed more and more.”

“Go to hell.”

“Not before I make sure you don’t have any plans for next Thursday.”

“Why should I have plans?”

“Because it’s your birthday. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”

Shit.

“As you well know, I prefer not to…”

“Blah, blah, blah…” Paul grins at me like he’s five.

“What’s on your mind?” I give in immediately. I know he’s got something on his mind, otherwise, we wouldn’t be here talking about it.

“Do you trust your friend Paul?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Very good. That is exactly what I wanted to hear.”

“Don’t exaggerate like you usually do. You know I’m not comfortable with…”

“With people? With joy? Happiness?”

“Go fuck yourself.”

“I love you too. That’s why I always think of you. I know you don’t like celebrating, but I do, especially when it’s you.”

“What an idiot!”

“An idiot who would do anything to see you smile.”

I shake my head slowly in feigned annoyance.

“And now… let me have a look at your notes. Maybe I can help you with the trial.”

“Don’t you already have yours?”

“This takes precedence over everything.”

I wrinkle my forehead and look at him.

“I like this family, I told you. And I don’t want anyone to break them up. They’ve been through too much. And Seth—he’s a really good man. A mess of a man, but who isn’t? He doesn’t deserve what they’re doing to him.”

No, he does not deserve it at all.

“He needs someone on his side.”

“Thank you, Paul.”

“You’d do the same for me.”