itâs Gran who shocks the rest of us. Except maybe Dev. Weâve just reached the back step. Gran opens the door with her âstrangers are dangerousâ frown in place and Iâm hoping Dev hasnât noticed, when her expression totally changes. Eureka! Just like that. The harsh lines smooth out, her mouth curls at both corners like it does when I bring home lots of fish.
âDev! I didnât know Joelâs mystery person was you.â Jumping dolphins! My mouth gapes as Gran ushers Dev inside. Devâs grinning as he takes off his jacket. Gran doesnât seem to notice the tatts. So it hasnât been as hard as Iâd feared. I couldâve brought him sooner.
âHow come you know him, Gran?â Weâve reached the kitchen. Weâre all smiling. Thereâs no signal of the trouble ahead. Zoeâs there. When she sees Dev her face suddenly stiffens and pales. Her face is worse than any of Granâs âstranger dangerâ looks. Itâs time for me to start getting worried again.
Gran goes on, âI met him in the food mart today. He was so helpful, werenât you, Dev dear.â
Dev dear ? Even I gulp. Zoe snorts. Itâs not pretty. And then she lets fly.
âSmarming up to Gran now, is it? I know your type. All out for what you can get. Well, Iâm not fooled, even if she is.â
âNow Zoeââ Granâs trying to hush her, but Zoeâs attention is on Dev; she pushes Gran, actually pushes her out of the way!
âYouâre in with Scott, arenât you? If you touch Joel Iâll have the police down on you so hard you wonât even see the light of day. Ever. Nor will Scott.â
âZoeââ Granâs still trying to be kind. I canât work out why sheâs bothering. Zoe has that sound in her voice like Mei gets before she cries and Iâm starting to smell the burning up of all my dreams.
Devâs reaching for his jacket. âI think Iâd better go.â
âNo!â Everythingâs going wrong. Again! I hang onto his arm. âNo. You canât go.â
âItâs best, mate. Iâll come another time. When things are better.â
Zoe sneers. When I look at her I donât know her. Who is she anyway, mucking everything up like this? Zoeâs practically choking sheâs so wild. âThereâll never be a better time.â
Poor Granâs trying to smooth things over with âtry not to mindâ type phrases, but as Dev goes out the back door, I suddenly flip. This isnât just bolting horses. Iâm being bucked off and I sure as hell donât like it. Nor could I stop it if I tried. I swing round on Zoe.
âWho do you think you are! You canât ruin my friends like this!â
âJoel, there are things you donât understand.â
Even Gran murmurs at Zoe although she doesnât sound as sure as before. âSurely you donât think he has anything to do with Scott? He seems so nice.â
Zoe laughs but itâs a terrible sound. âScott does his job well, even from inside. And look at that bloke. Does he look like a guy thatâs hanging round a kid for the fun of it?â I stiffen. Itâs the wrong thing to say.
âDevâs okay. He likes me. And you sure as hell donât! Youâre ruining everything. Youâre just a stupid bitch! I wish you never came here. I hate you!â Just before I run out I have this hazy recollection of both their faces gaping wide, Zoeâs stricken with horror. Well good. She needs to be told. Devâs all that matters now.
I find him down on the rocks, just sitting. His hairâs wet, out of its plait, his jacketâs off. He doesnât stir as I sit beside him. So I say nothing. We just listen to the suction of the water between the rocks, the level of the sea rising, then retreating, the sounds lulling, calming.
Until the thumping in my head has
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