Chapter Four
Rupert
What the hell was I doing? Inviting Milo to meet Lizzie was a ridiculous idea. Clearly, I had lost my mind!
But he’d said she was cute, fucking cute even, and so few people had that reaction to snakes my brain had instantly wanted to show her off.
I’d asked the question before I’d thought it through, and the stab of anxiety I’d felt waiting for his answer had almost made me throw up.
But then he’d said yes and smiled, and the wave of relief was like being bathed in those first warm rays of summer sun.
Truly, rejection sensitivity was hell and anyone who thought it was a quirky little trend had obviously never experienced the horrific rollercoaster of emotions that accompanied it.
Extending a simple invitation shouldn’t make me feel like I wanted to vomit, or like I might die if Milo said no. But it did. And I fucking hated it.
Then there was the aftermath. The days of waiting, wondering if I’d said something wrong, if he’d only accepted out of politeness, if he’d actually turn up or whether he’d ghost me on the day.
I’d tried to carry on as normal, pretending nothing was bothering me and dismissing Norman’s pointed looks and questions about my withdrawn behaviour.
The last thing I wanted was to have to explain to him what a ridiculous twat I was being.
He’d probably look at me like I’d grown another head.
And then he’d hand in his notice and flee.
Norman knew I had ADHD, that my brain wasn’t always the kindest, but I hadn’t subjected him to the full breakdown of my neuroses. We weren’t that close.
I sighed and checked my watch again, even though thirty seconds had barely passed since the last time I’d looked at it.
It was Thursday afternoon and I was waiting outside the back doors of the sweet shop and Lick It!
, where Milo and I had agreed to meet. I was technically early, because I’d been antsy and fidgety and unable to do anything but look at my watch, so Norman had shooed me away, telling me he’d close up.
He likely wanted some peace and quiet so he could get on with things, and Norman’s dismissal would usually distress the fuck out of me.
But I was too nervous about meeting Milo to register it.
That would likely hit later, when it was dark and I was alone with my thoughts.
“Hey!” Milo called as he bounced out of Lick It!, excitement clear on his face. “Sorry to keep you. I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”
“No, not at all,” I said, offering him a smile as the worry in my chest both eased and tightened.
The first step was over at least. He’d turned up.
And, thanks to Norman, I hadn’t had to worry about being late.
Now all I had to do was survive the rest of the evening without ruining everything. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yes! Let’s go!” He clapped his hands as we began to walk down the wide alley between our shops and the ones next to us. “Been fucking buzzing all day about this.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I get to meet a snake! A fucking adorable snake.”
“I didn’t know you were such a fan.”
He shrugged. “I mean, I’ve only ever seen them in zoos or online but I love pretty much every animal. And I know they’re reptiles, but I’m counting them.”
“Do you have any pets?”
“No,” he said sadly. “I’d fucking love one, but it’s not feasible at the moment.
I live in a one-bedroom flat and I work every hour under the fucking sun, at least in the summer.
It wouldn’t be fair. But, one day! Or maybe Alfie and Jonathan will get a cat or something.
I know Jonathan’s family has several, so I think they’re the most likely to get one ’cos Darcy is definitely not a pet person.
And when they do, I shall appoint myself cat-father!
And I shall take it very seriously. Nothing will be too good for them. Nothing!”
I bit my lip because I didn’t know if laughter would be appropriate.
His enthusiasm was sweet though. And I could empathise with his upset about being pet-free.
“I understand that—the being pet-free thing because of work commitments. It’s partially why I got Lizzie, because she doesn’t mind if I’m out a lot, and she’s more active at night anyway so it fits well with my schedule.
Plus, I’m lucky enough to have two bedrooms, so I was able to turn one into her room. ”
“Nice! Sounds pretty sweet.”
“Yes, it is. I’ve been quite lucky.”
He nodded, then he said, “Okay, I’ve got a question for you. Several actually. I’ve been on Snake-Tok for, like, a week because I wanted to know more about royal pythons, but it’s given me this huge fucking list of things I wanted to ask.”
“Er, sure. Fire away.” If I sounded taken aback, I hoped he hadn’t noticed. I just hadn’t expected him to be this enthusiastic and it had caught me off guard. Not that I minded. I’d happily talk for hours about my beautiful girl.
Milo peppered me with questions for the entirety of our twenty-minute walk through Heather Bay to my flat, which was on the top floor of a Georgian townhouse overlooking the bay. It had belonged to my uncle and had been willed to me, along with Saltgate Sweets, upon his death nearly ten years ago.
