Friends With Benefits by Lisa Swift

Author:Lisa Swift [Swift, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hera
Published: 2021-02-02T18:30:00+00:00

* * *

‘I won’t come in,’ Theo said when he pulled up outside Lexie’s place. ‘It’s been a pretty emotional day for us both. I don’t think either of us are in the mood for the usual fun and games, are we?’

‘No,’ Lexie agreed. ‘But… would you stay over? I don’t really want to sleep alone tonight. Nothing energetic, just a cuddle.’

He reached out to run a hand over her hair. ‘If you’d like me to.’

‘Thanks for making me go tonight, Theo. There was a sort of closure to it, when Jemmy apologised like that. Restored my faith in people a bit.’

‘I’m glad. I knew it would be good for you.’

‘You were a top-notch fake boyfriend. Allegra looked sick as a dog that she couldn’t manage to make me look small with you bigging me up all over the place.’ She glanced at the light on behind the living room curtains. ‘Looks like Con’s still up.’

‘He’s fallen asleep on the sofa,’ Theo said, smiling. ‘Bet you a tenner.’

Theo was right. They found Connor with his head back, snoring nasally while an episode of Red Dwarf played on the TV.

‘Wakey wakey, sunshine,’ Theo said, shaking him. ‘You’re sleeping through “Gunmen of the Apocalypse”. That’s the best one.’

‘Oh. Hey, Boomers,’ Connor mumbled as he blinked himself awake.

Lexie laughed. ‘I’m thirty-one, Connor. Do you actually know what a Boomer is?’

‘Er, yeah. It’s an old person. Like you guys.’

‘It’s an old person who was born in the baby boom after the war, when all our great-grandpas came back horny from overseas.’

‘Right. So, like you guys.’

Theo shook his head soberly. ‘Young people today, eh, Lex? No respect.’

Lexie nodded. ‘Bring back National Service, I say.’

‘Was your party good then, wrinklies?’ Connor asked, yawning.

‘Well, parts of it were,’ Lexie said. ‘Reluctant as I am to admit it, your uncle was right: it did do me good.’

‘You’d better get to bed, kiddo,’ Theo said, ruffling the lad’s hair. ‘It’s pretty late.’

‘Yeah, I was just going.’

Connor stood up, rubbing his eyes. Lexie put a hand on his arm.

‘What’s up?’ he asked, glancing down at it.

‘Nothing.’ She patted his elbow. ‘Just wanted to tell you I’m proud of you, that’s all.’

‘How come? I didn’t do anything.’

‘Because you’re kind, and you always try to consider how your words and actions will make other people feel. Not everyone your age does that. Not everyone my age does that.’

‘Er, all right,’ Connor said, blinking. ‘You’re being sort of weird, Lexie.’

‘Sorry, I’ve had a bit of a weird day. Here, love, give your old, wrinkly stepmum a hug before you go up.’

‘Ugh. Fine.’ Connor submitted grudgingly to the embrace before taking himself up to his room.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.