Chapter 7
Seven
Newt really hoped he’d managed a breakthrough with River.
He hadn’t been entirely convinced that waiting for him to mellow had been the right thing to do, but hearing him laugh had been everything.
Newt hadn’t talked much when he’d been in prison.
He hadn’t wanted to, but he wished he could chat to River, find a way to ensure he didn’t revert to his prickly side tomorrow.
A trip to the seaside with fish and chips wasn’t going to happen every day.
Though Newt had impressed himself with his driving. It had all flooded back, even the parallel parking. He’d spent a lot of weekends doing that with cars on the forecourt, moving them around after he cleaned them, but he was surprised he’d retained that particular ability.
After they’d eaten that evening, they settled on the couch.
“Is there something you’d like to do?” Newt asked. “Play a game? Watch TV?”
River pointed to the TV.
“What do you want to watch?”
But after River had switched on the TV, Newt realised the problem.
River couldn’t read the menu or use voice command.
Linda had said River flipped through the channels, and that was exactly what he started to do.
Maybe Newt could make a game of finding out what he wanted to watch.
He whipped the remote out of River’s hand, which earned him a glare.
“I could keep asking until you nod your head. But how about you mime what you’d like to see? As if we’re playing charades.”
River gaped at him.
“You’re an actor, should be easy.”
River thought for a moment, then used his fingers to draw a square that indicated a TV show.
“Book,” Newt said.
River chucked a cushion at him and Newt batted it away with a laugh. River smiled. It was a rare sight and each time Newt saw it, it made his heart sing.
“TV show. How many words?”
River held up two fingers. Then closed his hand and held up two again.
“Two words. Second word.”
River awkwardly dropped to all fours and tossed his head.
“Floozy.”
River growled.
“Dog. Cat. Wolf. Elephant. Merman. Porn star.”
River rolled his eyes, then clutched his throat.
Ah. Newt was pretty sure it was horse but he kept guessing until River’s glare worsened, then said, “Horse. Something Horse.”
River counted on his fingers.
“More than one. Horses. Something Horses. First word.”
River slowly crawled across the floor.
“Creeping Horses? Sneaky Horses? Dying Horses? Sick Horses? They’re not good names for a TV show.”
River moved even more slowly.
“Slow Horses?”
River nodded frantically and pushed to his feet.
“A TV show called Slow Horses.”
River pointed at him and raised his eyebrows.
“I haven’t heard of it.” But he found it on Apple TV. River gave a sigh of happiness and settled next to him on the couch.
When Newt realised there was a character in the show called River Cartwright, he smiled. He wondered if River’s name was really that or something ordinary. Maybe the Leo Miller of his account.
Newt had watched very little TV while he’d been locked up.
He hadn’t had a TV in his room at the YOI by choice.
Not wanting one in his cell in prison had kept him on his own for a while but when he had a cell mate that wanted a TV, there was nothing Newt could do and at least everyone watching used headphones.
Newt didn’t need TV to entertain himself.
There was one in the recreation area, but he rarely wanted to see what everyone else seemed to be addicted to.
Reality TV, Traitors, soaps and football were not his thing.
But this show, oh it was good. Fast, funny, exciting.
He really enjoyed it. The quirky characters, the compelling story line…
River fell asleep halfway through, his head resting on Newt’s shoulder and Newt’s heart beat faster.
He didn’t wake him. For a little while, Newt could pretend they were boyfriends, that he had a different life, living in a lovely house with a good-looking guy.
He had to believe there’d be happiness in his future, otherwise what was the point in anything?
One day, he’d love someone and they’d love him back.
That was his ultimate dream, to cling to someone so tightly that nothing could tear them apart.
He’d written an essay about love as part of his degree course, and that included how a rush of hormones could blind you to the things you didn’t want to see.
Like River being straight. Newt winced. Yeah, right.
When the episode ended, he switched off the TV.
River slept on. Had River ever been in love?
Did he love Dila? Did Dila love him? Newt would have thought that if you’d been as badly injured as River, that someone who loved him would have wanted to be with him, to help him, look after him.
Was it different when you were a celebrity?
If River had been his boyfriend, Newt wouldn’t have left his side while he recovered.
River stirred and opened his eyes.
“You missed half of it. We can watch it again. I don’t mind. It was really good.”
