Strong (Kindred #1) (11 page)

Mum makes me pancakes for breakfast the next morning, she has strawberries and freshly whipped cream and I don’t think of the calories I’m consuming once while I scoff them. Keeping in good shape is part of who I am, but for the first time in my life, I don’t care. If this thing is going to try and kill me, I’m going to put up a fight, and I’ll need a little extra weight for that. Mum plates me up my fifth pancake and I scoop a generous helping of strawberries on top of it, when my phone rings, Dad’s eyes shoot to the screen.

“It’s Megan nosy.” I tell him.

“Just checking.” he grins.

“Hey Megs.”

“How are you beautiful? Are you in London now?”

“I’m good, how’s bump and Mumma? And yes, I am.”

“Tired and bored, Harry won’t let me do anything! Can you please come over so I don’t murder my husband?”

“Sure, I can come over this afternoon? I’m having lunch with C—” I look up and both Dad and Mum are listening to me. “I’m having lunch with Carly, but I can come over after.”

“Carly? Who’s Carly?” Megs asks a little confused.

“A friend from America.” I lie.

“America? How did you meet?”

“We met through a mutual friend,” I make eye contact with my Dad and grin. “I’ll come over after that, can I bring anything?”

“Yes, can you bring me some Dr Pepper? Ooooooh! And also, some M&Ms please?” she covers the phone and shouts something to Harry. “I’ll see you this afternoon sweets, I’m not allowed to go anywhere so I’ll be here allllllll day.” she huffs.

“I’ll come save you later, rest up gorgeous.”

I end the phone call and Mum looks at me pointedly while Dad coughs.

“What’s wrong with you two?”

“Are you going to tell her?” Mum asks.

“No, Mum, we’ve been over this.”

“She’d want to know sweetheart,” she tells me. “Josie would too.”

“I know, and I will tell them, but not right before Megs has the baby and not while Josie is on her honeymoon. I’ve got cancer Mum and I’ll still have cancer in a few weeks, it doesn’t matter when I tell them, that isn’t going to change.”

Dad winces at the word and Mum’s shaky hand puts her coffee cup down. They hate the word and refuse to use it. They keep calling it a ‘thing’ like that makes it better? Like it makes it less scary.

“We know that, but they’re your best friends, you’ve been friends since you were at school.”

“And that’s why I know they’ll be okay with me not telling them right now, I need to get it straight in my own head first, and until I go to the hospital tomorrow, I don’t know what I’m in for, can I get that over with first? So I know what I have to tell them?”

“Okay.” Mum nods and looks at Dad.

“I love you both, but I have to do this my way.”

“We know, we just wish you didn’t have to do it at all.” Dad says with so much sadness in his voice it makes my heart ache.

“I know… I’m going for a shower, thank you for breakfast Mum.” I smile, trying to keep the mask in place.

“Anytime sweetheart.” she smiles.

“I
’m not hanging with you all day.” I tell Lex as I pick a clean shirt.

“Why?” she pouts. “I don’t want to hang with Mom and Dad all day.”

“I have plans, that’s why.”

“With?”

“I’m not telling you,” I look at her in the mirror and smirk. “Why don’t you ask Harry if you can hang with him?”

“Funny!” she scowls, throwing a pillow at me. “Who are you spending the day with?”

“I told you, I’m not telling you. Now if you don’t mind, I have to get ready, off you go. Go and shop or something.”

“You’re such an ass, Carter.” she huffs at me as she stands and walks over to the door.

“We’ll have dinner, I’ll take you wherever you want to go and I’ll buy.” I tell her. She looks over her shoulder and grins at me.

“You’ll regret that!” she laughs, opening the door and stepping out.

My phone alerts me to a message and I jump onto the bed to retrieve it. Sitting on my screen are two names; Jack and Carmen. I decide to read Carmen’s first seeing as she’s much more important right now.

Carmen:
I’m on my way, I know I’m early, but Mum and Dad are doing my head in. I’ll just wait downstairs x

Me:
I’m ready. I’ll meet you there x

I have no idea what Carmen must be going through right now, everything has to be scary, not being in control of your life, of your future must be terrifying. I get up off the bed and pick out a red t-shirt and layer a plain black long sleeved shirt on the top. I grab my zip-up sweatshirt and slip my feet into my Chucks before I fill my pockets with my wallet and phone. I double check I have my room key before I head downstairs to wait for Carmen. While I wait, I read Jack’s text.

Jack:
Lexi says you’re hanging out with someone and do I know who it is… Do I?

Me:
Lex has a big mouth. Yes you do know. Don’t tell her anything.

I make a mental note to keep my mouth shut around my sister in the future, I know she has a big mouth, but she must have literally left my room and text Jack. I put my phone back in my pocket and wait for Carmen. Ten minutes later, she comes into the reception looking her usual leggy, gorgeous self. Dressed in a pair of black jeans, brown boots and a white t-shirt with a denim jacket over the top and a huge brown scarf, she looks incredible, like mouth goes dry incredible.

