Somewhere To Be Read Online Free PDF

of you. You look too tired,” she said decisively, as though life were that easy.
    “I know, Auntie.” He scooted around to lean his back on the wall by her legs and pulled out his buzzing phone. Nick. He’d tried to call once after Jamie had ended their last call, but that was it until now, almost four hours later. Jamie had cooled down, but it wasn’t the time or place. He let it go to voice mail, frowning down at the screen. He knew he’d probably overreacted earlier, let his anger spark the paranoia he’d thought he’d gotten over, but there wasn’t much he could do now. He stroked a thumb over the screen absentmindedly and put it away in his pocket once more, finally realizing Auntie Mimi was watching him with an intense stare.
    “No girlfriend, Jamie, uh?” she asked again, her eyes shrewd.
    “No, Auntie,” he said quietly, shaking his head slowly with his heart in his throat.
    “And that Nick.” She gestured at his phone. “No boyfriend either?”
    Jamie stilled and licked his lips. He shook his head even slower. “No, Auntie,” he all but whispered. His eyes darted to look at his sleeping grandma.
    “Do not worry, Jamie. She sleeps like dead. But why you haven’t told us before? You know no one will be angry. Does your Baba know?” She took his chin again, even as he nodded.
    “Yeah, Dad knows. He’s okay. It’s all okay as long as I’m happy, you know?”
    “You don’t look happy, Jamie,” she said softly.
    He shrugged at her, and his hand moved toward his phone.
    “Go and talk to your friend. We aren’t going anywhere.” She smiled, patting his cheek. “I sleep too.”
    Jamie stood and kissed her cheek again, then walked off to find somewhere remotely quiet to make his call. He ended up in a hallway by the bathrooms, but the buzz of voices was still floating around him. He hit Call and held his breath, biting his lip.
    “Hey, Jamie. I didn’t think you’d call,” Nick answered, a little hesitant.
    “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry about that. I got riled up.”
    “Understandably. Let me explain a little?”
    “You don’t need to…,” Jamie said lamely. He wanted to hear it anyway,
    “But I want to. Clear the air and all that.” Nick paused, but Jamie didn’t fill the silence either. So he resumed. “I met Steve through a guy I used to hook up with called Jack. They’d been mates since uni, and we’d go out drinking every now and again. I didn’t know he had a bloke at first.” Nick paused again, sounding almost embarrassed. “I thought he was a right twat, to be honest. Even more so when I found out he had a boyfriend. He’d—well. You know what he’s like, yeah. He tried it on with me a couple of times, even though I was sorta seeing Jack.”
    “Sounds about right,” Jamie said quietly.
    “Yeah. Anyway, I started seeing him out and about more, you know? I guess you guys must have split up?”
    “Mmmhmm. About ten months ago.” Jamie nodded.
    “Well, I was pissed one night, stupid really. Bad day at work.” He paused for breath. “Steve came on to me, and we sort of hooked up,” he said slowly.
    Jamie felt a little bit sick, to be honest. “Okay,” he said.
    “We didn’t… I mean. It wasn’t a full-blown thing, you know? And I wouldn’t have… well, shit. That sounds bad too, doesn’t it?”
    Jamie huffed out a humorless little laugh. “Wouldn’t have touched him unless you were drunk? No. That’s not bad. I was an idiot, and I know it.”
    Nick hesitated a moment, as if wanting to ask a question but unsure of its reception. Given their earlier conversation, Jamie couldn’t blame him.
    “Jay…. Why’d you put up with it?” he finally asked.
    “I didn’t know any better,” Jamie replied, deflating against the wall. “I thought it was my fault,” he said quietly.
    They were both silent awhile, Nick not rushing in to reassure Jamie, and Jamie was thankful for that. It always felt a bit empty when people said what they were supposed to