The Cockney Canuck - 151. Chapter 151 Plain Sailing

It was late when Nathan woke me, but his thick drapes blocked all but a few random rays of sunlight from entering his room, keeping it in relative darkness. I was lying on my back, partially covered by a sheet with my head at the bottom of his bed. I vaguely remembered why as I rubbed my eyes and peered at the naked boy beside me. Nathan was on his tummy, facing the other way and gently nibbling on my testicles. When he saw me watching, he stopped, looked up, and smiled through a mop of black hair.

“You're awake.”

“And you’re biting my balls. I need them, you know.”

“So, do I. I thought you were never gonna wake up. You’re lucky; I was about to start using force.” He smiled devilishly at me and took a couple of bites of fresh air, snapping his jaws together like a wild animal. “You don’t wanna get between my teeth.”

I shuddered at the thought. They were strong and formidable weapons, as his attacker would no doubt attest. One of the perks, I suppose, of having a dad who was a dentist.

“I trust you,” I said. “I know you wouldn’t hurt me.”

“You're right. I want to bring you pleasure, not pain.” He licked his lips in an exaggerated fashion and lowered his head, keeping eye contact until his hair fell over his face and onto my stomach. I watched for as long as I dared as Nathan’s tongue made the short but exquisitely satisfying journey along the underside of my penis. Then knowing what was next, I bit my lip and grabbed fistfuls of his sheets as he took me into his mouth as far as he could before gagging.

He sat up on the bed, coughing and spluttering. “I’m sorry. I can’t do that deepthroat thingy. Maybe you can teach me.” He looked hopeful, and it amused me. As if it was such a huge favour to ask.

“It takes a lot of practice, but I’m sure you’ll get there in the end.” I rubbed his back and then ran my fingers down his spine to the crack of his butt, making him shiver. “How long before your parents leave?”

“They’ve already gone, sweetie. It’s nearly ten o’clock.”

“So, we’re alone?”

“Yep,” he grinned as he moved around the bed on his knees and rearranged the sheets using his arms and teeth. I was impressed by his agility. He had adapted well to life with two broken limbs, and they were significantly less of a handicap than they were in the beginning. “My sister will be back at lunchtime, but you needed to sleep; you had a late night.”

He was right; I remembered still being awake when it started to get light. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“I know. You were having too much fun. There’s more to me than my feet, you know.”

“Sorry.” I was embarrassed and looked away, but Nathan would never judge me.

“Don’t be sorry,” he said. “I like your little fetishes. It’s who you are. I think it’s cute.”

“You do?”

“No, not really; you’re a freak!” He scampered across the bed, squealing as I grabbed his foot and pulled him back.

“What did you call me?”

There was a half-hearted struggle, but he was quick to surrender, and with limited use of his hands, easy to pin down. We stopped laughing when I rolled on top of him, and for a few seconds, we just stared at each other. His eyes were filled with desire, vibrant and sparkling in the soft light. I had seen that look before—permissive and enticing. It was impossible to misread.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how to do it.”

I returned his smile and reached towards his nightstand, but he stopped me and shook his head. I knew what he meant. My boyfriend had already made his intentions crystal clear, dropping hints throughout the week. I suppose it was another reason why he wanted me to get tested and an indication of how far things had progressed the second time around.

“Are you sure?”

He rolled on his side and nodded. “As long as you promise never to cheat on me.” It was a big moment. I knew how much this meant to him, and I wasn’t sure if I deserved his trust, but I was happy to give him my word. “Don’t look so serious. You don’t have to stay with me forever; just don’t cheat, that’s all.”

“I won't. I promise. As long as it works both ways. Just the two of us; I don’t want to share you with anyone else.”

He laughed, picking up on my hint. “It’s okay; I won’t ask you for a threesome if that’s what you mean. While you’re my boyfriend, I’m exclusively yours.”

I was ready to sign on the dotted line. “It’s a deal,” I said, spitting on my palm and offering him my hand. Then realising my mistake, I grabbed his penis and shook that instead. “This is the only dick I want. I won’t even look at another one.”

“That might be difficult; we have to take showers at school, remember?”

“But I don’t have to look. Well, except for Rory, of course. We usually shower together, and he’s got a really cute one.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“I’m joking.”

“I know that.”

*     *     *

Sex with Nathan was chaotic, clumsy, and at times a little comical. With the house to ourselves, he was very vocal, and despite his arms, surprisingly flexible. I entered him in the way that he wanted, with nothing between us, but that wasn’t the reason why it was so satisfying. What made it special was the addition of an ingredient missing from every other sexual encounter I had experienced, from my first adolescent fumble with Tom to the final painful bonk with Conner.

