Aurelia Rowl - A Girl Called Malice

Caroline dismissed Josh with a cutting glare and addressed Alice directly. ‘I see you’re still up to your old tricks?’

Alice lifted one shoulder in a semi-shrug. ‘You know me.’

‘What have I ever done to you, Alice?’

‘Oh come off it. Does this ring any bells?’ Alice danced some sort of weird steps, never once taking her evil eye off Caroline.

‘What the fuck!’ Caroline gasped. ‘But that was months ago.’ She shook her head and took two steps back. ‘How do you even know about it?’

‘I was there, you two-faced, back-stabbing bitch.’ Alice’s face contorted into a snarl. She haughtily flicked her hair over her shoulder and strutted over to Caroline. ‘I watched it with my own fucking eyes.’

Caroline paled until she almost matched Josh. ‘So why now? Why break up me and Joshua?’ Her words stirred Josh back to life.

‘We’re breaking up?’ he blurted. ‘No. Please. Let me make it up to you.’

Both girls ignored him so he foolishly turned to the only other guy in the room for support except Zac held no sympathy for the cheating idiot either. He did his best ‘serves you right’ shrug then blanked Josh to watch the showdown between Alice and Caroline, ready to jump between them if things escalated.

Mean and menacing, Alice lowered her voice and got right up in Caroline’s face. ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold, you should know that. Especially after what you helped me do to Virginia.’

Whoa.

For a pretty girl, Alice sure had a major ugly streak. What happened to the funny girl that climbed trees and sat through dreadful Disney films with her little nephew?

Caroline made some sort of mewling noise and stormed out of the room. Josh charged after her—if he’d been a dog, he’d have had his tail between his legs but Zac didn’t rate his chances—which left just him and Alice in the room.

‘What the fuck was that?’ he asked.

Alice finally met his gaze. ‘That was Caroline, she’s—’

‘No, not her. You.’ Her eyebrows arched upwards but her forehead didn’t seem to move. Odd. ‘What exactly did I just witness?’

Alice jutted out her jaw. ‘Nothing.’ Her fake blue eyes sparkled under the lights but they had about as much life in them as a stone. ‘Just an old score being settled.’

‘By making Josh cheat on his girlfriend?’

‘I didn’t “make” him do anything.’

‘No, I’ll give you that, but it’s what you had planned all along.’

‘So?’

‘Dare I ask who Virginia is?’

‘No one you’d know,’ Alice replied, shutting him down.

Damn it, she was exasperating.

‘What’s happened to you? Or is this vamped-up version the real you and I’m the fool for thinking you were someone different? Someone nicer?’ The words escaped before he could stop them. If he hadn’t been glaring at her, he’d have missed the flash of pain.

‘What’s it to you, anyway?’ she replied, but the sass was forced. ‘It’s not like you could be bothered to stay in touch.’

‘And how was I supposed to do that?’

‘You know where I live.’

‘Yeah, behind six-foot iron gates in the middle of nowhere. What was I supposed to do, write you a postcard? I didn’t know if you even wanted to stay in touch.’

‘Well, I did.’ Her hand flew to her lips as though she hadn’t meant to say the words out loud.

Damned if he knew what was going on with her but the compulsion to reach out to her, to try and protect her, proved too strong to ignore. ‘Then you’re just as bad,’ he said, softening his tone and relaxing his stance. ‘You knew where I worked. Why didn’t you come here or leave me a message?’

Alice opened her mouth but then closed it again. She broke off eye contact and stared at a spot over his shoulder before heaving a sigh. ‘I don’t know,’ she said eventually.

‘Never mind, you’re here now.’

‘Yeah.’ The vibe coming from her was different again. Lost? Scared? Confused? Her angry red flush faded and gave her the complexion of a china doll.

‘Er, Alice, you look like you’re about to puke.’

‘Don’t worry, it’ll pass soon.’

‘Right. Of course…’

‘Was I really caught on camera or were you just saying that to shake Joshua up?’

‘Oh you two were live-streaming all right. I think there’ll be some sweet dreams tonight among the guys tonight.’

‘Well…’ Alice fluffed her hair, then laughed but it sounded hollow and her hand shook. ‘I aim to please.’

‘We should probably get out of here before you get asked for an encore.’ We ? Thankfully Alice appeared too distracted to notice his slip. ‘Are you parked out front?’

‘Yes?’ she said, her tone turning it into a question.

‘Great. I’ll walk with you.’

She eyed him cautiously. ‘Why?’

He wanted to tell her the real reason: that he wanted to ensure she got away safely, but the tension in her jaw and the glare in her eye told him it wouldn’t be appreciated. ‘How else would I be able to work on you for a lift home?’

Her eyes widened before she could blank her surprise. ‘You mean I’ll actually get to drive my own car this time?’

‘Sure, why not? I like to live dangerously once in a while.’

‘Hey!’

‘What?’ he said, answering her challenge her with his best grin.

‘Oh fine.’ All tension gone, her mood had lifted too much to pull off being outraged. She relented and walked towards him, returning his broad grin, then linked her arm through the crook of his elbow.

Zac took it as the signal for him to escort her out, only to be met with a chorus of jeers and whistles the instant he opened the door. Hordes of staff loitered outside the meeting room, all vying to get a look at Alice. ‘Shit.’

‘Wow, you weren’t kidding,’ she whispered. Her grip tightened imperceptibly on his arm and triggered his protective streak.

‘C’mon on. Let’s blow this joint.’ Zac tugged on her arm and bustled her down the corridor as fast as her heels allowed. He didn’t slow down until they’d cleared the foyer and were out of the front doors.

‘No way.’ Alice yanked on his arm, back-tracking to take shelter under the entrance from the rain still pouring from the sky.

Zac scanned the car park, glad to see the pink monstrosity of a car parked nearby. ‘Come on, it’s not far.’

‘OK.’ Alice nodded and they set off again.

Zac slipped and slopped in his pool sandals across the car park, keeping pace with Alice’s fast trot until they reached the shelter of her car. He dived into the passenger seat and watched Alice lower her barely covered body backwards onto the driver’s seat before swinging her legs into the car.

Warmth seeped into his cheeks as the memory of those long and lithe limbs wrapped around Josh’s waist flashed into Zac’s mind. He closed his eyes and briskly shook the images away.

‘Hey, stop it,’ Alice protested. ‘If I wanted to get wetter, I’d have stayed outside.’

‘Huh?’ Zac froze. He opened his eyes and noticed the windows were now splattered with water inside as well as out. Along with Alice. ‘Shit, I’m sorry.’

Alice turned over the ignition and turned to heaters up to full. ‘You’re worse than a dog.’ Rain-soaked hair clung to her face as she rubbed her hands over her arms to brush away the newest drops, then turned her attention to the rivulets running down what had to be silky smooth legs.

Zac followed the trail of water all the way over her shins and down to her feet. Parched from the sudden heat coursing through him, he coughed to clear his throat and captured her attention.

‘What? Have I got mud on me or something?’

‘No, I was looking at your shoes,’ he said, lamely latching onto anything to deflect where his mind threatened to take him.