The way she’s talking about him in the past tense, I figure it must be Trey’s brother; I don’t want to upset her by asking. “That’s an unusual name,” I say.
Trey is picking at the hem of his shorts. “He preferred to be called, Jo,” he says.
Alison isn’t eating any more of her hot dog, she’s just holding it. Her hands are small and bony and her fingernails are short and bitten. “Jowan went surfing every spare moment. The only reason he moved to Newquay was for the waves, otherwise he would have still been living at home. He was the best surfer,” she lets out a sigh, “but he was good at everything.” I look down at my fingers and twist them in my lap. “He was such a handsome boy.”
I smile across at Trey. “Just like his brother.”
“No. Jowan was like his dad,” she says. She untangles her finger from her hair and takes another small bite from her hot dog. I look up at the street as I hear a glass smash, followed by someone cursing, and then laughter. I guess someone outside the pub must have dropped their drink. Trey opens a beer and hands it to me, our fingertips touch as I take it from him. Alison tugs at her hair. “He won’t let me have a beer; he treats me like a child.”
Trey sighs and stares down at his can.
“Cola is much nicer anyway,” I tell her.
She looks right at me, her gaze is hard and penetrating, I swallow. “Is it? I don’t see you drinking it.” She nods her head towards my can. “If you think it’s nicer, you have my cola and I’ll have your beer.” Her fingers twirl faster and faster in her hair.
“Mum, alcohol is a depressant,” Trey says.
She glares at him. I chew on my thumbnail and watch a small boy run along the beach, holding a bucket. Water spills out over the sides as he runs. He stops beside a little girl and empties the contents of the bucket over her head. The girl screams and then begins to cry. A woman, their mum I assume, snatches the bucket from the boy and tells him off, she’s wagging her finger at him.
“Have you called your dad this week?” Alison asks Trey.
He shakes his head. “I’ve been busy.”
Her fingers squeeze the hot dog and ketchup drips out onto the sand. “Busy doing what? Is he still with that whore?”
Trey takes a swig from his can; he’s not looking at her. “I imagine so.”
Alison tugs hard on her ponytail, her lips forming a thin line. “She manipulates him and turns him against us.”
Trey looks across at his mum. “He’s a grown man; he’s capable of standing up for himself.”
Alison leans forward in her chair. “You need to call him or he’ll think we don’t love him anymore.”
Trey closes his eyes and sighs. “He knows you love him Mum.”
I chew on my thumbnail some more. The guy manning the barbecue shouts out that he’s now out of sausages, so there will be no more hot dogs; I hear the sound of people groaning. Alison looks down at the hot dog in her hand. “I don’t want any more of this. It’s those damn pills, they make me tired, I hate taking them.”
Trey takes the hot dog from her hand. “They make you better, you’d be worse without them,” he says.
Two elderly women approach us; they both have curly, grey hair and are holding plastic cups. They ask Alison if she’s enjoying herself, and has she bought any tickets for the raffle. She asks Trey if he bought any, he shakes his head. She tells him to go and buy some. Trey grabs my hand and we go in search of the ticket seller, leaving Alison to chat with the two women. I look across to see how my parents are doing, and notice Jake is now sitting with them. I want to be with Trey but I should spend some time with them. I hug Trey and tell him I’ll see him again later. As I’m walking over to my family, Ash calls out to me. I stop and he runs over. “A word of advice, Trey is a good guy but he likes to have fun, he doesn’t take things seriously,” he says, placing his hand on my arm.
Liam is lying on the rocks but he lifts his head up when he hears Ash. “What’s wrong with having fun?” he says.
Ash frowns at him. “Nothing, but Pia deserves to know where she stands.”
“I’m sure Pia’s just having fun too. She’s just here on vacation, they’re both adults,” Liam says.
Ash leans in closer and stares into my eyes. “Are you just having fun, Pia?”
I gape at him, I can feel my body start to tremble and I’m not sure what to say. I bite my lip and mumble, “Yeah, just fun.”
Ash smiles and rests his hand on my shoulder. “That’s okay then, because he’s been with a lot of girls,” he says.