The ingredient, of course, was love—something I never gave any credence to in the past, and until recently, I wasn’t even convinced was real. But there was no doubting now how much I loved Nathan, and those feelings boosted my sexual appetite to levels I never knew existed.

We had time to play and tried several positions, never allowing ourselves to get too comfortable and postponing the finish for as long as possible. When it finally became too much to bear, Nathan took up his favourite position; on his back, with his knees almost touching his chest and his ankles resting on my shoulders. Then at the pinnacle of our lovemaking, after a frantic and sweaty drive to the finish, he lifted his head to kiss me as the world stopped, my eyes rolled back, and my mind exploded. I broke our kiss only to cry out and instinctively push as deep as I could into the bowels of my lover as my penis pulsed, spasmed and spewed through the most intense orgasm of my life until there was nothing left to expel.

Nothing I did before that mattered anymore. Fran, Alex, Stephanie, and even my beloved Tom were just rehearsals for the main event. That morning, I made love to someone for the first time in my life, and after discovering how good it could be, I wanted nothing less.

*     *     *

The love we shared was like a drug, and when his sister came home, we were still as high as a kite with no sign of it wearing off. She looked surprised to see us in the kitchen, showered and dressed, and laughing at YouTube videos on his laptop.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you guys down here.”

Nathan glanced at me and smiled. “It’s gone twelve, Karen. There’s only so much sex we can have. Isn’t that right, babe?”

I gave him a disapproving look for telling her what we were doing, even though our goofy antics and silly grins must have made it abundantly obvious.

“We were hungry,” I said with no more than a quick glance her way before returning to gaze at my lover. It was true. The need for sustenance and uncertainty over how long his parents would be put an end to our bedroom antics, perhaps a little prematurely. But not until we had satisfied our carnal desires like never before. There was more in our repertoire than sex, and I desperately wanted to please him. So, after making love to Nathan, I rewarded my boy in the way he most enjoyed before eagerly swallowing the fruits of my labour while he squirmed beneath me.

“Robbie was hungry,” said Nathan teasing me with a naughty grin that belied his squeaky-clean appearance. “What are you looking at me like that for?”

“You know why.” I tried to bite his nose, but he moved away giggling.

“Stop trying to eat me. Haven’t you had enough of me for one day?”

“I can never have enough of you,” I whispered, licking my lips. “You taste too nice.”

He smirked and started blushing as he looked over his eyes at his sister. “She can hear you, you know.”

Karen rolled her eyes. “Are you guys gonna be like this all day? Because if you are, I’m going out.”

“Okay, bye,” said Nathan, and we giggled, but he was still looking at me as I played with his hair and tucked it behind his ears. It made him look even younger, and I wasn’t sure if I was comfortable with that. Nathan was still six weeks shy of his sixteenth birthday, and it suddenly occurred to me that I had just had sex with a minor.

‘Does that make me a criminal?’

I wasn’t sure how it worked or if we were supposed to wait until his birthday before indulging in adult entertainment, but I was glad we didn’t.

Nathan was trying to get my attention by rubbing his nose against mine. “You're daydreaming again. What are you thinking about?”

“What we did earlier.”

He flicked his eyes towards Karen, who didn’t look like she was going out after all. She was taking stuff from the fridge to make lunch and probably not out of earshot.

“Me too,” he said. “I can’t stop thinking about it. I wanna do it again.”

This was more like the Nathan of old—perpetually horny. I was glad he had rediscovered his mojo, but we didn’t need to be naked and bonking to have fun. I enjoyed just goofing around with him and acting silly. As long as he was within touching distance, and I was allowed the occasional kiss and grope, I was in heaven.

Karen wasn’t so happy. Our dreamy-eyed antics were annoying the hell out of her. She told us to go upstairs and do whatever we had to do, to get it out of our systems before their parents returned. I wasn’t sure if we had anything left in our systems to get out, but I was willing to try, and there were other things that needed to be done.

“I suppose we could tidy the bedroom,” said Nathan. “It’s a little messy.” It was a classic understatement; his room was wrecked, and I was the one who would have to clean it.

“Off you go then,” said Karen, and she shoed us out the kitchen before stopping us halfway up the stairs. “Oh, boys. Clean quietly, won’t you.”

I looked at Nathan, and we ran upstairs, trying not to laugh.