“Shit, this is gorgeous,” Milo said as I unlocked the glossy, deep blue front door of the building and led him inside.
“Thank you. I’m on the top floor, just up the stairs.
” I pointed to the set of winding stairs in the far corner of the entrance hall.
They were carpeted in a similar dark blue to the door, which we’d all decided on, as a building, several years ago.
Every time I looked at them, I was glad I’d managed to veto the idea of cream.
Milo climbed them slowly, his head on a constant swivel.
There were a few pictures on the wall, again chosen and donated by those of us who lived or owned the flats here.
A new rush of anxiety filled my chest as I tried to figure out what he must be thinking.
I’d never really brought anyone here before, and objectively, I knew I must look obscenely wealthy.
Especially considering how much property in Heather Bay went for these days.
Oh God, did he think I was showing off? Would he judge me? Hate me?
“My uncle bought this place,” I said suddenly, as we began to climb the final set of stairs. “The flat, I mean. In the seventies. I think it cost him about eight thousand pounds.”
Milo whistled. “Fuck, seriously? Eight grand?”
“I know. And I think it was considered expensive then, especially for a two-bedroom flat.”
“God, if I could buy a flat for eight grand I’d cry.”
“It’s, er, I’m very lucky.”
He nodded. “Any reason you’re telling me this?”
“Oh, well, I… I suddenly realised how living here must make me look and…” I trailed off, my cheeks heating as I gazed down at the carpet, my hand clenched into a fist around my keys in my pocket.
“You’re fine,” he said softly. “Seriously. I’m not judging you.”
“Oh… I…”
“I promise. I’m not.” He sounded so sincere and I had to believe him. For my own sanity. “This place is really fucking fancy though. Seriously, you’ve got fucking art everywhere.”
“Most of it belongs to Nancy. She lives in number two. She’s, um, well, she’s a little bossy. She was the one who decided we needed to redo all the stairs to make them look presentable. Carpet, paint, art, the lot.”
“She sounds delightful,” Milo said with a conspiratorial grin, leaning in close like he was sharing a secret. “I’m surprised your carpet isn’t cream.”
I chuckled. “It was vetoed. Strongly.”
“Good, I fucking hate cream. It’s so bloody boring.”
“I don’t mind it in small doses. But not a whole house.”
“Exactly! Why are people allergic to colour? Like, I get if you’re renting and can’t redecorate, but cushions are a thing! Blankets! Art prints! The random tacky knick-knacks you get from the souvenir shops on the front. Or B&M!”
I chuckled, taking out my keys. Milo clearly had strong opinions but I liked that. It made it easier to know where he stood. “I take it your flat looks like a rainbow exploded across it then?”
“Hey, I have taste!”
“Do you?”
“More than some people.”
I wanted to ask more but decided against it.
Instead, I unlocked the door and gestured for Milo to go inside, closing it gently behind us before taking off my coat and shoes.
Much of the flat’s floor was still the original hardwood, because it was too pretty to cover up.
In the small entrance hallway, I’d added a pink and white rug over the top and painted the walls a cosy dusty pink, adding a few prints of Heather Bay I’d found in a charity shop.
Milo had slipped his boots off and seemed to be vibrating on the spot. “So, which room is Lizzie’s?”
“That one,” I said, gesturing at the door to our right. “Let’s see if she’s awake and how she’s feeling, then I can get her out.” The door was already slightly ajar, because I always felt bad shutting her in. Even though she was in her tank.
The room was the smaller of the two bedrooms, with a window that looked out over the town.
When I’d first moved to Heather Bay, this had been my bedroom, but once I’d decided to get Lizzie I’d repurposed it.
The walls were now a warm, sage green and I’d had a cream carpet installed to help insulate the room.
Because although the vivarium was strictly temperature controlled, I didn’t want the room around it getting cold.
The vivarium took up most of one wall, out of direct sunlight and raised off the floor.
Over the years I’d expanded and added to it, creating the best environment I could for my darling girl.
“Good afternoon, my love,” I said as I walked in, flicking on the soft overhead lighting because it was already getting dark outside. “Are you awake?”
There was some movement from the hide at the top of the vivarium, and Lizzie’s adorable, buttery nose appeared from between the surrounding leaves. She slithered down the branches as soon as she spotted me, and my heart burst with adoration.