Read Online Three's a Crowd by Sophie McKenzie - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sophie McKenzie
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looked from her to the sea, stretched out in front of us like a soft, dark blanket.
Eve sighed. “But when I got older I realised that he didn’t see who I was at all. He doesn’t want me to grow up and have a life. He just wants me to stay his little Babycakes. Only there for him to look at and show off. And, as far as I can see, that’s what all guys want.” Eve’s voice wobbled. “They don’t care who you are, just so long as you look hot and their friends are impressed.”
“That’s not me,” I said. “That was Ben, maybe, but. . .”
“Then why d’you get so jealous all the time?” Eve started sobbing, her voice all broken and small. “Why can’t you see how I feel about you? Why don’t you trust me?”
I couldn’t bear seeing her cry. I hugged her, stroking her hair. “I do trust you,” I said. “It’s the other guys I don’t trust.”
Eve pulled away from me, wiping her face. She smiled exasperatedly at me. “God, Luke. That’s exactly what my dad says.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll change. I’ll stop being jealous. I promise.” I pulled her towards me again.
“EVE!” Jonno’s voice bellowed in the distance.
Eve sprang away from me. She scrambled to her feet.
“Quick. Go.” She pointed to the woods behind us. “Hide there until he’s gone.”
I stood up and grabbed her hand. “No,” I said. “We’re not doing anything wrong. Why should I hide?”
Eve’s eyes widened. “He’ll kill you if he finds you out here with me.”
The sensible part of me was pretty sure she was right. Or close enough to it. But I was angry. “He’s got no right to tell you that you can’t see me. Why don’t we just go and tell him we’re going out together?”
Eve looked at me as if I was mad.
“EVE!” Jonno’s voice was getting closer.
Eve wrenched her hand out of mine.
“What are you so frightened of?” I whispered, suddenly seeing it in her eyes. “I mean he might be pissed off to start with, but there’s nothing he can he actually do about us being together, is there?”
Eve blinked at me, then turned and ran rapidly along the beach.
I flumped down on the sand, watching her disappear behind the line of trees.
“There you are, Babycakes.” Jonno’s voice – part angry, part relieved – grated on my nerves. “I was worried about you. I don’t like you coming out this far by yourself.”
She wasn’t by herself. I was here. I was looking after her.
Eve said something quickly I couldn’t catch.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Jonno said. “I want you to sing every night. Just a couple of numbers, when Lola takes her breaks.”
I froze. No way. Eve and I were already separated in the mornings and afternoons. The old bastard couldn’t do this.
“It’ll be good for you – build your confidence,” Jonno went on. “And it’ll give you something to do while you’re here.”
You mean give her even less time to enjoy herself. With me.
“But Daddy, I was so scared.” Eve’s voice rose to a squeak. “I don’t think I can.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Babycakes. You sounded fantastic. Everybody said so. I talked to the band. They reckon you need a bit of work on the performance side of things, but you’ve got all the raw materials. Lola’s done a song-list for you to choose some songs from. Here.”
I heard the sound of paper rustling. Tell him, Eve. Tell him “no”.
But in my heart I knew it was hopeless.
As their voices drifted out of earshot I heard her little-girly voice, all anxious and eager to please: “Okay, Daddy. Okay, if that’s what you want. Of course I will.”
I flung myself back on the sand and thumped it, hard.
10
The baby magnet
I woke the next morning to find Ryan prodding my shoulder.
“What?” I said, irritably.
“Up,” he said. “We’re on pool duty, nine till eleven.”
I groaned and sat up. “What time is it now?”
“Five to nine.”
“What?” I scrambled out of bed and reached
Eve sighed. “But when I got older I realised that he didn’t see who I was at all. He doesn’t want me to grow up and have a life. He just wants me to stay his little Babycakes. Only there for him to look at and show off. And, as far as I can see, that’s what all guys want.” Eve’s voice wobbled. “They don’t care who you are, just so long as you look hot and their friends are impressed.”
“That’s not me,” I said. “That was Ben, maybe, but. . .”
“Then why d’you get so jealous all the time?” Eve started sobbing, her voice all broken and small. “Why can’t you see how I feel about you? Why don’t you trust me?”
I couldn’t bear seeing her cry. I hugged her, stroking her hair. “I do trust you,” I said. “It’s the other guys I don’t trust.”
Eve pulled away from me, wiping her face. She smiled exasperatedly at me. “God, Luke. That’s exactly what my dad says.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll change. I’ll stop being jealous. I promise.” I pulled her towards me again.
“EVE!” Jonno’s voice bellowed in the distance.
Eve sprang away from me. She scrambled to her feet.
“Quick. Go.” She pointed to the woods behind us. “Hide there until he’s gone.”
I stood up and grabbed her hand. “No,” I said. “We’re not doing anything wrong. Why should I hide?”
Eve’s eyes widened. “He’ll kill you if he finds you out here with me.”
The sensible part of me was pretty sure she was right. Or close enough to it. But I was angry. “He’s got no right to tell you that you can’t see me. Why don’t we just go and tell him we’re going out together?”
Eve looked at me as if I was mad.
“EVE!” Jonno’s voice was getting closer.
Eve wrenched her hand out of mine.
“What are you so frightened of?” I whispered, suddenly seeing it in her eyes. “I mean he might be pissed off to start with, but there’s nothing he can he actually do about us being together, is there?”
Eve blinked at me, then turned and ran rapidly along the beach.
I flumped down on the sand, watching her disappear behind the line of trees.
“There you are, Babycakes.” Jonno’s voice – part angry, part relieved – grated on my nerves. “I was worried about you. I don’t like you coming out this far by yourself.”
She wasn’t by herself. I was here. I was looking after her.
Eve said something quickly I couldn’t catch.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Jonno said. “I want you to sing every night. Just a couple of numbers, when Lola takes her breaks.”
I froze. No way. Eve and I were already separated in the mornings and afternoons. The old bastard couldn’t do this.
“It’ll be good for you – build your confidence,” Jonno went on. “And it’ll give you something to do while you’re here.”
You mean give her even less time to enjoy herself. With me.
“But Daddy, I was so scared.” Eve’s voice rose to a squeak. “I don’t think I can.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Babycakes. You sounded fantastic. Everybody said so. I talked to the band. They reckon you need a bit of work on the performance side of things, but you’ve got all the raw materials. Lola’s done a song-list for you to choose some songs from. Here.”
I heard the sound of paper rustling. Tell him, Eve. Tell him “no”.
But in my heart I knew it was hopeless.
As their voices drifted out of earshot I heard her little-girly voice, all anxious and eager to please: “Okay, Daddy. Okay, if that’s what you want. Of course I will.”
I flung myself back on the sand and thumped it, hard.
10
The baby magnet
I woke the next morning to find Ryan prodding my shoulder.
“What?” I said, irritably.
“Up,” he said. “We’re on pool duty, nine till eleven.”
I groaned and sat up. “What time is it now?”
“Five to nine.”
“What?” I scrambled out of bed and reached
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