*     *     *

Karen’s out of sight, out of mind, philosophy allowed us plenty of scope to do whatever we wanted until her parents came home, providing we kept out of her way and we weren’t too noisy. Her pragmatic approach to subjects that others veered away from was reminiscent of Jo, and just like my counsellor, she was impossible to embarrass—an asset she often used to her advantage.

“Your sister’s really nice,” I said, dragging the dirty sheets from Nathan’s bed.

“Keep away from her. Every female you touch reproduces.”

I laughed at his exaggeration but played along. “Maybe I’ve got super sperm then. I’d be worried if I were you.”

“Why? I’m not frightened of your sperm. I like it. What we did this morning was sexy. I always wondered what it would feel like.” He was blushing again. It was rare for Nathan but becoming more common and always super-cute when it happened.

I found more evidence of our debauchery on his pillowcase, but this stuff definitely came from him. Now it was my turn to blush as I recalled my role in Nathan’s equally magnificent moment of glory. It was worth the effort just to see his face as I took him past the point of no return or listen to the high-pitched moans that accompanied every squirt of his beautiful release. My thoughts, though, were interrupted by the sound of him crying.

“Nathan. What’s wrong?” He was sitting on the only chair with his feet on the seat and his head resting against his knees. It looked like he was in pain, and I panicked, thinking I had hurt him. Thoughts of Alex and Conner sprang to mind, but I wasn’t like them. I had a few unusual fetishes, but I wasn’t aggressive. I didn’t get off on hammering my boyfriend’s backside, although that morning, at Nathan’s request, I was a little more forceful than I had been in the past. “Did I hurt you?”

He sniffed. “What? No, of course not.”

“Are you sure? You can tell me. I never want to hurt you. Not ever.” I knelt on the floor in front of him to cradle his head, and he smiled as I wiped away his tears with my hand.

“You didn’t hurt me, silly. I loved what you did this morning. You were good, really you were.”

“Then why are you crying?”

“Because I don’t deserve you. You’ve been so good to me, and I don’t know why. Who else would wipe my backside, wash my sheets, make my breakfast, feed me, and brush my teeth?”

“You forgot about dressing you,” I chuckled. “I did that too.” I couldn’t help laughing, but I think it was mostly out of relief knowing I hadn’t hurt him.

“I haven’t forgotten. I’ll never forget the things you’ve done for me, but you didn’t need to. I still would’ve dated you. How can I ever pay you back?”

“You don’t have to pay me back. That’s not why I help you. I do it because I want to do it and I want to help you get better. I do it because I love you, Nathan. Why can’t you understand that?”

“I do understand,” he sobbed. “But it took me a while. When you asked me to get back with you and told me you loved me, I didn’t believe you. I hadn’t given you any reason to love me. But you proved me wrong. You left Conner and risked everything just to be with me, even though I looked ugly and couldn’t give you anything in return. I know you love me, but why? I’m nothing special, and I’m not that lucky. There are other gay boys in Cobourg who wouldn’t cause you half as much trouble. I’m just a self-centred stick insect with broken arms. What do you see in me?”

I wondered who the other gay boys he referred to were, but I thought it best not to ask as I considered my reply.

“Have you finished slagging yourself off?” I lifted his head and forced him to look at me. “I don’t really know exactly what it is I see in you. Maybe I’m just attracted to stick insects with broken arms. But it’s probably your sexy butt, and your eyes, or your cute feet, and your willy.” Nathan had stopped crying and was looking a little perplexed. “Maybe not in that order, though. Oh, and I’m also a sucker for a pretty face. Not too girly, though; sometimes I’m not over keen on the makeup.” I held the tips of his fingers and paused for a moment to choose the right words. “But last night, at the restaurant, you looked absolutely stunning. I mean it, Nathan; you were perfect. You totally blew my mind. I just kept thinking to myself how lucky I was to be able to get back with you.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Every word and you were never ugly, even when you were covered in bruises and had an enormous fat lip with nasty scabs all over it, and a swollen cheek that looked like you were eating a golf ball.” I paused to give him my best smile. “But that’s not all. You're also very talented, you make me laugh, you’re clever, conceited, and you love sex. That just about ticks every box I care about. If I could get you to like football, then you’d be perfect, but nine out of ten is fine with me.”

“Conceited?”

“Just a little, but it suits you, and I kinda like it.”

“Okay. I think I probably am conceited, but I don’t think it’s one of my qualities, Robbie. So maybe you should leave that one out. And when you say football, do you mean?”

