The House Guest by Mark Edwards(11)

She spotted me as I got close enough to be within earshot. I heard Eden say, ‘It’s my boyfriend’, and the two young men turned to glare at me.

‘Hey, sweetheart,’ I said, taking hold of her hand. Her palm was damp with sweat. ‘You coming in?’

Mets sneered at me, while I could see Muscles appraising my physique. I wasn’t in bad shape, but compared to him I looked like a twig.

‘This guy is your boyfriend?’ said Mets.

‘Come on, Eden,’ I said, ignoring him.

I tried to lead her away but Mets stepped into my path. My heart was beating fast, remembering encounters with bullies and meatheads during my teenage years. We were out of the eyeline of the lifeguards, and no one else appeared to be paying us any attention.

I tried to move around him, but Muscles blocked me. Meanwhile, Mets smiled at Eden. ‘Why don’t you ditch the loser and hang with us?’

‘He’s not a loser,’ Eden said. She sounded angry now.

‘Come on, guys,’ I said, trying to cool the situation. ‘She’s not interested. Stop harassing her.’

Muscles made a noise in his throat, somewhere between a grunt and a laugh. Mets stepped closer, so his face was inches from mine. I could smell beer on his breath. I didn’t think he’d get violent in a public place like this, but with a drink inside him, who knew? And where the hell were the security guys?

‘Listen, boys, just leave us alone,’ Eden said. ‘We really don’t want any trouble.’

Mets glared at her.

‘Come on,’ she said. ‘Let’s all chill out. Okay?’

Mets let his eyes roam up and down her body again, lingering on her breasts.

‘Suck my dick,’ said Muscles.

‘Fuck you,’ said Eden very quietly, and Muscles took a step closer to her. Mets had retreated a step, but had a smile on his face. It was as if he had been the warm-up man, and now here was the main act.

‘You think you’re so fucking special,’ Muscles said. ‘Too special to fuck someone like me, huh?’

‘What the hell?’ I said, attempting to step between Eden and Muscles, who held up an arm to hold me back. Mets watched on, a smirk on his face.

Before I could say anything else, Eden jabbed Muscles in the chest with a finger and said, ‘You’re fucking with the wrong bitch.’

All of a sudden, she looked calm, almost smug, like she knew something these idiots didn’t. Mets and Muscles must have seen it too, because they exchanged a look – confusion with a hint of fear. She pointed at them and said, ‘Dead. Men. Walking.’

‘Screw you,’ said Muscles, but there was doubt in his voice now.

‘Dead men walking,’ Eden repeated, as though speaking to herself.

And then someone else appeared beside us, dressed all in green with ‘Parks Security’ emblazoned across the front of his T-shirt. ‘Everything okay here?’ he asked.

‘Yeah, we’re cool,’ said Mets, acting like a kid who’d just been caught out by a strict teacher. He looked at me. ‘Isn’t that right?’

‘We were just leaving,’ I said, and before anyone else could say anything, I took hold of Eden’s hand again and we hurried away. I could feel the eyes of the two men burning into my back, and looking over my shoulder I saw them watching us. For a moment I thought they might try to follow, but the security guy flapped a hand at them, clearly telling them he wasn’t going to stand for any trouble. They drifted away.

‘Are you all right?’ I asked Eden.

She was breathing heavily, pupils dilated, anger swirling in her blood. ‘They’re dead,’ she said.

I tried to make light of it. ‘Er, you’re scaring me.’

She seemed to remember where she was and who she was with. She smiled, though it appeared as more of a grimace.

‘Let’s get out of here,’ I said.

We both headed towards the changing room. As I reached the door of the men’s, I looked back. She was standing still, staring across at where Mets and Muscles were chatting, oblivious to her glare. It was as if she were filming them with her eyes, fixing them in her memory.

Finally, she turned away and went in to get changed.





Chapter 7

Ruth came into the house, letting the door bang shut behind her, threw her bag on to the dining table and herself on to the sofa. She let out a long, dramatic groan.

‘What happened?’ I asked. A few hours had passed since we’d got back from the pool, but I was still a little shaken. Eden hadn’t wanted to talk about it much and had gone up to her room for a nap.

‘Oh, just . . . intense rehearsals again. Sally’s really putting us through it.’ She closed her eyes and her chest rose as she took a long, deep breath. When she opened them again, she said, ‘It’s all worth it, though. This play . . . You’re going to love it, Adam. I can’t wait for opening night.’

‘You’re not nervous?’

‘Of course I am. To actually step on to a Broadway stage.’ She clutched her stomach dramatically. ‘I’ll probably be sick.’

‘Well, that will be some debut.’

She smiled but didn’t seem particularly amused. ‘I actually do feel scared, Adam.’

‘You’ll be great. I’m—’