Free Kraken by M. Caspian Page B

better.”
     
    Cy’s loss? What loss?
     
    “And it it looks like Will even fits his clothes. Isn’t that handy for you?” Aiden’s face was still implacable.
     
    “Wait, what? Do you mean Cameron? I’m wearing a dead man’s clothes?” Will started to pull shirt over his head, until Cyrus’s hand tightened uncomfortably on his arm. Will let his hands drop and looked up into Cy’s face. “You were Cameron’s partner?” Will’s voice seemed to be going into uncomfortably high territory, where only beagles and moths could hear him. “Why didn’t you mention it at the store?”
     
    “It’s not relevant. He left. That’s it. Now keep your clothes on and behave. We’re in public.” Cy’s voice was low and quiet.
     
    “What the h— ?”
     
    “I’ll, uh, leave you to it then,” said Aiden. He crossed the deck at the front of his house, going inside to join the guests.
     
    Cyrus faced Will, raising a hand to stroke Will’s cheek. “ He left me , Will. He left and he didn’t even leave a note. I don’t know if he was coming back to me when he died, or not. His mother still lives on the island, so maybe he was going to see her. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you they were Cam’s clothes. I was upset and I didn’t want to talk about it. But, you know, maybe it was for the best. Here you are! You came back.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe how lucky I am. Forgive me?”
     
    Will knew his qualms were irrational. He’d been seeing Parker, after all. And he and Cyrus weren’t dating, or anything. It just felt like . . . something he should have known.
     
    “Come on,” he said, at last. “You dragged me here. We’d better go inside. But look, don’t abandon, me, okay. I don’t do well at parties.”
     
    The house was like a tasteful, expensive, oversize shipping container. Warm dark natural wood made a rail-less rectangular deck around the outside, almost at ground level, and vast bi-fold doors opened out onto it on every side. Will could see a floating staircase going up to the second story.
     
    The whole ground floor was open plan, so Will could see the ten or twelve people present all turn to look at him as they approached, and all fall silent.
     
    He leaned over to Cy. “Oh my gods, it’s pod people,” he said out of the corner of his mouth.
     
    Cy’s warm arm wrapped around Will’s shoulders.
     
    Aiden filled the emptiness, walking over with a glass of clear liquid and handing it to Cy. “Everyone, this is Will. Will, everyone. You all know Cyrus, of course.”
     
    Will toed his shoes off at the door, then Aiden ushered Will effortlessly through the sparse crowd, dropping a few names on the way. Will made no attempt to remember them: he knew it was a fruitless task.
     
    “Ella, get my friend Will a drink, would you?”
     
    “Oh, no, I— “
     
    Cy squeezed his arm again. “No, go ahead. I’ll drive.” He cracked a smile.
     
    Aiden’s kitchen counter was a forest of bottles. A young blonde woman in a blue-checked shirt smiled warmly at Will.
     
    “Hi Will, nice to meet you. I’m Ella. White or red?”
     
    “Um, white, I guess. Whatever Cy’s got.”
     
    “Oh no, Cyrus only drinks water. He’s our resident teetotaler.” She grinned up at him. She pressed an overlarge wine glass into Will’s hand, the bowl half full of a delicate straw-colored liquid. He sniffed at it, and the scent of summer and cut lawns and warm earth filled his head.
     
    “Where will I find Aiden? I wanted to talk to him.” Will could tell he was going to have to bite back the question he really want to ask; if Aiden had a spare bedroom.
     
    “Sure, he’s just– “
     
    “Ahh, an aficionado!”
     
    A big hand clapped Will on his shoulder, right above Cy’s. He turned to see Mr. Falconer standing behind him.
     
    “Let me steal him away, hmmm, Mr. Keller? You know I’ll take good care of him for you.”
     
    Cy dropped his hand, and Mr. Falconer steered Will away