she's not at all the kind of girl I expected Raw to end up with. I'm just glad Karen didn't get her claws into him.”
“Karen?”
“A friend of mine—supposedly. She's had the hots for Raw since we were all kids. She was at the dinner/dance. She was the one who had a face like a slapped arse. Let's just say Lacey isn't her favourite person.”
“How did they meet?”
“Raw and Lacey? Now, there lies a tale.”
“That's some story.” Jason said when Carol had finished. “I love Chipmunk Pizza. If I'd known your family owned Chipmunk, I'd have suggested eating there tonight.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” Carol said, in a whisper.
Jason leaned forward.
“I absolutely detest pizza.” She looked around. “Just don't tell anyone.”
“I don't suppose you'd like to go away for the weekend?” Carol said, nervously. Just overnight Saturday. We'd be back late Sunday. We could go to Raw's villa in Cannes.”
“I'm sorry. I can't. I have a bout on Saturday night. I mentioned it to you the other day.”
Carol had blanked it out of her mind. It wasn't something she could bear to think about.
“Do you have to? I hate the thought of—”
“Carol. It's what I do. You know that.”
Chapter 17
It was the morning after Suzy's excursion to The Fisherman.
“Hi,” Todd said when Suzy emerged from the bedroom.
Her eyes were barely open. Her hand was clamped tight to her forehead as she shuffled over to the kitchen. After downing a glass full of water, she staggered back to the living room, and slumped on the sofa.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Like shit.”
“You look it.”
“Thanks.”
Ben came in from outside, walked over to Suzy, and jumped onto the sofa beside her.
“Morning, boy.” She rubbed the dog's head.
“Do you want any breakfast?” Todd asked.
Suzy looked at him with dead eyes. “A bucket full of paracetamol.”
“Thanks,” Suzy said when he passed her two tablets. “I'm sorry about yesterday.”
“Forget it.”
“I think I already have. Most of it anyway. I do remember speaking to Lacey though.”
“She okay?”
“She sounded upset. We should have let them know that we were safe.”
“Them?”
“Raw and Carol have been worried too.”
“They should mind their own.”
“I guess. Still, it wouldn't do any harm to tell them where we are now.”
“No!”
“Keep your knickers on. My head's splitting without you yelling at me.”
“Sorry. I don't want them knowing where I am.”
“Why not?”
“It's none of their business. They'll only show up and fuck it all up. We're doing okay here—at least I thought we were.”
“We are. It's all good.”
“Then why yesterday? Why did you just take off like that? I don't get it.”
“I don't want to do this.”
“You know, Suzy. Until I met you, I thought I was the one who was a total fuck up. Now, I'm not so sure. ”
Suzy's head dropped; she stared blankly at her feet. Ben seemed to sense her hurt, and began to whine and nudge her arm with his head. After a few moments, she looked up, and made a half-hearted attempt to smile at the dog. “I'm okay, boy.”
“You're not though are you?” Todd said. “If you were okay, you wouldn't have run out on us—”
“I didn't run out!” she yelled.
“Felt like that. When we came back and you weren't here, I thought you'd left for good.”
“I wouldn't do that.”
Todd shrugged.
“I wouldn't. I just needed—”
“To get smashed?”
“Time to think.”
“How can you think when you're smashed out of your brain?”
“Who are you to lecture me? You can put away JD like it's going out of fashion.”
“I'm a fuck-up, but at least I know it. You pretend like you're happy, but it's a lie. A front. Just like the orange hair you hide behind. I thought things were different now. I thought we could be ourselves here.”
“Why would I want to be myself?” She began to sob. “I fucking hate
“Karen?”
“A friend of mine—supposedly. She's had the hots for Raw since we were all kids. She was at the dinner/dance. She was the one who had a face like a slapped arse. Let's just say Lacey isn't her favourite person.”
“How did they meet?”
“Raw and Lacey? Now, there lies a tale.”
“That's some story.” Jason said when Carol had finished. “I love Chipmunk Pizza. If I'd known your family owned Chipmunk, I'd have suggested eating there tonight.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” Carol said, in a whisper.
Jason leaned forward.
“I absolutely detest pizza.” She looked around. “Just don't tell anyone.”
“I don't suppose you'd like to go away for the weekend?” Carol said, nervously. Just overnight Saturday. We'd be back late Sunday. We could go to Raw's villa in Cannes.”
“I'm sorry. I can't. I have a bout on Saturday night. I mentioned it to you the other day.”
Carol had blanked it out of her mind. It wasn't something she could bear to think about.
“Do you have to? I hate the thought of—”
“Carol. It's what I do. You know that.”
Chapter 17
It was the morning after Suzy's excursion to The Fisherman.
“Hi,” Todd said when Suzy emerged from the bedroom.
Her eyes were barely open. Her hand was clamped tight to her forehead as she shuffled over to the kitchen. After downing a glass full of water, she staggered back to the living room, and slumped on the sofa.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Like shit.”
“You look it.”
“Thanks.”
Ben came in from outside, walked over to Suzy, and jumped onto the sofa beside her.
“Morning, boy.” She rubbed the dog's head.
“Do you want any breakfast?” Todd asked.
Suzy looked at him with dead eyes. “A bucket full of paracetamol.”
“Thanks,” Suzy said when he passed her two tablets. “I'm sorry about yesterday.”
“Forget it.”
“I think I already have. Most of it anyway. I do remember speaking to Lacey though.”
“She okay?”
“She sounded upset. We should have let them know that we were safe.”
“Them?”
“Raw and Carol have been worried too.”
“They should mind their own.”
“I guess. Still, it wouldn't do any harm to tell them where we are now.”
“No!”
“Keep your knickers on. My head's splitting without you yelling at me.”
“Sorry. I don't want them knowing where I am.”
“Why not?”
“It's none of their business. They'll only show up and fuck it all up. We're doing okay here—at least I thought we were.”
“We are. It's all good.”
“Then why yesterday? Why did you just take off like that? I don't get it.”
“I don't want to do this.”
“You know, Suzy. Until I met you, I thought I was the one who was a total fuck up. Now, I'm not so sure. ”
Suzy's head dropped; she stared blankly at her feet. Ben seemed to sense her hurt, and began to whine and nudge her arm with his head. After a few moments, she looked up, and made a half-hearted attempt to smile at the dog. “I'm okay, boy.”
“You're not though are you?” Todd said. “If you were okay, you wouldn't have run out on us—”
“I didn't run out!” she yelled.
“Felt like that. When we came back and you weren't here, I thought you'd left for good.”
“I wouldn't do that.”
Todd shrugged.
“I wouldn't. I just needed—”
“To get smashed?”
“Time to think.”
“How can you think when you're smashed out of your brain?”
“Who are you to lecture me? You can put away JD like it's going out of fashion.”
“I'm a fuck-up, but at least I know it. You pretend like you're happy, but it's a lie. A front. Just like the orange hair you hide behind. I thought things were different now. I thought we could be ourselves here.”
“Why would I want to be myself?” She began to sob. “I fucking hate
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