My Everything by Marsh Katie

Author:Marsh, Katie [Marsh, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 2015-08-27T04:00:00+00:00

Twelve

‘Can I borrow this handbag?’

Hannah jumps and pushes her laptop screen shut.

‘Sure.’ She hopes Julie didn’t see anything.

Julie picks up the silver bag from the floor. ‘Why were you looking at those pictures of monkeys?’

Damn.

Hannah feels herself blush. She decides to tough it out. ‘Why are you wearing my top?’

‘This?’ Julie blinks and her eyelids glint silver. ‘Thought it was mine.’

‘It might as well be.’

Julie frowns. ‘What do you mean by that?’

‘Nothing.’ Hannah can’t face another argument. ‘You look great in it.’

In fact Julie doesn’t look great. Her boobs are busting out of the black lace of the top and her skin is unusually shiny beneath the harsh line of her new fringe.

‘Thanks.’ Julie smooths her hands over her jeans.

‘Out on another date?’

‘Yeah.’ Julie hesitates in the doorway, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face. ‘Why?’

‘Nothing.’ Hannah shrugs. ‘Just wondered.’ Julie seems to have spent most of the month since Zac’s appearance out pursuing the opposite sex. Every time Hannah tries to talk to her Julie’s reaction is to pull on a jacket and sprint out of the front door.

She tries again. ‘Is everything OK, Julie?’

Julie’s eyes soften for a second, but then she folds her arms across her chest. ‘Look, I’m just enjoying myself, OK?’ Her lip curls into a sneer. ‘You should try it sometime.’

She stalks out, leaving Hannah alone with her laptop and a familiar sense of failure. She takes a sip of tea and opens up the screen again, gazing at the golden hues of the sun setting over the Tanzanian landscape. She cups her chin in her hand. Ten years ago she’d have been packing her rucksack whenever she even began to feel this sad. Now it’s her first Saturday off in months and she is spending her day in the company of an inanimate object.

Julie is right. She should get a life.

The doorbell rings.

‘DOOR!’

‘Yes thank you, Jules.’ Hannah sighs. It would be much more helpful if Julie actually bothered answering it rather than acting as a human doorbell.

She goes downstairs and opens the front door, preparing her finest detention expression for whoever’s trying to sell her something today.

‘Nick.’ She breaks into a smile.

‘Morning, madam.’ He pretends to salute. ‘One driver for Mr Ellison.’

‘Good to see you.’ She reaches up and kisses him on the cheek. ‘How’s it going?’

‘Not bad.’ He steps into the hall, which seems instantly smaller. His teeth flash white against his tan. ‘Wheeling and dealing.’

‘Cutting and thrusting?’ She leads him through to the living room, where Tom is lying on the sofa doing his physio exercises. Lifting his left hand. Closing his fingers. Opening them. Putting his hand down.

As soon as he sees Nick he stops. ‘Hello, mate.’

‘Ready for some football?’

‘Damn right I am.’ Tom leans on his right hand and swivels his legs round to meet the floor. ‘How are you?’

‘Good.’ A mysterious smile hovers around Nick’s lips. ‘Very good, in fact.’

Tom reaches forward for the cane that’s propped against the armchair.

‘What’s going on, mate?’

‘Nothing.’ Nick looks like he’s about to burst with untold tales.

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