AllFreeNovel
Share Us
FIVE
NICK
The door opens unbelievably slowly as Tamsin comes into view, looking both past and around me before commenting, “You came alone. That’s brave.”
“Is she here?” I ask as she blocks the doorway.
“Who, Penelope? No, she’s gone to the library with Aimee and Jasper.” She grins.
“Yeah, I’m not playing these games, honey.”
She’s tiny, and there’s nothing to the girl as I slide my hands around her waist and pick her up, placing her carefully to the side before barging through the hallway and striding down the corridor.
Two of the girls are in the living room as I pass through, one flicking through the channels, the other tapping away on a keyboard at the table as I head straight for Ivy’s bedroom, Tamsin shouting a warning from the doorway.
The background music in their bedroom covers it as I open the door and slide in, quickly closing it behind me.
“Tell me you managed to get rid of him,” Ivy says over her shoulder, her face stuffed in a book.
The overhead light reflects off the gold in her wristlet, and I can’t help the satisfaction that settles in my stomach.
“I’m afraid not,” I reply with a smile.
Her head drops to her chest with a sigh, her muttered words lost under the music as she places her book on the table and I close the distance between us, picking her up and throwing her over my shoulder.
She’s had two days to bitch and moan about me.
I tried texting and attempting to talk to her, and now I’m done being the nice guy.
“What the hell are you doing?” she screeches as I pick up her phone, stuffing it in my back pocket before striding back out of her bedroom and down the corridor.
Luckily, Tamsin is still standing in the doorway, mouth agape, as I swat Ivy on the ass, her tiny fists doing nothing but irritating me as they pound against my back.
“Text your boyfriend if you want,” I clip. “He’s not going to do anything. I’ll have her back in an hour, if she’s good.”
Ivy hurls abuse at me, not stopping her annoying tiny fists as I head straight for my car and drop her unceremoniously into the passenger seat, clipping her in and locking the door. By the time I’ve rounded the car, she’s unclipped the seatbelt and is attempting to get out.Shocker.
“You’d better knock it off. One way or another, you’re coming with me.”She can continue this as long as she likes. I’m getting an hour of her time whether she likes it or not.
“Like hell I am,” she yells back, pushing against the door again.
I can wait her out, I’ve got nowhere to be, but as Jacob comes into view, I realise I don’t have to.
“I’m going to unlock this car and get in. You’re coming with me for a drive and you’ll be returned safely to your little bestie in an hour. Got it?”
“No.”
“Your hour is getting longer and longer,” I comment, conscious of the audience gathering in the doorway.
Tamsin now has her phone to the side of her head, no doubt bitching me out to Taylor.Oh, I already pre-empted that one.And the other two girls are only here for the show as they watch along, their amusement clear.
Jacob moves from the side of their house, the secret garden path no longer a secret as he leans against the passenger door. Ivy’s gaze is thunderous as she yells about his terrible traitor characteristics whilst I climb in, starting the engine and getting us the hell out of there.I’ll be sure to thank him for that later.
“I can’t believe you just kidnapped me like that,” she huffs, looking out of the window.
She can, and if she’s surprised by this, she better hold on, because I’m sure there’s a hell of a lot more shit to come our way before this year is out.
The tension gets awkward in the enclosed space, her fury rolling off her in waves, the silence palpable, but music floods the car as I turn the radio on, the unexpected sound making her jump. She scowls at me before resuming staring out the window.