“I mean proper football. Not the funny game you lot play.”

He nodded and stared into my eyes. He had that look again, and I wanted to ask him what it meant, but he beat me to it.

“I think I love you too,” he sniffed. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I do because I feel all weird, and I miss you like crazy when you’re not here.” Our noses were touching, and there were more tears as he continued. Some of them were mine. “I just don’t like watching soccer.”

“You really mean it, don’t you?”

“Yes, I think it’s boring.”

I laughed. “No, I mean the love bit, you penis.”

“Oh,” he giggled. “Yes, of course, I mean it.”

“Fuck me. That’s the best news ever, although I kinda knew already. I could tell by the way you were. What are you doing?”

Nathan was strong enough when he wanted to be, and even without the full use of his arms, he managed to push me onto the floor and climb on top of me.

“You asked me to fuck you.”

“I did?”

“Yes.”

“What now? Here?”

He chuckled at my shocked expression and wiped his teary face on my shirt. “My parents are out, and this is my bedroom. Can you think of a better time and place?”

“I guess not, but I’ve just changed your sheets.”

“We don’t need the bed; we have the floor.”

“Are you sure? You could get carpet burns.”

“I love you, Robbie. Take off your clothes, and let me show you how much.”

My boyfriend wasn’t a complete novice at topping. We tried it a couple of times during our first stint together, but it never really suited him, and I wasn’t expecting a repeat performance any time soon. I stepped out of my briefs and then helped him do the same, swallowing hard as I sized up the task ahead. It was a couple of months since Conner’s last intrusion, and I could have happily gone much longer, but Nathan looked as excited as I had ever seen him and eager for another bite of the cherry. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but it was his unpredictable nature that made him so loveable, and I wasn’t going to deny him after telling me he loved me?

*     *     *

Nathan’s love meant everything to me, and when Karen dropped me home later that day, I could still feel some of it leaking into my briefs, but at least I wasn’t sore. Despite being slightly bigger, his relatively tame prodding of my prostrate was nothing like the sustained assaults I endured with Conner, and I suffered only minor discomfort. My boyfriend looked more at home in the driving seat than he had in the past, and he finished with great aplomb, but as I suspected, he did it mostly to please me. After explaining the finer points of my relationship with Conner, Nathan seemed relieved to learn that I wasn’t expecting to be serviced in this manner on a regular basis. Normal service would resume next time, but I was proud of my little lover for rising to the occasion and giving it everything he had.

I asked Karen to stop around the corner so Don wouldn’t see her if he was at home. Then in a pre-emptive move, I leaned across to kiss her on the cheek and thank her for the ride. It saved me from a sloppy wet kiss and guaranteed her favourite person in the whole world even more brownie points.

“You're a sweet boy,” she said. “But it should be us who’s thanking you. I’ve never seen my brother this happy.”

“Me neither, but it works both ways. He makes me happy too.”

“I know; I heard you. You guys need to lower the volume a little.” I was so embarrassed; I wanted to jump out and run for home. My cheeks were burning, and I couldn’t look at her as I whispered a lame apology. “It’s nothing to be sorry about, sweetie. I’d rather not hear it, but it’s not like you were beating each other up or anything. It just sounded like it.”

‘Oh my God. I can’t believe I’m having this conversation.’

Karen reached over and touched my arm. “I’m sorry I had to mention it, but I bet you’d rather hear it from me than my parents.”

She was right, but it didn’t make it any easier, and I couldn’t wait to get away. “We’ll be more careful in future,” I assured her as I flashed her a smile, reached for the door handle, and nearly strangled myself with the seatbelt.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I should’ve taken it off first.” She tried not to laugh, but I suppose it was kind of funny.

‘Next time, I’ll walk home!’

*     *     *

When I got indoors, Nicola was in the kitchen with Mr Lube, so I went straight downstairs where Daniel was watching a movie with his girlfriend. I needed the washroom and a change of underwear, but my brother followed me into the bedroom.

“Dad knows that Nathan was here while he was away. I thought I should warn you.”

“Who told him?”

“How do I know, but he thinks I invited him.”

“Why would he think that?”

“Because I told him it was me.”

I sat down on my bed and held my head. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I did. You know he’s gonna go crazy if he thinks it was you.”

I was surprised Don believed Daniel or bothered to question him in the first place. He would usually come straight to me, and I expected him to make an appearance as I tried to figure out who told him. My first thought was Amy.

