LITMIR.BIZ

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      Chloe sighed. ‘It’s polite to knock first.’

      Ben ignored this and asked her what she was doing.

      ‘Nothing. You?’

      ‘Not much.’

      Chloe wondered what Ben wanted. He rarely came into her bedroom unless he needed a favour. Not that she minded. Secretly, she was fond of her big brother, but she’d fallen into the habit of pretending not to be. She found she got more respect from Ben this way than she did in the old days, when she used to follow him around, begging him to play with her.

      There were almost four years between them. She had a June birthday and his was at the end of August. So now she was twelve to his fifteen, but that would only last another few weeks; then he would turn sixteen and the age gap would return to normal.

      They’d never discussed it, but Chloe suspected that Holly, who was far more into boys than she was, had a crush on Ben. She was always batting her eyelashes at him; she would burst into laughter if the slightest hint of a joke left his lips. As annoying as this was, Chloe could just about understand why – not that she’d ever admit it.

      Ben was relatively handsome, compared to other boys around his age, who tended to be gangly and awkward. Broad-shouldered with thick, wavy dark hair, brown eyes, olive skin and a clear complexion, he looked very different to Chloe. She had pale white skin, already showing a tendency for spots, plus light-green eyes and long, straight auburn hair. That was her mum’s natural colour too. She’d been dying it blonde for years but wouldn’t entertain the notion of her daughter doing the same. Totally unfair.

      ‘What do you think of Elliot?’ she asked Ben.

      ‘Why?’

      ‘I just wondered. He seems a bit … unusual to me.’

      ‘What do you mean?’

      She shrugged, not yet ready to trust Ben with what she’d seen. She needed more evidence first – and to re-evaluate the situation when she wasn’t so tired. ‘I’m surprised you’re not down there chatting to him. He’s a big deal in computers and stuff, right? Might be able to get an IT geek like you a job one day.’

      Ben frowned, muttering that a post in Australia would be useless to him. Despite his sporty physique, the only games he tended to play were on his PC. He spent much of his spare time behind his computer screen, often tinkering with technical things that Chloe didn’t understand. And yet Ben hated being labelled a nerd. He definitely wanted something. Otherwise he wouldn’t have let her get away with what she’d just said.

      He wandered aimlessly around her room, picking and poking at things on her shelves and desk, before finally getting to the point. ‘Any chance you might be able to do me a tiny favour, Chloe?’

      She smiled to herself. ‘Depends what it is.’

      ‘You know how Mum and Dad are going to see Aunt Jenny on Monday and they agreed we could stay at home?’

      Chloe nodded.

      ‘I could do with popping out for a bit, um, alone.’ Ben scratched his head. ‘Would you be okay here by yourself for a couple of hours?’

      ‘Where do you need to go?’

      ‘To meet a friend nearby. No one you know.’

      ‘Ooh, a girlfriend?’

      Ben’s face soured. ‘No. Bloody hell, Chloe.’

      ‘What? You expect me to say yes without any questions?’

      ‘What’s the problem? You’re always telling Mum and Dad that you’re old enough to be left home alone. I thought you’d jump at the chance.’

      ‘What if I need you for something?’

      ‘I’ll have my mobile.’

      ‘I don’t know, Ben. We’ll both be in big trouble if we get found out.’

      ‘I’ll take the heat if that happens. But why would it? If we don’t tell them, how will they find out?’

      ‘Well, I don’t see why you can’t tell me where you’re going and who you’re meeting.’

      Ben sighed. ‘I knew you’d be like this.’ He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a ten pound note. Chloe hadn’t expected this, but knowing he was prepared to pay, she pushed for more and got him up to twenty.

      ‘So it’s a deal then?’ he asked before handing over the notes.

      ‘Yes, but if Mum and Dad find out somehow, it’s on you.’

      ‘Fine.’

      Chloe was intrigued. What was Ben up to that was so secret – and worth paying her twenty pounds?

      As she considered this, lying on top of the green and white striped quilt on her bed, she shut her eyes for a moment.

      Twenty minutes later, the sound of a cat meowing woke her up. It was actually her phone’s notification for receiving a text message. She’d installed the realistic sound for fun; since it had caught out so many people, leading them to look around for a noisy kitty in places like libraries and shops, she’d stuck with it.

      Chloe wondered who it might be. Most of her friends tended to use messaging apps rather than texting, unless they were out of data or had no Wi-Fi.

      The text was from a number she didn’t recognise, which wasn’t saved in her contacts. It read:

       Chloe Adams? Be warned. I’m watching you.

       CHAPTER 10

       NOW

       Saturday, 21 July 2018

      Saying goodnight to Elliot felt almost like travelling back in time to Lisa. It so reminded her of when they were both teenagers, having one last gab at the front door before going their separate ways.

      ‘Thanks for tonight, Lise,’ Elliot said, stepping outside and then turning back to face her. ‘It’s been ace.’

      ‘Not at all. Thank you for coming. I was worried you might not want to after all the drama yesterday.’ She lowered her voice before adding that she hoped Mike, who’d already gone up to bed, had made a better impression this time.

      ‘Listen, I’ve already told you not to worry about last night. He was pissed. It happens. Trust me, it’s nothing I’m not used to after twenty years in Oz. Forget about it. I’ve really enjoyed meeting your family after all this time.’

      Next thing Lisa knew, El was offering to come back tomorrow afternoon to cook for them in return. She told him not to be silly, but he refused to take no for an answer, so eventually she agreed.

      ‘Don’t worry,’ he told her with a smile. ‘My cooking’s improved since you last tasted it.’

      ‘You mean the only time you ever cooked for me?’

      ‘Yes, beans on toast, I believe.’

      She giggled, leaning forward and resting her hands on his shoulders. ‘That’s right. You burned the toast and the beans.’

      ‘Exactly. So it’s not going to be any worse, is it?’ He winked. ‘And if it goes wrong, I can always order us a takeaway, right?’

      He gave her the kind of tight hug that banished all her troubles for a moment, filling her with warmth and hope. Then he set off for his hotel. ‘See you tomorrow.’

      ‘Night, El. What’s that aftershave you’re wearing, by the way? It reminds me of the sea.’

      He shrugged, adding with a grin: ‘I’m

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