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Katy had gone to Lauren's first, but apparently Vanessa was in a terrible mood and couldn't deal with house guests at the moment. The teenager had apologised and said that it was something to do with her Dad being insensitive. Anyway Vanessa was furious with him and he, apparently, hadn't even noticed.
So the pregnant teenager had smiled and said that it was fine, before trying the Butchers'. Whitney had been apologetic, but with Ricky in Dubai, Carol and Pat were already rushed off their feet looking after the kids. Katy pointed out that she didn't need looking after, but apparently there still wasn't any room for her in the house.
Wondering what to do next, Katy made her way to the park and settled herself at one of the picnic benches on the grass. Then she put her bag on the table and rested her head on the fabric, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around the bag.
"Alright, Mitchell?" A far too familiar voice said in her ear. Katy screwed up her eyes, not wanting to open them and find herself looking into the face of Nathan Parry.
"What d'you want?" She demanded, turning her furious gaze on him. Her eyes were narrowed and they glinted dangerously.
"You look like you need some help."
"I don't need anything off you. I just want you to stay away from me. Understand?"
He laughed, moving to stand close behind her so that his body was pressed up against hers. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck and shuddered at the sensation, totally repulsed by his proximity. She moved slightly so that he was no longer touching her, but he raised his hand and took hold of her hair, wrenching her head backwards so that she was looking up into his eyes.
"If that's my kid –" He started threateningly.
"She's nothing to do with you, I told you before." Katy gasped, elbowing him in the stomach. He loosened his grip on her and she winced as she pulled her hair free. Taking advantage of the fact that he was momentarily distracted, the teenager stood up quickly and grabbed her stuff. Out of the corner of her eye, she had spotted Michael and, as much as it killed her, she would rather be in his presence than Nathan's any day. She hated that she was relieved by his sudden appearance. "That's her dad over there. Now get stuffed before he gets suspicious."
For a moment Nathan looked as though he was wondering whether to believe her. Then he smirked savagely. Michael was looking at them darkly and he decided to call her bluff. "Prove it." He whispered nastily.
Katy fought with herself for a split second, wondering which man was the worst of the two evils bearing down on her. Michael was still watching the scene in front of him carefully, obviously trying to work out what was going on between the two of them. Katy was under no illusions that, by reading their body language – Nathan's, menacing and hers, anxious – he would realise within moments that something was wrong. He might be a complete creep, but he was a better bet than Nathan by a long shot.
Making up her mind in an instant, she frowned at Nathan, turned and took a deep breath before heading across the grass.
"Alright, babe." She said cheerily, walking over to him and using her eyes to plead with him to play along. "I thought you weren't coming. I'd almost given up on you."
"No… sorry... I couldn't get away." He said, slightly bemused, glancing over her head at the man who was watching them carefully. There was a threatening look in his eyes that Michael didn't like. He had immediately sensed Katy's discomfort, but wasn't sure of the extent of it. Using it as an excuse, he wrapped an arm meaningfully around her shoulders as he shot the man a meaningful glance.
Katy reached up and kissed him lightly on his mouth, putting her free arm around his waist and handing him her bag at the same time. Taking advantage of the situation, Michael deepened the kiss, but Katy bit his tongue, sending him a clear warning and making him jump slightly.
"Who's your friend?" Michael asked, glancing over at Nathan who was scowling now, obviously deciding that Katy had been telling the truth after all.
"Oh… we just met. He was asking if I was OK." She said casually, smiling up at him. To anyone looking on they would have easily been convinced that she was besotted with Michael. Katy had to admit that he played his role as protective boyfriend very well.
"Thanks, mate, she's fine." Michael called to Nathan, the hint of a threat in his voice, before turning back to Katy and putting one hand lightly on her bump and the other on her cheek. The touch made her skin crawl, but she resisted pushing him away while Nathan was still watching. She forced herself to carry on smiling up at him.
As soon as Nathan had slouched off angrily, the teenager's face fell and she grabbed her bag out of Michael's hand, turning away from him. Grabbing her roughly by the wrist, he pulled her back, firmly wrapping his large hands around her upper arms and preventing her from getting away.
"Are you going to tell me what all that was about? Who was that guy?" He demanded, his eyes raking her face looking for answers. Trying to free herself from his grip, Katy growled softly.
"He was no one, I told you. Just some guy who was giving me the creeps. Why are you even bothered anyway?"
Michael laughed disbelievingly and shook his head. "Nah, I wasn't born yesterday, Katy. You were terrified. Who was it? Or d'you want me to ask Roxy if she's got any idea who he was?"
Katy used all of her strength to try and wrench herself out of his grasp. Failing, she glared fiercely at him instead. "If you mention any of this to Rox, I'll tell her that you came onto me again. Who's she gonna believe, hey? You or me?"
The man narrowed his eyes slowly, wondering whether she really would tell Roxy. There was a glint of steely determination in Katy's eyes and he decided that yes, it was a strong possibility. Michael, who prided himself on being able to read women easily and tell them and give them exactly what they wanted, was stumped when it came to this teenager. Her mind was so closed off that it intrigued him and infuriated him at the same time.
"Fine." He snapped after a moment or two, releasing his grip on her arms. "Fine, you do what you want. Get yourself in trouble. See if I care."
"Oh, you care." Katy told him, leaning close to him and flicking her eyes down to his lips teasingly. "I can tell you care."
