Chapter 19

So he accepted popcorn, promised not to tell Dad if Jason offered him a beer, and settled in front of the massive TV (the only decent thing in the flat) to play video games.

“Tell Dad,” Jason advised as they switched over to an old-fashioned first-person shooter game that was probably about Shane’s age. “Just spill. He might be willing to negotiate if you come out with it.”

“Or he might offer to let me paint my new room hospital blue.”

Jason laughed. “Yeah, he seemed pretty stoked about going.”

“Wants to start a new family with Chloe.”

Jason rolled his eyes.

“She’s not that bad.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jason said grumpily, and blew Shane’s head off.

“Oi!”

“One more reason to wriggle out of it, I guess,” Jason said. “Watching those two making eyes at each other all day, urgh.”

“She’s not that bad.”

“She is,” Jason said sourly, then grimaced. “I’d offer you a sofa to bunk on when they leave, but—you know.”

“I know. Army.”