He's After Me

Chapter ELEVEN



Unbelievably, when we get home at last, Mum is still out. She arrives back half an hour later, by which time Livi is safely tucked up in bed and I’m in front of the computer once more, trying to get back into my Sociology essay. But my heart’s not in it.

‘Sorry I’ve been so long,’ she says as she lets herself in. ‘Poor old Karen, she’s in a bit of a tizz. How’s the work going?’

‘All right,’ I say grimly as she comes over to hug me. Her breath stinks of wine. I’m trying not to panic at the thought of how much I’ve still got to get through.

‘Did Livi have a good time?’

‘Think so. She’s fast asleep. I’m going up too.’

Upstairs, I press Jem’s number again for the umpteenth time since I got home, but there’s still no reply. Miserably, I get into bed and pull the duvet over me. And eventually fall asleep.

I know it’s not right. What’s it doing here, in the car park?

Sharks live in the ocean. Sharks are not urban predators. They don’t lurk in multi-storeys, stalking people on their way home from a night out.

But this shark is special. It’s waiting for me.

A ringing noise. Save me, please …

I wake in the pitch darkness to the sound of my phone and fumble for it blindly. My heart is racing. It was a dream, that’s all. A weird dream.

‘Anna?’

‘Jem? Is that you?’

‘Anna. I’m sorry. I’ve just got your calls. My phone was turned off at work. Is anything wrong?’

He sounds anxious.

‘No. Well, yes. I missed you.’

‘I missed you too. Are you sure you’re all right? You sound upset.’

‘I was dreaming. A nightmare. You woke me up.’ ‘I’m sorry. It was manic tonight. We never stopped. I’ve only just finished.’

I glance at the clock. It’s gone two a.m.

‘It was a good little earner though. Means I can afford to take you out somewhere.’

‘That’s nice. I got some work done.’

‘Well done.’ He sounds like Jem again, now he knows I’m OK. My heartbeat returns to normal as his familiar voice calms me down. ‘I missed you,’ he repeats.

‘Me too. You’ll never guess what happened to Livi …’

I launch into a lengthy explanation and he listens carefully, expressing outrage on Livi’s behalf and describing in detail what he intends to do to Ferret when he gets hold of him.

‘You sound like her big brother!’ I say teasingly.

There’s silence for a moment, then he says, ‘Well, I suppose I am, in a way,’ and he sounds really pleased, like I’ve paid him a compliment. We carry on talking for a while, his voice comforting in the darkness, like a kiss.

‘See you tomorrow,’ he says at last. ‘Sleep well.’

‘See you tomorrow,’ I echo and click off, though not before I add automatically, ‘Love you,’ just like I do when I’m saying goodnight to Mum or Livi.

I suck in my breath, rigid with embarrassment as I realize what I’ve just said.

‘Anna,’ I groan. ‘You and your big mouth!’

My phone bleeps. A text from Jem.

Love you too.

I hug the message to myself in the darkness. It’s OK. He loves me too.

But then my smile fades and I begin to feel really, really bad.

I doubted him.

I can’t believe I did that.

It was just seeing that shark tattoo on that guy’s wrist tonight. The guy in the car park. It freaked me out. I mean, they’re not that common, are they, shark tattoos? I’ve never seen one before.

I thought it might be him. I thought my boyfriend was a car thief.

I turn my face into the pillow and groan. ‘Anna, you are an idiot!’

How could you? After all that Jem’s been through. All he wants is to be with you but instead he works an extra shift in a grotty hotel kitchen to make some money to take you out. He would do anything for you, for Livi.

Because he loves you.

And what do you do to repay him? Suspect him of breaking into cars.

Well, he broke into that boat, didn’t he? says the nagging little voice inside my head.

That was different, it belonged to a mate of his.

Jem hasn’t got any mates.

Stop it! Stop it! I hurl my pillow on to the floor and sit up, my head in a whirl. Then I take some slow, deep breaths, until the nagging voice subsides and finally shuts up.

Don’t do this! I tell myself firmly. You’ll spoil everything with your nasty, suspicious mind.

Jem is the best thing that ever happened to you.





Sugar and spice and all things nice – that’s what little girls are made of.

Not all of them are nice though.

He knew that better than anyone.

Look at these two. Good sister/bad sister.

Which one would get what was coming to her?