“Hey,” she smiles, spotting me and walking over. “Sorry I’m early.”

“Hey,” I hold my arms out and give her a hug which I’m glad she returns. “I understand the parents driving you mad thing, you okay?”

“I don’t know really, I feel okay, but my stomach is in knots.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” she nods.

“What can we do to take your mind off it?” I ask, squeezing her hand.

“I don’t think anything will take my mind off it, but,” she grins. “Lunch and I thought maybe I would show you some of the sights?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“I’m going to leave my car here and we can get the train, it’s just around the corner.”

We walk out of the hotel and to the station. I’m glad I have Carmen with me, because trying to work out what kind of ticket I need is almost impossible. Carmen gets our tickets and five minutes later we’re on the train. I can’t help but look around and take everything in, it’s so different to back home.

“Where did you want to go?” she asks, snapping me out of my bubble.

“Where do you suggest?”

“Do you want to go to Buckingham Palace?”

“And see the Queen?” I exclaim stupidly.

“We won’t actually see the Queen, Carter.” she laughs at me.

“Oh,” I mumble a little embarrassed. “I was going to say, I’m really not dressed for that today.”

“We can go somewhere else if you want? What’s on your list of must sees?”

“The Tower of London. I want to see where all the gruesome stuff happened.”

“Let’s go there then, we can do a warden tour.”

“By a Beefeater right?”

“Well done, you have done your homework.”

“I’ve been excited to come over since Jack and Josie told me they were getting married, I have a list.”

“Well, I’ll do my best to make sure you cross as much off of that list as you can. Starting with The Tower.”

I can’t tell her my list now mainly consists of whatever the hell Carmen wants to do, can I? I’d happily sit and watch paint dry with her, how sad am I right now? Before I know it, we’re getting off the train and making our way up to the street, there are people walking around everywhere and after a few steps, Tower Bridge comes into view.

“Whoa!” I exclaim, stopping where I am.

A few people tut and scowl at me as I block their path to stare at the bridge, I don’t care, I’ve wanted to see this bridge for years and I’m finally seeing it, they can walk around me. Carmen stands next to me and when I turn to look at her, she’s grinning at me.

“You okay there, Carter?”

“Yes, it’s just… Look at it.”

“I’m looking. You like bridges, huh?”

“Not really, it’s just, I can’t help but marvel at the craftsmanship. And it’s like one of the most famous landmarks in London, right?”

“Yeah, it’s really pretty at night all lit up too.”

“Can we come back and see it?” I ask excited.

“Calm down, Carter, it’s just a bridge.” she laughs, tugging my arm as she starts walking.

“I know, but it’s history. Like famous history. just across from that bridge, all sorts of gruesome stuff went down, can we get there already?” I laugh.

“We need to get our tickets, then we can.”

We stand in line to buy our tickets and Carmen hands over her card before I have a chance to get mine out of my wallet, so I spend the next ten minutes scowling until she tells me, I can buy lunch. We walk down the cobbled path and I can’t wipe the grin off my face, I feel like such a dork. I completely lose track of time while we’re there. I don’t see anything other than Carmen and the history. I even forget about being hungry and that never happens. When she tells me she’s hungry I realise I am too.

“Let’s get something to eat before I collapse,” I agree. “This is the longest I’ve ever gone without food!”

We spend hours walking around looking at stuff, when Carmen gets a phone call from Megan I sense our day is coming to an end. We walk towards the train station and she gets quiet all of a sudden, I guess she’s thinking about tomorrow, but I can’t be sure.

“Want to talk?” I ask, as we sit on the train waiting to leave.

“I’m going to see Megan, Harry is refusing to let her out of the flat since she’s so close to her due date, I just don’t think I can sit there and lie to her face Carter, she’ll know something is wrong.”

“Okay… How about I text Harry and see if I can go over? I’ll keep the focus off you with my good looks and because I’m hilarious.” I smile, hoping she’ll smile too.

“Would you? I mean, you don’t have plans with your family?”

“No, I’m free.” I lie. I’ll just text Lex and let her know dinner will have to be another night.

“If you really don’t mind…”

“I don’t mind.”

I get my phone out and text Harry then I wait, praying he’ll be the Harry I know and tell me I can come right on over. He texts back a minute later and I sigh with relief.

Harry:
Come on over. I think Megs is about to kill me, I might need protecting. She’s threatened to chop off my balls!! Carmen is coming over too…. Did you know anything about that?

Me:
You’ll want those balls in tact if you want more kids so I’ll come save you dude! Address?

Harry texts me the address, not that I need it, I’ll be going over with Carmen, but he doesn’t need to know that. Forty minutes later, we arrive at Harry and Megan’s street. Carmen decided to drive as we needed to stop at the store first to get things for Megan. I’m ready to do the whole ‘you go in first and I’ll arrive a few minutes later’ thing but she tells me, she doesn’t care if they know we came together, the only thing they cannot know about is what’s happening tomorrow. I nod and we head in. Carmen buzzes their apartment and we wait.