“So what, he’s popular, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Liam says.
Ash squeezes my shoulder. “At one time he had three different girls in one week; I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
Liam stands up and pulls Ash away from me. “They’re on the same page, Ash. Let it go,” he says.
I nod my head. “Yes, same page.” I feel light headed and there’s a rushing sound in my ears. I head over to where my family are sitting.
I plonk myself down on the towel. “Trey has offered to take Jake and I to Bodmin tomorrow,” I tell Mum and Dad.
Jake pounds his fist into the air. “Yes.”
I ignore him and continue talking to Mum and Dad. “I know you want to go to the monkey sanctuary, so I’ll tell Trey we can’t make it, it’s not a problem.”
Jake jumps to his feet and scowls at me. “I want to go, I can see monkeys anytime.”
“Don’t be silly,” I say, shaking my head at him. “Since when have you ever seen a monkey in Greenwich?”
Mum glances from Jake to me. Dad has his arm around her shoulders. “You two go to Bodmin, your dad and I can have a romantic day together.” She smiles at Dad and rests her head on his shoulder.
I don’t know why I’m getting bent out of shape over this, it’s not like my relationship with Trey is serious, I’ll never see him again when this vacation is over. I guess I just don’t like the idea that he’s using me, and playing me for a fool. The more I see of him, the more I like him. Maybe I should pretend I’m sick tomorrow. He’s still sitting on the beach with his mum. He chooses that moment to look up and our eyes meet. I look away.
The man who sold us the raffle tickets is holding a red bucket. He calls out that he’s about to draw the raffle, and holds the bucket out towards Jake. He asks him to pull out a ticket. It’s number twenty-four. Mum roots around in her purse for her tickets, I pull mine out of my pocket. Our numbers are all in the forties. A woman comes up to collect her prize and walks away with a bottle of spirits. More tickets are drawn, none of them ours. Mum was hoping to win the bottle of wine but that’s already gone. I wouldn’t mind winning the chocolate truffles, those and a tin of cookies are the only prizes left. The man calls out number sixty. I watch as Trey’s mum walks over to the prize table, and picks up the truffles.
“It’s starting to get chilly, it’s time we went back to the cottage,” Mum says as she rubs her arms. I help them fold the towels. I look over towards where Trey was sitting, and spot him just leaving the beach. He didn’t even bother to say goodbye.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Pia
Trey showed up at 10:00 AM this morning. I wished he didn’t look so gorgeous with his tanned skin and sunglasses. He apologised for leaving the beach without saying goodbye, he claimed his mum was bad. Jake is full of beans and hoping he’ll encounter some ghosts today. I intend keeping my distance from Trey, he’s a man whore and I don’t want to get hurt.
Trey’s car is old but it looks clean. Jake climbs into the back seat, I toy with the idea of sitting in the back with him, but that would be childish. I sit in the front and rest my purse on my lap. Trey reaches over and clasps my seatbelt. As he pulls it across my body his hand brushes against my breasts. I breathe in sharply. “I’m quite capable of securing my own seatbelt,” I say, as he clicks it into place.
“Just trying to help, Pee Aitch.” He smiles at me. He turns the key to start the ignition and then reaches across
to turn on the radio; his hand is dangerously close to my legs so I angle them away from him. “Did you guys have fun at the barbecue yesterday?” he asks.
Luckily Jake answers for me. “It was awesome, and I made a new friend.”
I wind down the window and stare at the pastel coloured houses. I want to ask him how many girls he’s been with, but I don’t want to look stupid. We both know this is just a holiday romance, he expects me to know the score I’m sure. I don’t want him to think I’m some kind of clingy psycho. The breeze blows my hair in my face; I wish I’d tied it back. The radio station is giving a travel report. Apparently there are no problems on the roads. I just need to keep my distance from him. If I don’t see him I’ll soon forget all about him, and we’re going home in less than a week. An old rock song comes on the radio; I turn up the volume to avoid making conversation. Trey drums his thumbs against the steering wheel. “You look good in those shorts,” he says, as his gaze falls to my legs.
