feel slightly better. When I straightened up I almost screamed with fright because Genevieve was directly behind me, her face reflected inthe mirror like in my dreams. My bag fell on to the hard floor and all the contents spilled out, but I didn’t feel up to bending down to retrieve them. It was left to Genevieve to crouch on one knee and scoop everything back in.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you, Katy. Mrs Hudson was worried.’
‘I’m OK,’ I mumbled. ‘It’s just a headache and dizziness …’
‘Feeling sick? Eyes hurting?’
I grunted in agreement.
‘It’s a migraine. I get them too. The best remedy is to lie down in a dark room with an ice pack.’
Another wave of nausea hit me and I doubled up but there was nothing left in my stomach. I hated being seen like this, but it was out of my control.
‘You should go home,’ Genevieve said, patting me on the shoulder and picking a few stray hairs off my cardigan. ‘I’ll tell Mrs Hudson what happened.’
She put one arm around my waist and helped me to the door, asking if I wanted her to call a taxi. I screwed up my eyes, feeling utter remorse because she was being so kind.
‘I’ll be fine,’ I assured her, but my legs had turned to jelly and I needed to sit down.
She helped me to the nearest chair, which was positioned outside the office, and then went inside to arrange for the cab.
‘I’ll wait with you, in case you pass out,’ she told me firmly.
‘Thanks for looking after me,’ I answered gratefully.
‘That’s OK.’
I decided to clear the air. ‘Sorry if I made you feel unwelcome. Merlin thinks we have lots in common …’
She turned to me and I was startled again at the colour of her eyes, which seemed to react to the light, the pupils changing from glowing orbs into tiny slits. Her expression was disarmingly serene, her voice almost soothing. ‘That’s part of the problem with you and me, Katy … being alike.’
‘Is it?’
‘Of course. There just isn’t room.’
‘Room for what?’
‘There isn’t room for both of us – you must realize that. And
I
want to stay.’
This was surreal; Genevieve was saying such horrible stuff to me, but the Cheshire Cat smile never left her face.
I felt sick again. ‘I don’t know what you mean, and I don’t want to play pathetic games. Just tell Nat and Hannah what happened and why I couldn’t come to lunch.’
‘They’re not even proper friends … you’re just an afterthought … you don’t get close to people … boring, sensible Katy. You could spread your wings and fly, but you don’t know how …’
‘What the …?’
Her tone changed abruptly and I was shocked to hear the malice in it. ‘I’m everything you’re not, and I’m going to take over your life.’
As a car horn beeped I stood up and lunged towards thetaxi. There was movement behind me and I lashed out, my hand coming into contact with soft flesh. I heard a loud cry of pain and looked back only once, as the taxi pulled away, to see the shocked faces of Nat and Hannah comforting the weeping figure of Genevieve.
CHAPTER
NINE
Luke was getting out of his car as the taxi pulled away, but I tried to duck into my house without him seeing me.
‘Cat got your tongue?’ he shouted across.
My facial muscles refused to arrange themselves into a smile. His expression was so sympathetic that without my knowing it was going to happen, I burst into tears, huge great sobs that made my whole body shake. In no time at all I was in Luke’s kitchen, sitting at his large oak table and staring into a cup of hot sweet tea.
‘I’m keeping you from work,’ I wailed.
He checked his phone. ‘I’m due in court in an hour, but I’ve got time for a chat. Now tell me what’s wrong. You look awful.’
‘I’ve just been sent home from college with a migraine. It’s nothing.’
‘Kat Rivers, you always were a terrible liar. Tell me the truth. If it’s that boyfriend of yours, I’ll—’
‘It’s
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you, Katy. Mrs Hudson was worried.’
‘I’m OK,’ I mumbled. ‘It’s just a headache and dizziness …’
‘Feeling sick? Eyes hurting?’
I grunted in agreement.
‘It’s a migraine. I get them too. The best remedy is to lie down in a dark room with an ice pack.’
Another wave of nausea hit me and I doubled up but there was nothing left in my stomach. I hated being seen like this, but it was out of my control.
‘You should go home,’ Genevieve said, patting me on the shoulder and picking a few stray hairs off my cardigan. ‘I’ll tell Mrs Hudson what happened.’
She put one arm around my waist and helped me to the door, asking if I wanted her to call a taxi. I screwed up my eyes, feeling utter remorse because she was being so kind.
‘I’ll be fine,’ I assured her, but my legs had turned to jelly and I needed to sit down.
She helped me to the nearest chair, which was positioned outside the office, and then went inside to arrange for the cab.
‘I’ll wait with you, in case you pass out,’ she told me firmly.
‘Thanks for looking after me,’ I answered gratefully.
‘That’s OK.’
I decided to clear the air. ‘Sorry if I made you feel unwelcome. Merlin thinks we have lots in common …’
She turned to me and I was startled again at the colour of her eyes, which seemed to react to the light, the pupils changing from glowing orbs into tiny slits. Her expression was disarmingly serene, her voice almost soothing. ‘That’s part of the problem with you and me, Katy … being alike.’
‘Is it?’
‘Of course. There just isn’t room.’
‘Room for what?’
‘There isn’t room for both of us – you must realize that. And
I
want to stay.’
This was surreal; Genevieve was saying such horrible stuff to me, but the Cheshire Cat smile never left her face.
I felt sick again. ‘I don’t know what you mean, and I don’t want to play pathetic games. Just tell Nat and Hannah what happened and why I couldn’t come to lunch.’
‘They’re not even proper friends … you’re just an afterthought … you don’t get close to people … boring, sensible Katy. You could spread your wings and fly, but you don’t know how …’
‘What the …?’
Her tone changed abruptly and I was shocked to hear the malice in it. ‘I’m everything you’re not, and I’m going to take over your life.’
As a car horn beeped I stood up and lunged towards thetaxi. There was movement behind me and I lashed out, my hand coming into contact with soft flesh. I heard a loud cry of pain and looked back only once, as the taxi pulled away, to see the shocked faces of Nat and Hannah comforting the weeping figure of Genevieve.
CHAPTER
NINE
Luke was getting out of his car as the taxi pulled away, but I tried to duck into my house without him seeing me.
‘Cat got your tongue?’ he shouted across.
My facial muscles refused to arrange themselves into a smile. His expression was so sympathetic that without my knowing it was going to happen, I burst into tears, huge great sobs that made my whole body shake. In no time at all I was in Luke’s kitchen, sitting at his large oak table and staring into a cup of hot sweet tea.
‘I’m keeping you from work,’ I wailed.
He checked his phone. ‘I’m due in court in an hour, but I’ve got time for a chat. Now tell me what’s wrong. You look awful.’
‘I’ve just been sent home from college with a migraine. It’s nothing.’
‘Kat Rivers, you always were a terrible liar. Tell me the truth. If it’s that boyfriend of yours, I’ll—’
‘It’s
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