Deep Water Mark Ayre (inspirational books for students txt) đ
- Author: Mark Ayre
Book online «Deep Water Mark Ayre (inspirational books for students txt) đ». Author Mark Ayre
âQuite right. Unless⊠youâre not a Kennedy, are you?â
The boyâs eyes narrowed. This wasnât going quite right. Jacob was trying to scare Abbie or make her feel shitty because he felt shitty. Her sarcasm indicated it wasnât working and that only served to further frustrate him. Frustration wasnât Abbieâs intention, but he wanted a fight, not placation. Abbie needed to push the right buttons.
âYou ainât a hero,â he said. âIâm not going to thank you. Just leave me alone.â
He turned from her to Charlie, who still lay in the sand. He approached and stood over the other teen. Stared at Charlieâs cheek because Charlie wouldnât look at Jacob.
He spat in Charlieâs face.
âI wonât tell my father about you,â said Jacob. âI want to deal with you myself.â
Raising a foot, he stamped on Charlieâs face. Giving a cry, Charlie started to roll. Jacob stamped on his shoulder. As Charlie fell on his front, Jacob raised his foot a third time.
Abbie caught the angry teenâs arm and dragged him from the whimpering mess in the sand.
âThatâs enough,â she said.
âDonât touch me,â said Jacob. âGet off.â
Abbie didnât.
âYou hit him,â said Jacob. âPicked him up and shook him. Looked like you were going to beat the crap out of him, so what gives?â
âI was angry,â said Abbie. âOvercome by a moment of furious madness. You brought me to my senses, for which Iâm grateful. Now, Iâm returning the favour. Step back, take a breath, leave Charlie alone. Heâs not worth itâ
âDonât tell me what to do,â said Jacob. With utter disdain, he looked at her hand, still on his arm. âGet off me.â
âOkay,â she said. âBut if you try attack Charlie, Iâll stop you.â
Jacob sneered. It was an âIâd like to see you tryâ sneer.
âPerhaps youâve forgotten what I did to Gray, Ana and their cameraman back in that little cave. You really want to fight me on this?â
Jacob didnât. A torch of reason pierced the fog of anger. He knew, if he tried to attack Charlie, Abbie would stop him. In a fight with the older woman, he stood no chance of victory.
Like with Ellie and Francine, Jacob needed an excuse. Something that extradited him from the situation without a further shot to his pride. It was more important to Jacob than it had been to the women in the cave. Ana had broken him. He knew what he had been about to do with Gray. Abbie had saved him.
For Jacob, that was almost the worst part. That it was a woman who broke him and a woman who saved him.
Looking at Charlie, Abbie said, âDisappear.â
Charlie looked at her. âWhat?â
âGo. Leave. Depart. How much clearer do you need me to be?â
Charlie began to rise.
âNo,â said Jacob. âIâm not done with him.â
Abbie hadnât released Jacobâs arm. The teen could have yanked in an attempt to free himself and gone after Charlie while Abbie stumbled. That he only wriggled a little, and in none too convincing fashion, indicated Abbie had been correct. He was afraid to go against Abbie. Charlie leaving solved his problem.
By now, Charlie was on his feet. He looked at Jacob for the first time. Opened his mouth, and Abbie saw the word on his lips.
âYour apologies will mean nothing,â she said. âGo home. Think about the kind of person youâve proven yourself to be today. I donât think youâll like it, but only through acceptance of who we are can we become something better.â
Charlie was still staring. He looked at Abbie as though she might have more.
âThatâs it. Iâm all out of fortune cookie wisdom,â she said. âLast chance to leave. I canât hold him much longer.â
With the pitiful effort Jacob was putting into trying to escape, Abbie could have held him another decade. Charlie couldnât tell or chose not to see it. Turning, he fled up the beach, towards the nearest set of stone steps.
When he had halved the distance between them and the steps, Abbie released Jacob. He hadnât been expecting freedom. After stumbling, he rounded on Abbie.
âYou should have let me have him,â he said. âWho do you think you are?â
âHavenât we done this bit?â
âYeah,â he said. âYouâre right; we have. And Iâm done with you. Better hope I donât see you again.â
He turned. Abbie looked towards the cave; saw movement. Maybe Ana was still coming around. Perhaps she was dead, and the police were on their way. Perhaps everyone was okay, and the gang was preparing to charge Abbie.
Didnât matter.
âYou sure you want to walk off on your own?â said Abbie.
When Jacob turned back, Abbie nodded towards the cave, towards Ana and her entourage.
âAna might be alright. If she is, she might come after me. Itâs just as likely sheâll come after you. What happens if they catch you before you get where youâre going?â
Jacob wanted to hit Abbie with an immediate, fearless retort. Couldnât help himself spinning back, examining the cave, nor keep the shiver off his shoulders as he imagined Ana catching him.
âI hope she comes for me,â he said. He was a worse liar than Ellie. âThey got Charlie to bring me here before. Surprised me. Wonât happen again. Next time Iâllââ
âYouâll what?â said Abbie. Her face was flat. She pitied the boy but didnât show it. âIâd be happy to walk you home.â
She didnât expect Jacob to accept her offer, graciously or otherwise, but had to ask. It was unlikely Ana would come for Jacob again tonight. Clearly, there was friction between the pair. Abbie feared for the boyâwished there was a way she could convince him to accept her as a temporary escort.
âI donât need some bitch babysitting me,â said Jacob. âJust piss off, alright?â
Abbie shrugged. Jacob turned away.
âYou donât have to feel guilty for what happened this morning,â said Abbie. âFor what you almost did. Donât have to hate yourself either.â
He froze. Didnât look back. Abbie could only imagine the hateful visage into which he was twisting his face.
âOnly people I hate is Ana, her cronies, her family,â Jacob
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