“Next time I’ll be sure to wear an ankle length skirt.”
He chuckles. “You’d still look amazing.”
I wish that didn’t make me feel good, but it does. Ugh, I need to get him out of my head. Jake leans forward between the two front seats. “Trey, is Pia your girlfriend?”
Trey opens his mouth to answer, I get in first. “No Jake, we’re just friends.”
Jake leans back and kicks his feet against the back of my seat. “There’s a girl at school who likes me, but I don’t want a girlfriend yet.”
Trey smiles. “How do you know she likes you?”
“Her friend told me she wants to go out with me.”
I stare out of the window at the hedgerows. “Well Jake, when you do become interested in girls you should talk to Trey. He’s an expert,” I tell him. Out of the corner of my eye I see Trey shoot a look at me, I continue gazing out of the window and chew on my fingernail.
Trey parks the car and I get my first look at Bodmin Jail. It’s an old brick building and most of it is in ruins. Trey shoves his car keys into his jeans pocket and we walk in to buy the tickets. We’re standing in a restaurant; there are dark wood tables and chairs, and red flock wallpaper. I guess the jail can’t be that scary if people are willing to sit in here and eat afterwards. A man dressed in trousers and a waistcoat stands beside a staircase. “Can I help you?” he asks. We tell him we want to buy three tickets for the jail. “If you survive, you’re welcome to eat in the restaurant when you’re done,” he says, as he hands us our tickets.
Trey slides his arm around my shoulders, and presses his lips against my ear, I bite my lip. “Perhaps we should eat first, in case we don’t make it out alive,” he says.
I shrug his arm from my shoulders and reach for Jake’s hand. “I’ll stay with you in case you get scared,” I tell him.
He snatches his hand from mine. “I’m not scared.”
“Of course you’re not scared,” Trey says to Jake. “You can be a ghostbuster.” Jake begins singing the Ghostbusters song and Trey slips his hand in mine. “You can grab hold of me if you get scared, Pee Aitch, I’ll protect you.”
“I don’t believe in ghosts,” I say as I tug my hand from his. “I need someone to protect me from you.” I head down the narrow staircase toward the jail cells.
The first thing that hits me is the damp, musty air. The lighting is dim but bright enough to see clearly. We’re in a large room made of grey concrete that is cracked and chipped with age. There are rows of cells along the left and right sides of the room. Tourists are milling about, talking in hushed tones, as if they’re afraid of waking the dead. The first cell that we come to has no door; we can’t go inside because the entrance is roped off. There are two waxwork models in the cell, dressed like prisoners would have been back in the day. Jake reads the plaque on the wall which tells the story of the real life prisoners who were locked in this cell. I shiver. I’m glad I wasn’t alive back then; we were so cruel, locking people up, even children, for stealing a loaf of bread. Trey slides his arm around my shoulders. “You’re shivering Precious, I’ll warm you up.” I swat his arm away and walk along to the next cell. This one has a door, it’s open and the cell is empty. I go inside. It’s a couple of feet wide, and there is a small barred window on the far wall. The window is encrusted with dirt and it’s impossible to see out of it. There is a large red splotch on the wall to my left. I stare at it and frown. I can’t decide if it’s blood, or paint made to look like blood. I place my hand against the wall, close my eyes and see if I can sense a presence. I don’t feel anything except a cold, damp wall. I open my eyes to find Trey leaning against the doorway. He grins at me. “Hey gypsy Rosa Lee. Did you get any communications from the dead?”
Before I get chance to think of a witty response, Jake barges in. “They’ve got an electric chair, I’m going to go and sit in it,” he says, his eyes wide and excitable. I shake my head; I’ll never understand the things boys get excited about.
I follow Jake out of the cell. As I pass Trey he reaches out and slaps me on the butt. “Who needs a chair, there’s enough electricity in this room already,” he says, his eyes twinkling at me. I keep my gaze fixed on the back of Jake’s head.
The electric chair Jake was referring to is an old, sturdy wooden chair in the corner of the large room. I guess it may be a replica of an actual electric chair. Jake sits in it and smiles proudly. “Take a photo of me, Pia,” he says. I get my phone out, I’ve got a text, it’s from Fay.