‘Maybe she said something by mistake.’

“Thanks, Daniel. I’m sorry you had to take the blame, but you probably should have told him the truth. You’ll be in even more trouble if he finds out you were lying to protect me. Where is he?”

“He’s working in his study.”

“And mom?”

Daniel was smiling, and I knew why. “You called her mom.”

“Yeah, well, it was a mistake.”

“No, it wasn’t. It’s okay, Robbie. You can call her that; she’s your mom too.”

“I said it was a mistake, okay! Where is she?”

Daniel turned his back on me and walked away. “Geez, I got myself into trouble for you, and all you can do is bite my frigging head off. She’s gone out!”

I would apologise to him later when he cooled down, but first, I needed a shower and a change of clothes.

Amy was in her room with a school friend and a karaoke machine—a dangerous combination and a good reason for me to keep away, but this was more important. It cost me a croaky rendition of Katy Perry’s ‘I kissed a girl, which amused my sister and confused her friend, but she told me what I needed to know. I knew Amy wouldn’t lie to me, and I was pretty sure no one in the family had betrayed me either so that only left three possible suspects. Daniel’s girlfriend, Mr Lube, and Stephanie.

My money was on the latter. Her fragile mental state and the fact that Don had been to her house was enough to convince me, although I was sure it wasn’t done on purpose. I decided not to mention it if she ever returned my calls.

Nicola assured me that her friend was fine and in good spirits when I questioned her later in the basement. She mentioned something about a scan the following week. My sister was going with her, but it meant little to me.

My main concern was Don. I didn’t like it when he was at home without Sue. She could keep him in check and provided an extra layer of protection if we started arguing. He hadn’t raised his voice to me since returning from Calgary, which had to be some kind of a record, but I was expecting that to end the moment he stopped me at the top of the stairs.

“Ah-ha, you’re just the man I was looking for.”

His jovial greeting threw me. He was rarely that friendly and never referred to me as a man—I didn’t fit his description. I tensed up and prepared myself for an argument, but he fooled me again by being excessively nice if a little sarcastic.

“How’s Conner?”

“Conner?”

“Yes, Robbie, Conner. He’s your friend, remember. You stayed at his house last night, or at least I hope you did.”

“Of course, I remember. He’s fine.”

“Good. He’s a nice boy. I’m glad you’ve finally made some decent friends. He’s welcome to come here, you know—even stay the weekend.”

I should have been more prepared. I knew Sue had told him I was at Conner’s house, yet I still managed to mess it up.

“I’ll let him know.”

“You do that. We’re gonna have some fun this summer.”

“We are?”

“Absolutely, we are. I’m buying a sailboat—a thirty-footer, big enough for the whole family. So we can go out on the lake.”

‘Jo’s right; he’s gonna try to kill me. Push me overboard and make it look like an accident.’

Don was acting like a little kid who had been promised a new bike. He rushed to his study to show me some photographs of the vessel, which looked nearly new. I couldn’t wait to burst his bubble.

“I’m pretty sure you have to have a license to drive one of those things.”

“Sail, Robbie. You don’t drive a boat.”

“Okay, but do you know how to sail?”

“Not yet, but I will soon. I’ll be taking lessons as soon as the harbour opens and I want you and Daniel to learn too. Of course, there’s a lot to do before we can go out in it, but it’s something to look forward to, and it might help take your mind off Stephanie for a while.”

‘It was until you had to mention her.’

“Do you want to know what name I’ve chosen for the boat?”

“Titanic?”

Don’s face turned sour. “You’re not funny, Robbie. I’ve decided to call it ‘Elizabeth’s Legacy’ in memory of your mother.” He smiled at me, looking pleased with himself as he waited for my approval or some kind of reaction. A year ago, it would have upset me, but now I was indifferent. Maybe I should have been happy; I wanted to keep my mom’s memory alive, and naming a boat in her honour was, I suppose, a nice gesture. He was determined to get a response, and if I wanted to get out of his study, I needed to say something. But if he was expecting me to thank him, then he was out of luck.

“I think she would’ve liked that.” It was the best I could do and an honest assessment.

Don nodded as he rested his hand on my shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze. “I think so too,” he said, and I detected a trace of emotion in his voice, which would have been impossible to fake. “I’ve been trying to think of a way to remember her that wasn’t overly mournful or tacky, but I needed your approval. If you didn’t like it, I would have scrapped the idea.”

