Two and a half weeks later, Sally finally relented, but not because I'd cracked and finally started giving her the "respect" she thought she was entitled to simply because she was my stepmum. She ended up getting bored of having to "supervise" me day in and day out, and so, two and a half weeks later, I was free to go about my own business. I also no longer had to call her Mum, since she and I both knew I'd never be able to call her that and mean it.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDEVKCIwiB
But she wasn't going to let it entirely. She started referring to me as "you" and "that girl" whenever she was talking to me or about me, and while she tried insisting everyone else do so - something Dad and Fanny jumped aboard, given how much they both despised me - Oliver stoutly refused to do so. He even called me by my preferred nickname of Charlie, which made me warm up to him even more. Sally sniffed, but let it go, instead doubling down on her refusal to use my name. I didn't care; it was better than being forced to call her Mum, so it was a win win in my book.
What was also a win win was getting to know Oliver. He'd literally travelled the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, and had even taken his beloved Kombi across the Channel on the Eurostar. "I got a lot of looks that day," he said, laughing. "And yes, that is a tie-dye pattern; I've got a friend in Bath who makes a living doing custom paint jobs, and when I told him what I wanted, he almost kissed me."
I laughed. "Was it his favourite assignment?" I asked.
"Better than sex, so he told me," Oliver said, and I laughed again. "But seriously, that Kombi is like a best friend to me. It's got all the mod cons one can ever hope for, and it's vintage enough to fit in, although I guess the paint job does make it stand out like a dog's balls when I'm trying to blend into the wilderness. Still, it's a great conversation started, and I've made a hell of a lot of friends."54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUO6js09Lo
"You're going to have to take me for a drive one day," I said.
Oliver smiled. "I'd be honoured," he told me. 54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDhobQuCXs
54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUem00qiYx
Of course, our time together wasn't entirely fuss free - Fanny insisted on inserting herself into our conversations, and it eventually came about she was actually in love with him, having wheedled a kiss out of him three years ago. "Not my most favourite time," Oliver admitted, as we sat on the roof of his Kombi, overlooking the Midlands. The sun was just starting to set, and we were blessedly alone for once, Fanny being in Bath herself to see some friends. I personally hoped she stayed there. "I'd just broken up with my girlfriend," Oliver continued, now looking pained, "so I was feeling a bit sore and sorry for myself. Fanny was there, wearing the skimpiest swimsuit known to mankind, and because she was pretty, and I was lonely, I ended up kissing her a few times. We didn't take it any further; she is my half sister after all, but she's been carrying a torch for me ever since."
I winced. "That explains why she was such a leech when you came home," I said.
"She wants to marry me," Oliver said, wincing in his own turn. "I told her that's legally impossible, and I don't care for her any more than as a brother, but she's really been doubling down on the idea ever since I came home." He sighed. "I honestly didn't want to, but Dad insisted. He said someone had to look out for you, since my stepmum isn't even legally allowed to talk to you."
"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling my heart skip a beat or three.
"My dad is your mum's new husband," Oliver explained, squeezing my hand. "They got married six months ago, and they told me all about the court order my stepdad took out against my stepmum to stop her from contacting you. And it was pretty bloody nasty, too."
I swore. Dad had, in fact, taken out a court order only just the other day - it now prevented Mum from talking to me at all, either on her own or through a proxy. "He was pretty smug about it," I said, shaking with anger. "You know Sally put him up to it - she's never gotten over the fact I don't want to call her Mum. And if my mum tries to get in touch, she goes to jail." I swore again. "What the hell is his problem?"
"Spite," Oliver said. "Jim always resented being forced to marry Hannah after she got pregant with you, but even though he despised you, he despised how close you were with your mum. If he couldn't gain custody of you, I think he was perfectly willing to go to any lengths to make sure no one did."54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4ZANOdRGh
"I did hear him ranting about it once," I said, shivering as I recalled a terrifying childhood memory. "He and Mum had been rowing, and she threatened to take me and never let him see me again. He yelled at her that if she tried, he'd take me and drive us into the sea, so no one would ever take me away from him. I guess that scared her so badly she ended up staying with him, and now here we are."
Oliver put his arm around me, pulling my head to rest on his shoulder. "We'll find a way to get that court order overturned," he assured me. "I've got some pretty savvy friends in Oxford; I'll ask them when I get back."
I nodded, content to nestle comfortably in the crook of his arm as the light slowly faded. The nights were starting to get a bit cooler now - they always did in the Midlands - but I didn't bother fetching a jacket. After all, why bother with a jacket when your stepbrother did the job just as well, if not better?
ns 15.158.61.43da2