Wot u up to today? Getting any loving?
“Pia, take my photo,” Jake says. His frown turns to a wide grin as I hold up my phone and snap his picture.
I jump as I feel Trey’s hands land on my waist; he rests his cheek against mine. “Nice picture. I can’t see any orbs, I guess the chair isn’t haunted,” he says. I type out a reply to Fay.
He’s looking over my shoulder, being irritating.
Trey snickers, and then places his lips against my ear. His warm breath makes me tremble. “You can have my loving anytime, Pee Aitch.”
A teenage boy sits in the wooden seat and a middle aged man takes a photo of him. I turn to face Trey, and place my hand against his chest to push him away. His beautiful, green eyes lock with mine and I can feel his heart beat beneath my palm. I swallow. “I need to go and find Jake.”
I find him with his head and wrists poking through an old wooden stock. As Trey aims his phone at Jake to take a photo, I notice a cell that is unlit. I slowly step inside. With the dim light coming from the other room I can just make out the outline of the cell. I turn around as I hear a creaking noise. The heavy wooden door closes. I freeze and my breath hitches. Oh please don’t let it be a ghost. I run towards the door and slam into something hard. The hard thing has arms and they wrap around me. It speaks. “I’ve finally got you on your own, Pee Aitch.”
“Ugh.” I pound my fists against his chest. “You idiot, you scared me to death.”
He laughs. “I thought you didn’t believe in ghosts.” He lets me go and I cross my arms over my chest. I squint as I’m momentarily blinded by a flash of light. Trey is holding his phone; the light illuminates his sculptured cheekbones. “Look Precious, you’ve got orbs.” I glance at the picture he’s taken and see there are four orbs close to my head. “The ghosts seem to like you, Precious. Have I got competition?”
The light on his phone goes out and we’re plunged into darkness once more. He can’t see me scowl at him. “You have nothing to worry about, you’d win any popularity contest,” I say.
His arms slip around me. I try to shove him away but he tightens his grip, and holds me fast. He kisses the top of my head. “Pee Aitch, what have I done to make you mad at me?”
I fist my hands on his chest. “We’ve left Jake on his own.”
“He’s fine, he’s not going anywhere. Why are you mad at me, Pee Aitch?” His hands move up to my head, he smooths his fingers through my hair, it makes my scalp tingle.
I close my eyes and breathe deeply. I may as
well tell him, I’m not going to see him again after today so what does it matter what he’ll think of me. “You’re a man whore who uses women, and I’m not about to be used. Now, let me go.”
I turn towards the door but he grabs my arm and pulls me back against him. “Whoa, Pee Aitch. I don’t use anybody. Sure I’ve dated a lot of girls, but I didn’t take anything they weren’t willing to give.”
He’s crushing my body against his and my face is pressed into his chest. I breathe in his scent, he smells good damn him, but I have to be strong and not let him sweet talk me. “Of course they were willing; you know how good looking and charming you can be. You use it to your advantage. It’s not going to work with me, go find someone who wants you.”
I jump as I feel his lips brush against my cheek. “You don’t want me, Pee Aitch?”
Oh yes I want him, I so want him.
The door opens and I hear a female voice. “Are we allowed to go in?”
A male voice answers her. “I imagine so, the door isn’t locked.”
Trey loosens his grip, I push him away and squeeze past the middle aged couple who are entering the cell. My heart is thudding and I feel hot. I can’t allow myself to be alone with him like that again, it weakens my resolve. I spot Jake looking at some wax models; he jumps as I ruffle my fingers through his hair. “You must be hungry, Jake. Let’s go and get something to eat.”
As we reach the top of the stairs I can see that the restaurant is busy. There’s a hum of conversation around the room. I spot an empty table and drag Jake along with me. “Can I have sausage and fries?” he asks.
“You sit here and I’ll go to the counter and order it,” I tell him.
There are several people in line waiting to order. Trey stands beside me. I can feel his eyes boring into the side of my head; I rub my hand across my cheek. “I’m not using you, Pia,” he says.
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