I sat up. My jaw ached and my mouth was dry. ‘Why? He doesn’t know anything.’
‘I’ll be the judge of that.’ He stormed out of the room.
I held my jaw. There was no blood and I could move my mouth, but the pain was intense.
‘I’m sorry I hit you,’ he said, coming back into the room. He placed a small wet hand towel against my jaw. He smelt like sweat and cigarettes, and the sour smell of beer lingered on his breath. ‘I don’t make a habit of hitting girls, but you were not being very cooperative.’
I took the towel from him and held it to the side of my face. He stared at me. For a few seconds I stared back. I’d never really looked at him before. He was Miranda’s smart-ass boyfriend. Not really worthy of my attention. Now I really saw him. His upper body was broad; his blue T-shirt tight against his body showing the outline of large biceps and pectorals. This was not the physique of a chef. He obviously worked out or did some sort of physical activity. He could overpower me with one arm.
A sneer made its way up one side of Travis’s face. ‘Like what you see?’
I felt the old flush start on my chest. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘You were checking me out.’
‘No, I wasn’t.’
‘Ryan’s only been gone a few hours and already you’re looking for fresh meat. Nice dress, by the way.’
I looked up and caught his leer. Self-consciously I pulled at the hem of my dress trying to make it longer. This was not the Travis I thought I knew. This was an entirely different person.
‘Pass me your phone,’ he said. ‘We’re going to do this again. And this time you’re going to tell Connor to haul ass over here.’
He dialled Connor’s number and passed me the phone.
‘What do you want?’ asked Connor.
The phone was on speaker.
‘I need to see you.’
‘I don’t want to see you.’
‘Tell him it’s important,’ Travis whispered in my ear.
‘Please, Connor,’ I said. ‘It’s important.’
‘I have plans with Megan. I’ll call you in a few days.’
Travis shook his head.
‘I really need to see you today. Please, Connor. You’re my best friend. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.’
Connor sighed down the phone. ‘We’re going to see a movie in a bit. It doesn’t finish till ten.’
Travis whispered in my ear again. ‘Tell him to take a taxi and you’ll pay the driver.’
‘Take a taxi,’ I said. ‘Meet me at Ryan’s farmhouse halfway down Trenoweth Lane. I’ll pay for the taxi.’
‘What’s going on, Eden?’
‘Just come here later, OK?’
I hung up.
‘Good girl,’ said Travis. He checked his watch. ‘We have a couple of hours to kill. I’m hungry. Are you hungry?’
‘No. And Miranda is going to wonder where I am.’
‘Let’s sort that out first then, shall we?’
He opened his own phone and dialled a number.
‘Hey, baby,’ he said. ‘I’m still working. I probably won’t get to see you until tomorrow.’
He was silent while Miranda said something on the other end of the line. For a second I considered shouting for help, but the pain in my jaw reminded me what could happen if I tried something on. I’d have to come up with a different strategy.
‘I just saw Eden. She’s going to the movies with Connor and some other friends.’
I stared at him. He winked at me.
‘She asked me to let you know she’ll be home late. I’ll see you tomorrow, baby. Love you.’ He pressed a button to end the call.
‘How could you pretend to like Miranda? How could you pretend to be our friend?’
Travis shrugged. ‘I arrived nine months before Ryan and the others. Nine months of just waiting around. That’s a long time to do nothing. I needed a friend.’
‘Did you choose Miranda because she was my aunt?’
‘Yes. She was my second choice. I briefly considered Connor’s mother, but she wasn’t my type.’
‘You’re horrible. How can you do that to someone?’
‘You’re just a kid,’ he said. ‘You still believe in true love. One day you’ll realise that we’re all just looking for someone to keep us warm at night. But let’s talk about food. I’m starving. The only place that’s willing to deliver to this godforsaken hellhole is Perran Pizza. Ben was thoughtful enough to leave their menu by the phone. Choose something.’
The pizza arrived at eight o’clock. Travis went to the door to pay for the food. Connor would be here in two hours. Maybe the two of us would have a chance against Travis, but I doubted that.
I called him while Travis paid for the pizza.
‘What now?’ he said.
‘Forget what I said earlier,’ I said.
‘Fine. You’re acting really weird.’
‘I know. I’m sorry. Just don’t come to the farmhouse, OK?’
‘Fine. I’ll call you in a few days.’
I hung up and slipped my phone back in my pocket, out of sight.
Travis carried two boxes of pizza into the living room. ‘Cheese for you and meat feast for me,’ he said, placing both boxes on the coffee table.
‘I’ll go and get us plates,’ I said.
He didn’t try to stop me. I went into the kitchen and took two plates from the cupboard. Then I quickly looked through the cupboards and drawers for something I could use as a weapon. There was nothing. No bread knives or meat knives. Just ordinary knives and forks. I was about to settle for a fork when I noticed a corkscrew with a sharp end. It might do a good job on a cork, but I wasn’t sure it could harm a strong man. It was all I had to work with so I put it in my pocket next to my keys.
Back in the living room, I handed one of the plates to Travis.
‘I’m going to get another beer,’ he said. ‘Sure I can’t tempt you?’
I shook my head. He returned with two more bottles. He’d already drunk the bottle from earlier as well as the bottle he’d brought for me. If he drank these, that would be four. Maybe he would drink too much and pass out. I looked at him again. He was big. Lots of muscle. The bigger you were, the more alcohol you could tolerate without becoming drunk. It would take a lot for Travis to pass out. But perhaps if he drank enough, he would get sloppy. And then I could stab him with the corkscrew. Would it do enough damage if I could? Maybe if I went for a soft place like the inside of his nose or his eye it would hurt him enough for me to make a run for it. What if he overpowered me and stabbed me instead?
‘You’re checking me out again,’ he said with a grin. ‘We have a couple of hours to kill. I wouldn’t say no if you’re interested.’
I ignored him. But his comment made something clear to me: if he was going to hurt me – or kill me – he wasn’t planning to do it until Connor was here. He must need me to lure Connor to the farmhouse. But Connor wasn’t coming. What would he do when he realised I’d called Connor back and told him not to come?
I picked at my pizza. Usually I love it, but there was no way I could swallow more than a few bits of stringy cheese.
Travis finished his pizza and lit a cigarette.
‘Smoke?’ he asked, offering the pack to me.
I shook my head.
‘You’re so uptight with your good-girl routine. But it’s starting to unravel, isn’t it? Getting drunk in the park, lying to Miranda, checking out older men.’
I picked my drink up off the floor and sniffed it. Perhaps if I played along, pretended to loosen up, I would be able to get him drunk and escape. I sipped at the liquid and swallowed. It tasted sour and I pulled a face.
‘You don’t like beer?’ he asked.
‘No. I prefer water.’
He took another drag on his cigarette and exhaled in my direction. ‘You’re no fun.’
But he fetched me a glass of water.