Battle Lines. by Abigail Anderson Page A

ten minutes. You owe me that much surely?”
    “Owe you.” She echoed incredously. “What the hell makes you think that I owe you anything? Shouldn’t it be the other way round?”
    “Mandy.”
    “Jake… please.” She sighed. “We have nothing left to discuss as far as I am concerned. I said all I needed to say, there really isn’t anything more you could possibly add.”
    “What is it you are so afraid of?” He asked her softly. You, she wanted to say but she bit her lip before the word could escape.
    “Jake I just don’t… Look, I hate you and you hate me and I am fine with that. We are even and I am fine with that too. We have nothing to say to each other and I am more than fine about that. Goodnight.”
    “Humour me, ten minutes of your valuable time that’s all. Then I will leave you alone, scout’s honour.” He told her and her head snapped up.
    “Jake, you were never a scout.” She told him flatly angling her head to one side.
    “I could have been.” He told her with sincerity but she could see the gleam of laughter in the depths of his eyes.
    “No you really couldn’t have been.” She told him and she smiled before she could stop herself and then remembered as the smile slipped off her lips. What did she think she was doing?
    “What are you trying to say?” he asked her. His voice friendly and teasing.
    “Oh come on. We both know that had you been a scout they would have kicked you out within the first week.” She teased back forgetting about her earlier anger for the time being.
    “I would have made a very good scout. You would have made a lousy one.” He told her.
    “Jake.” Amanda warned, before she forgot herself completely and started to act as though they actually liked each other.
    “What’s ten minutes of your life in the grand scheme of things?” he asked her.
    “Ten minutes of my sleep time, that’s what.” She informed him stiffly.
    “Then the longer you stand there arguing with me the more time you are going to waste.” She hated him for being right. Why couldn’t he be wrong? Just once would be enough for Amanda.
    “Then why don’t you do yourself a favour and remove your foot from my door frame and leave before I slam the door and permanently separate your size twelves from your ankle.” Amanda snapped at him.
    “You are so quick to jump to a violent resolution to your problems, aren’t you?” He baited her. It sounded as though he were enjoying himself.
    “It’s a good job I am not running the country then, isn’t it?” she snapped at him.
    “We would never survive five minutes. Your finger would be on the button the minute you were through the door at number ten.” Jake joked with her and she giggled.
    She shook her head. There she went again. Giving in and warming to him. She obviously did not learn her lesson
    “Jake…” She huffed loudly. “Please.” She tried begging. She knew that it wouldn’t work but it was worth one attempt.
    “Amanda.” His voice dropped to a barely audible whisper but she could hear the beseeching note in there.
    “Uh.” She exclaimed as she threw back her head and looked up at her ceiling for a moment before lowering it again.
    “Come on, ten minutes.” He cajoled softly.
    “Two minutes.” She tried to barter with him.
    “Eight minutes.” He suggested.
    “Two minutes.” She held firm.
    “Five minutes.” He said. “Just five little tiny minutes. Five miniscule slices of sixty seconds.”
    Unenthusiastically she resigned herself to the prospect that he was not going anywhere until she had heard whatever he so desperately had to say.
    She stamped her foot and sighed again. This was frustrating. Although why this could not have waited was beyond her. She sighed and reluctantly admitted defeat and stepped slowly away from the door to allow him in.
    “You have two minutes.” She told him firmly. She knew that Jake would have stayed out on her doorstep all night if he had to. Amanda closed the door behind