“What’ve I done to offend you?” I hadn’t, as far as I knew, done anything that would’ve pissed him off, other than been a little less friendly with him than I would otherwise have been.
He didn’t smile or even look at me, watching the path near us instead.
“You are always so happy.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I’m not. I just don’t want my issues to be worried about by anyone else.” I thought about my sister and Toby. I’d ignored four text messages from her already, asking when I was home, and if I could transfer some money into her account. She’d given a list of things she was having to pay for because I was ‘throwing her out’, but we both knew it would be going on a babysitter so she could go out with the new boyfriend.
I hadn’t sent her any money. I had booked a food delivery to my house though, with things that Toby liked.
“I didn’t think you had any issues, Sparkles.”
I looked at him and found him looking back. Part of me wanted to confess, given that his expression told me he could see into my soul right now, an expression that was uncomfortable for more than one reason and they were reasons I didn’t want to consider.
“Everyone has issues.”
He cocked his head to one side and then nodded, a considered, thoughtful nod.
And he didn’t ask me anything. No prying, no demanding, no comments that were piercing. Just a nod.
I didn’t know what to say.
Luckily, two figures emerged from the nearby cluster of dense trees. I heard laughter – Izzy’s – and Ryan didn’t look like he’d been attacked by her in any way, so we were on a winner there.
“We found it!” Izzy waved triumphantly, looking as if she’d just discovered the cure for mansplaining. “I think we did that pretty quickly too.”
I looked at Rowan. He just shrugged and smiled, only this time the smile had no bite to it.
We finished third.
That very fact should’ve bothered me, as I didn’t have a fibre in me that wasn’t competitive, and the fact that Izzy took being third as something to celebrate should also have irritated me. Only it didn’t.
Whatever had been said between Izzy and Ryan when they were hunting down their marker had cleared the air. She’d stopped purring over him; he’d relaxed, and Rowan had been as focused as I was trying to win, the competitiveness between us dimming to trying to win together, especially when we were carrying two passengers who clearly weren’t that bothered about victory.
It was turning out to be a good day, and that was what I was thinking, in between debating about what to have for dinner at the restaurant, when my phone started to ring, a photo of my sister flashing up on the screen.
It was one she’d chosen; a picture of her dressed up for a night out, the make-up job worthy of any professional and there on my phone just in case a rich footballer decided he couldn’t live without her.
I closed my eyes as I answered, bracing myself for whatever emotional blackmail was about to be unleashed.
“I thought you’d be too busy partying to answer.” Joanne’s words were said sharply, the blade of bitterness doing exactly what was intended.
I inhaled. Opened my eyes. Exhaled.
“I’m just getting ready to go for dinner. How’s Toby?” I didn’t respond to her dig, or try to explain that this was part of my job. I’d done all of that before.
“He’s staying with his friend from school.”
Ah. That was how she was getting her freedom for the weekend. Great.
“Which friend? Jerome?” I hoped it was Jerome. He and Toby were both fairly quiet kids, which meant they didn’t try to boss each other about.
“No, Tyrece. Jerome’s mum didn’t answer when I phoned her.”
I rolled my eyes and opened the fridge, pulling out the bottle of prosecco Izzy had opened before. One glass wouldn’t hurt. One glass would get me through the rest of this conversation.
“Toby and Tyrece don’t get on.” Tyrece had picked on him a lot last year in school. He’d made Toby give him his cake from his lunchbox and had pushed him a few times. I’d gone in a couple of times to speak to the class teacher. Joanne hadn’t been concerned; she’d just said that Toby needed to toughen up, then bought him a Happy Meal.
“Tyrece’s mum didn’t say that. She told me they’d be fine, so I told school it was okay if she picked Toby up from school on Friday.”
