"What's going on?" He growled placing his arm across her path. She said nothing and ducked under it putting the beers and crisps down on the coffee table for the others. She walked back through to the kitchen to grab some juice; she was going to have to keep this lie going. He hadn't moved then suddenly he was in front of her pinning her lightly to the fridge. "You owe me an explanation" He breathed. She scowled unable to speak.
"You think I owe you an explanation? What about the changed name and Natasha for heavens sake" She wriggled free and stood scowling in front of him. "Why are you playing games?" The question came out of her mouth without control filling her with a sudden sensation of regret. Of course he was playing games, he was playing with her, cat with mouse something to pass the time. He looked angry then solemn. "I have to lie. Do you think if I called myself Lucien, told them the truth about me and Natasha, do you think it would all be the same? Natasha is my cousin. She is in love with Jake, very much so as afar as I am aware. She has been playing the game far longer than me. She has been coming here for the past year or so. Contorting herself into the person she has now become because of love." She blushed slightly realising how strange the whole situation was, she had no right to intrude on the girls privacy and no real wish to. "You still have no right to demand an explanation, you made me leave and here you are, back without a second thought."
"I think" He whispered, "your guests are about ready to go home." She glared at him conscious he was avoiding the subject and turned to see them out.
Mike and Bess had stood up when they walked into the living room. It was late and they were at school tomorrow. They would give Mitch and Jake a ride home because they were over the limit and Ben was going too. She hugged Bess who carefully tiptoed around the subject of Seth but gave her a searching look as she turned to go. "I'm good!" Lissi smiled at her waving to Mike and his friends in the car. The look Bess gave her seemed to say something along the lines of don't be stupid and a passing glance of don't screw the group up. She half giggled as she closed the door behind her. "Beer?" she called as she grabbed her juice from the kitchen. "No thanks" She found him still lying across the sofa, he was perfectly at ease looking like he had been a part of it always. "So" She began sitting down on the chair opposite him. "How come you're here?" He opened one eye sitting up. "What do you mean? I'm at school to learn, for freedom I suppose. Natasha wishes to spend her time with Jake and as the people believe were married it would only be expected that I go wherever she does." He had taken the easier option of explanation she supposed to complicate matters less. "And I'm right that Natasha's the replacement? Is your grandfather still ill? Is Blake still there?" He shook his head at the ramble of questions. "Yes on all three parts." He sighed looking at her. "Anything else?"
"No" She mumbled looking down at her knees. He had never apologised and after this reaction she realised she wouldn't get one. It angered her slightly but on the whole she still wanted to believe that he had done it to protect her so she shrugged it aside.
"OK then what about you, why were you running home today? It's not like you to ditch classes I've been told and Bess was worried silly." She kept her eye contact on her knees careful to show no distinct emotion. "Its working progress I had no choice." She stumbled over the words like they were foreign to her mouth. It didn't pay off, he didn't believe her she was sure. They sat there silent until finally he sighed. "You're really not going to tell me?" He was at her feet in a second hand cupping her chin, eyes meeting hers. She wasn't going to have much choice in the long run. He would find out when she missed school for a couple of days to go and find some help. "It's under the sofa," She said pointing to the pillows. She struggled up pulling the black book out and handing it over to him. He scanned the cover opening it, his face went white. "Where did you get this?" He demanded. She turned away slightly hugging her arms across her chest. "Poppy" She whispered. She could almost feel the anger radiating off him, almost hear him shouting before he actually began. "And how do you plan to go about this…?" He stopped mid sentence grasping the concept of what she intended to do. "No!" He bellowed pulling her close to him. The contact made he flush before she realised how tightly he was holding her. He didn't let go when she tried to wriggle free or loosen his grip, statuesque in the dying sun. She groaned letting herself go limp. "I don't understand the problem" she moaned. His grip on her still didn't loosen. Ok she thought, he was beginning to hurt her he was hugging her so hard. "Please let me go," She whispered letting all defences down and just hoping to get away. Her head felt muzzy and confused and at the heart of it her vision began to cloud. She couldn't breathe and her chest felt tight burning in pain protest against the pressure constricting it.
She woke with a start in her bed. She gulped in air wishing she hadn't, her ribs hurt so badly. He must have put her to bed she realised. She groaned checking the clock, 6am. Damn it for not waking her earlier. She jumped out of bed buckling with the pain and dashed to the bathroom cupboard for some paracetamol, anything to ease it. She showered, carefully but quickly and threw on some clean clothes. There wasn't time for breakfast, it was quarter to eight by the time she had cleaned up and washed the dishes from last night. A horn beeped outside. She yanked the door opened and locked it behind her. A sleak black car was waiting out front. Bess and Mike sat in the back with Seth at the wheel. "Mikes car broke down," He chuckled as she got in the front. She crossed her arms and scowled facing out of the window, everything was too perfect, it was making her feel uncomfortable. "Inset day" Bess beamed at her as he started up the engine. "School fans have broken, along with several water pipes. Not safe. We thought we could go out somewhere instead." Seth glanced at her momentarily from his mirror and looked away. Bess shouted out for a shopping trip, although it was quickly declined owing to the heat and the fact that the rest of the school was likely to be there. Mike finally came up with the idea of the beach. They could have lunch on the peer. It would be fun. Bess huffed but agreed when the subject of them going off in different directions was crossed, she would rather spend the day as a group than shopping.
Both Bess and Mike seemed strangely aware of Lissi as they walked across the dunes to find somewhere to put their stuff and after chucking theirs down decided to go for a swim leaving her alone. Seth was cautious of her, jumpy, never quite touching her. It frustrated her immensely, like he was scared he might break her and the subject of last night was never broached. After fifteen minutes of lying there reading a book with a cloud of silence creating a wedge between them she got up feigning hunger and went in search of something more interesting. The arcades dotted across the peer played loud and annoyingly happy music. Yells of delight escaped through their doors colouring the streets outside with noise. There was absolutely nothing to do. She bought a cone of chips and sat on the cliff head looking out across the bay. The waves broke lazily across the bottom staining the white chalk grey. She swallowed some more pain meds and stood up dumping the cone in the bin and heading back towards the beach. Mike and Bess were headed off it on the opposite side laughing noisily and soaking wet. Seth wasn't with them. She bunched up her hands in concentration heading, without looking in his direction towards the sea.