Chapter 6
Rob had called Eli a switch once. Eli just knew he liked to fuck and be fucked, and when he did the fucking, it was all about control. And he knew, with just as much certainty, Rob seriously got off on that.
How was that guy going to turn abusive? When it was Eli handcuffing him to the bedframe and beating him with a belt when he got out of line?
“Can we just accept,” Eli said quietly, “that I’m not stupid?”
Jenny’s face tightened; her hand dropped to her swollen stomach, pushing insistently at the confines of her dress.
“You don’t have to be stupid,” she said quietly.
Eli winced, held up a T-shirt with a rude slogan, and tried to change the subject. “How about this for Uncle Harry?”
* * * *
“You can’t!”
“But it’s perfect!”
“Oh my God, Dad’ll murder you!”
“But Rob’ll love it!”
“And he’ll wear it round the house and Dad’ll kill the both of you and bury you under the patio!”
Despite her protests, Jenny was bright red in the face and giggling. The sombre mood had lifted after buying for all the family and having lunch. Now they were working on friends—and Eli and Jenny had a similarly sadistic sense of humour when it came to friends and other halves. Nice presents were for family and fusty old aunties. Totally inappropriate presents were for friends.
And Eli had found the perfect T-shirt for Rob. Fuck the police in bold white letters on the front of a black T-shirt…and then because who doesn’t like a man in uniform? on the back.
“It’s,” Eli insisted, “perfect.” He put the T-shirt back and started rummaging for one in a large. The short sleeves were clingy, too, so there was a totally selfish element to it. Big biceps and tight black T-shirts? Yes. Just yes.
“You’re dead. You’re so dead.”
“It’s worth it,” Eli insisted, finding the right size and beaming at his sister. “Come on, help me find one for his brother.”
“What’s his brother like?”
“Like Rob but a stoner,” Eli said.
Jenny winced.
“Give over, Jen. Help me look.”
She started to pick reluctantly through the rails. “Should I…should I get Greg something?”
“Not unless it’s a restraining order,” Eli said firmly. “You don’t need that guy in Flora’s life or yours. Or Baby’s. Are you going to tell me if it’s a boy or a girl yet?”
“I don’t know,” Jenny said. “And anyway, why do you care? I would have thought—”
“Because I want to think up names,” Eli interrupted.
“Well, I want a surprise,” Jenny said. “Though I’m hoping for another girl, because Greg’s not interested at all in Flora and I reckon he won’t be interested in a daughter.”
“Greg’s a shit. What about names?”
“Oh, Rose if it’s a girl, but I don’t know about a boy,” Jenny said, waving a hand airily. “You know, you would be a great—”
“No, Jen.”
“You’d make a great father,” Jenny insisted. “Eli, seriously, don’t blow it off! You could find a nice guy, and—”
“Already did.”
“Not Rob, someone like—”
“I want Rob,” Eli snapped. “Jenny, seriously, drop it. You don’t know Rob. You—”
“I know enough.”
“You sound like Dad.”
Jenny scowled and dropped the sleeve of a T-shirt she was reading. “Grow up, Eli.”
“I’m not the one who—” Eli started, then thought better of it.
“Who what?”
“I just don’t get why everyone’s ragging on at me for Rob, because he’s got a bit of a history—”
“A bit?”
“—and he looks…okay, like he looks—and nobody’s putting, you know, two and two together to make four and remembering that you were dating that good-looking, successful, totally average guy who turned out to be a girlfriend-beater? I mean, come on,” Eli implored. “People aren’t what they seem. Aren’t I evidence enough of that?”
Jenny was quiet for a long time, staring absently at the shirts. Her face was vacant, her eyes seeing something in the middle-distance.
Eli moved away to peer at more shirts. He hated having to say it. He really did, but it was true. They were all so paranoid about Rob, and yet Mum and Dad had loved Greg until the first time Jenny had turned up on the doorstep with Flora, both in their pyjamas and Jenny with a huge shiner covering most of her face.
Eli just wanted them to know better this time. Rob wasn’t perfect, Rob was nowhere close to perfect, but Eli loved the fuck out of him and he knew Rob. He was soft and sleepy first thing in the morning, he would break your arm for suggesting he cuddled but he did cuddle, he kept white bread in his cupboard for Eli’s morning toast even though he couldn’t stand it…
Jenny shrieked. A pair of arms slammed around Eli’s shoulders and chest, seizing him in a bear hug, one huge hand coming to grip his throat and a wall of muscle smashing into his back so he was left pinned and helpless in the hold.