River pointed to the ceiling.
“Bed?”
He nodded.
“Say it. Bed. Bed.” Newt exaggerated the movement of his mouth.
“Pem.” River gritted his teeth.
“Look at my lips. Puh—for please. Buh—for bed.”
“Be…d. Bed.” His eyes sparkled and Newt smiled.
“I am so good at this.”
River elbowed him.
“Do you need me to do anything? Tuck you in? Read you a bedtime story? Make sure you clean your teeth?” Give you a blowjob?
A shake of the head, a brief smile and River headed upstairs.
Newt tidied until the kitchen looked as perfect as he could get it.
He polished the worktop with some special granite spray, plumped the cushions on the couch and ran the dry mop over the floor.
Then he checked Linda’s list, and the fridge for what he could make for them to eat tomorrow.
Nachos. He’d never had them but they sounded easy enough.
He’d just finished cleaning his teeth when his phone rang. Unlikely to be his probation officer, so it had to be Max. Again. He phoned daily. Twice a day for the first couple of days. It reminded Newt that he needed to send his PO his new address. He’d been delaying in case he was thrown out.
“Hi,” Newt said.
“How’s it going?”
“You’ve stopped making your first question—Have you killed him yet?”
Max chortled. “I so wish you were my type. I take it he’s still alive?”
“He’s fine. I took him to the seaside today and yes, we were careful. He was well covered up. It did him good to go out, have a walk on the beach, eat fish and chips.”
“That’s already an improvement on a normal day. Didn’t take the Aston, did you?”
“No. I didn’t try to. He’s learned a few words. River, Newt, bed and cock. And yes…sort of. Oh, that isn’t what it sounds like.”
Max chuckled. “Do I need to know why those particular words?”
“I’m trying to make learning fun.”
“That might be the secret. Nothing has worked up to now.”
“We watched a show called Slow Horses on TV. Well, River watched half before he fell asleep. We’re going to watch one of his films tomorrow.”
“Ah. Good luck with that.”
“Has he been resistant?”
“Yep. You could try Star Wars if he says no to his. Or one of the spin-offs on the Disney channel.”
“Right.”
“So how do you think he is?”
“He had a good day today, but I know that doesn’t mean he’ll have a good one tomorrow.” Newt was thinking about the bad days that had led to this point.
“Is there anything you need?”
“If I find something fun to do, where he’s not going to be recognised, will you pay for that?”
“Sure. If you need that contingency topped up, just tell me. But don’t do anything that risks his recovery.”
“I won’t.”
“Any post?”
“I forgot to check. I’ll look tomorrow.”
“Now you’ve had chance to get to know him, do you like him, Newt?”
“More than I thought I would after what you said.”
“Try not to like him too much. When he pisses you off—which he will—it’ll be a harder fall.”
“We’re not going to fall out. I like the pool too much.”
Max chuckled. “I’ve been in touch with Dila. She’s planning to come and see River in the near future.”
“Can I let her in without calling you?”
“Yes. But don’t tell River she’s coming in case she fails to show. Things can change so quickly.”
“Right.”
“Night.”
“Goodnight.”
Newt tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He heard the warning in what Max had said. Try not to like him too much. Then the mention of Dila, which had brought him back to reality with a bump. River was straight. There was no point mooning after him. All Newt was doing was his job.
The following morning, the physio arrived exactly on time.
Newt pressed the button to open the gate.
Newt had taken an instant dislike to Jorge when he’d first met him.
He was a big guy with really wide shoulders, a small waist and very white teeth.
Apart from the teeth, he looked like the men Newt had gone out of his way to avoid in prison, the ones who were just waiting for an excuse to make trouble.
He opened the door and the guy gave him a dazzling smile that Newt didn’t trust. “Morning, Newt.”
“Morning. River’s just finishing his breakfast.”
River had come down late, not in a good mood, and had taken one bite out of a slice of toast before shoving the plate away.
His response to anything Newt had asked was fuck off.
Newt assumed he’d had a bad night. Then thought again.
Maybe it had something to do with Jorge. He could tell River didn’t like him.
“Is it all right if I sit in on the session? I thought on the days you’re not due to come, I could help him with his exercises.”
Jorge huffed. “If you think you can.”
Right. Newt got the message. Arsehole.