There were moments when Don would turn into the person who I desperately wanted him to be, and this was one of them. I would have given anything for him to stay that way—everything I owned and more. I would have forgiven him for all the horrible things he had done and even found a way to love him, but they were fleeting moments, and, as always, my dreams were shattered, leaving me feeling stupid for believing in him, if only for a few seconds. It was a reminder of the phycological mountain I still had to climb to be free of his control. No matter how high I built my mental walls, Don could still penetrate them at will.

I took another look at the photograph of the boat and put it back on his desk. I didn’t know much about sailing, but I knew it wasn’t easy, and Don wasn’t the most able-bodied of people either. Reading between the lines, I suspected he wanted Daniel and me to do all the work while he played captain and entertained his friends from the Cobourg mafia. It looked like a disaster in the making—Titanic may have been a good choice after all.

“I can’t wait,” I said, but it was a feeble attempt at sounding excited, and he may have sensed the dread in my voice as I turned to walk away. I was anxious to escape before he asked me about Nathan, and I groaned when he called me back.

“There is something else I needed to talk to you about that’s a little more serious.”

‘I knew it.’

“Don’t worry; you’re not in trouble. It’s about Daniel. I’m worried about him, and I think you might be able to help.”

“I’ll try. What is it you wanna know?”

“Does he talk to you at all?”

I relaxed a little and smiled. “Oh, sure, he always talks to me.”

“What I mean is, does he tell you things?” He stared at me, but my expression was blank. “Personal things.”

“Oh, those.” I chuckled nervously. “No, never.”

Don took a deep breath and frowned. I sensed he was beginning to lose his patience. But, nevertheless, I held my nerve and continued to play dumb.

“Oh, come on, I know how boys talk. He must mention his girlfriend.”

“No, he keeps that stuff to himself.”

Don rubbed his chin as he paced the small room. “I won't beat around the bush, Robbie. I want to know if he’s having sex with that girl?”

“No, they’re just watching a movie. They wouldn’t do anything like that with Nicola in the room.” I shook my head at him in disbelief.

‘What is he like?’

“I don’t mean now, you idiot!” He made me jump as he spat his words at me. “I should’ve known I was wasting my time asking you.”

As he turned his back on me and marched into the hall, I gave him the finger.

“What was that about?” asked Nicola.

“He’s buying a boat, and he wants to know if Daniel’s shagging whatshername.”

Nicola looked understandably baffled. “I know about the boat. But Daniel’s a virgin. I can tell. He hasn’t figured out how to use it yet.”

I knew different. “How can you tell?”

“He would have told me.”

I laughed at her. “What makes you think that?”

She glared at me, and she probably knew I was keeping his secret. “Whatever. I don’t care. Dad’s probably worried in case he makes the same mistake as you. Stephanie’s pregnancy has freaked him out.”

That wasn’t how I saw it. “It’s nothing to do with that; he just doesn’t like Ratana. That’s why he isn’t talking to Daniel about it. If he’s that worried, then maybe he should buy him some condoms; that’s what Nathan’s dad did.”

It amused Nicola. “Really, that’s kinda cool? Maybe you should’ve worn one when you were with Stephanie.” She sounded smug as she flashed me a contemptuous smile.

“Who said they were for me.”

Nicola raised her eyebrows, looking surprised. Then as I walked away, I heard her muttering. “That’s funny; I always thought it would be the other way around.”

I suppose it wasn’t a total lie based on what happened earlier, but it didn’t matter. I was happy to embellish the truth and allow my sister to think I was Nathan’s pin cushion just to wipe the smile off her face.

I thought Nicola was being kind with her assessment of her dad; she even managed to blame his distrust of Daniel’s girlfriend on the misfortunes of her best friend. I knew the real reason he didn’t like Ratana, and I admired Daniel for not yielding to his father’s prejudice.

Whatever Don was playing at, he kept his cards close to his chest, and he didn’t question me about Nathan’s illegal visit. Instead, he seemed happy to accept Daniel’s confession, yet in a remarkable show of disparity, my brother wasn’t punished for breaking the rules. I knew he was innocent and was only trying to save my ass, but Don didn’t know that. If it were me, I would have been grounded for a month, and I thought it was only fair that my brother got the same treatment, even if he didn’t do it.

It made sense to me, and I pleaded with Sue to take action, but she refused to punish Daniel for something he didn’t do and suggested instead that I should be grateful for his loyalty. She didn’t understand. I had been trying to set up my brother ever since she told me he had never been grounded. All this did was rub salt into the wounds and expose the blatant inequalities within the family.