wasn’t like that at all, but talking about her only seemed to make him irritated. ‘She helped me out, Luc. She probably saved my life.’
‘You can look after yourself, Riley. You were armed and Johnny was close by. Nothing would have happened.’
‘You weren’t there. You didn’t see what it was like.’
‘She knew there’d be something in it for her if she helped you. I bet you gave her something didn’t you. Tipped her off that you were wealthy.’
My cheeks reddened as I remembered the jar of honey and the dried peas. Both worth a fortune by anyone’s standards.
‘I knew it! What did you give her?’ He grinned.
‘Nothing much.’
Luc rolled his eyes. He wasn’t normally so mean. I didn’t know what had got into him.
‘So basically you think I’m a gullible idiot. Is that it?’
He softened his grin. ‘Course not. I just think you were played a bit.’
‘Cheers.’ I scowled and stood up. This evening hadn’t gone at all how I’d expected. I thought we’d have a laugh and that there’d be the usual bit of banter tinged with expectation. I’d even stupidly thought that something might happen between us. But it was obvious to me now that we were way past that. He thought I was naïve and stupid.
‘Calm down, Riley. I’m not having a go.’
‘Well, it sounds like it.’
‘I’m not.’ A smile still played on his lips and it made me mad as hell.
‘It’s late. I should go home.’
‘It’s not late. We haven’t had pudding yet.’
‘I’m full up, but thanks.’
‘You’re sulking,’ he said. ‘Because I disagreed with you.’
He was right, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. Anyway, it was more than sulking – it was disappointment. It was a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was my heart breaking just a little, because I felt like I was losing him. Like he was pushing me away. He’d always been sweet to me and had faith in me. Trusted my judgement. Tonight he was being antagonistic on purpose.
‘I’m fine, Luc. Not sulking, just tired.’ I wanted to ask him why he’d even invited me over here tonight if he was going to act this way. But I didn’t have the energy.
‘Okay.’ He stood and scraped his chair back. ‘Well, I guess I’ll see you . . .’
‘Yeah. Night.’ I turned and headed for the door feeling unsteady on my feet. My eyes brimmed with unshed tears and I prayed to God I could keep them at bay until I left the house.
‘Riley,’ Luc called after me. ‘Riley . . . You okay?’ His voice had lost that mocking edge and I heard the old Luc in there. But it was too late. I was too upset.
‘Fine,’ I called back without turning around. ‘Night, Luc. Thanks for supper.’
I grabbed my coat off the hook and stumbled out through the front door. What just happened? We hadn’t really argued and he hadn’t said anything truly horrible to me. So why was I feeling like the world just ended? But it wasn’t what he’d said, it was the way he’d said it, like I annoyed him. He’d been condescending, treating me like a naïve little girl. Like I didn’t know how the world worked. Like he didn’t really even like me anymore.
I pulled up my hood and shoved my hands deep into my parka pockets as I walked slowly back down Luc’s driveway, toward his front gate. I half hoped he’d come running after me, but by this time I was crying and I definitely did not want him to see my tears. All I wanted now was to throw myself on my bed and sob like a child. What had happened back there? Nothing really. So why did I feel so awful?
I turned into the deserted road, and trod carefully so as not to fall flat on my backside on the ice. That would be the perfect ending to a crappy day. Half a minute later and I was walking in through my own front door.
‘That you, Riley?’ Ma’s voice came at me from the kitchen.
‘Yeah. I’m tired. Going to bed.’
‘You okay?’
Her voice sounded closer. Oh no, she was obviously coming to see if I was
‘You can look after yourself, Riley. You were armed and Johnny was close by. Nothing would have happened.’
‘You weren’t there. You didn’t see what it was like.’
‘She knew there’d be something in it for her if she helped you. I bet you gave her something didn’t you. Tipped her off that you were wealthy.’
My cheeks reddened as I remembered the jar of honey and the dried peas. Both worth a fortune by anyone’s standards.
‘I knew it! What did you give her?’ He grinned.
‘Nothing much.’
Luc rolled his eyes. He wasn’t normally so mean. I didn’t know what had got into him.
‘So basically you think I’m a gullible idiot. Is that it?’
He softened his grin. ‘Course not. I just think you were played a bit.’
‘Cheers.’ I scowled and stood up. This evening hadn’t gone at all how I’d expected. I thought we’d have a laugh and that there’d be the usual bit of banter tinged with expectation. I’d even stupidly thought that something might happen between us. But it was obvious to me now that we were way past that. He thought I was naïve and stupid.
‘Calm down, Riley. I’m not having a go.’
‘Well, it sounds like it.’
‘I’m not.’ A smile still played on his lips and it made me mad as hell.
‘It’s late. I should go home.’
‘It’s not late. We haven’t had pudding yet.’
‘I’m full up, but thanks.’
‘You’re sulking,’ he said. ‘Because I disagreed with you.’
He was right, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. Anyway, it was more than sulking – it was disappointment. It was a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was my heart breaking just a little, because I felt like I was losing him. Like he was pushing me away. He’d always been sweet to me and had faith in me. Trusted my judgement. Tonight he was being antagonistic on purpose.
‘I’m fine, Luc. Not sulking, just tired.’ I wanted to ask him why he’d even invited me over here tonight if he was going to act this way. But I didn’t have the energy.
‘Okay.’ He stood and scraped his chair back. ‘Well, I guess I’ll see you . . .’
‘Yeah. Night.’ I turned and headed for the door feeling unsteady on my feet. My eyes brimmed with unshed tears and I prayed to God I could keep them at bay until I left the house.
‘Riley,’ Luc called after me. ‘Riley . . . You okay?’ His voice had lost that mocking edge and I heard the old Luc in there. But it was too late. I was too upset.
‘Fine,’ I called back without turning around. ‘Night, Luc. Thanks for supper.’
I grabbed my coat off the hook and stumbled out through the front door. What just happened? We hadn’t really argued and he hadn’t said anything truly horrible to me. So why was I feeling like the world just ended? But it wasn’t what he’d said, it was the way he’d said it, like I annoyed him. He’d been condescending, treating me like a naïve little girl. Like I didn’t know how the world worked. Like he didn’t really even like me anymore.
I pulled up my hood and shoved my hands deep into my parka pockets as I walked slowly back down Luc’s driveway, toward his front gate. I half hoped he’d come running after me, but by this time I was crying and I definitely did not want him to see my tears. All I wanted now was to throw myself on my bed and sob like a child. What had happened back there? Nothing really. So why did I feel so awful?
I turned into the deserted road, and trod carefully so as not to fall flat on my backside on the ice. That would be the perfect ending to a crappy day. Half a minute later and I was walking in through my own front door.
‘That you, Riley?’ Ma’s voice came at me from the kitchen.
‘Yeah. I’m tired. Going to bed.’
‘You okay?’
Her voice sounded closer. Oh no, she was obviously coming to see if I was
Similar Books
