The Tears Of A Clown

Chapter Twenty four

Yuri decided he had enough playing games with Maria. He thanked Cynthia for trying to help him, but he had decided some straight talking was needed instead of this crazy scheme.

Cynthia seemed slightly disappointed, but at the time she was sympathetic and understood, She wished him the best of luck, feeling he was really going to need it.

Yuri went in search of Maria and found her outside the Big Top, as soon as she seen him, she turned as if to walk away but he hurried and caught up with her grabbing her arm

“Maria wait up; please,” he entreated her.

She reluctantly came to a halt to turn stormy dark eyes on him. “What is it?” she demanded, her tone none to friendly.

“I want to talk to you,” Yuri replied.

“Are you sure you should? Your girlfriend Cynthia might get jealous, she seems very clingy,” Maria retorted

“That is what I want to talk to you about” Yuri replied

“Look if you are having problems with your girlfriend, don’t expect me to help you with them” Maria warned him, about to walk away again, only his grip in her arm tightened preventing her.

“Cynthia is not my girlfriend.. She never was,” Yuri replied impatiently.

Maria turned to look at him again, puzzled, “What do you mean?”

Yuri suddenly shifted uneasily and loosened his grip on Maria’s arm “What I say, she was never my girlfriend,” he repeated “She was just trying to help me, trying to make you jealous.. It was all your brother Carlos idea.. He thought if I stopped paying you so much attention and pretended to have a girlfriend.. You would start appreciate me more” he then explained, “But I am tired playing these games, and I thought we could sort this out by-”

He didn’t get any further as it only took that time for what he was saying to sink into Maria’s brain.

“-You were only going with Cynthia to try and make me jealous?” she interrupted him icily. Suddenly the stormy look in her eyes increased dangerously as they narrowed at him, “Not only that, but you connived with my younger brother Carlos to do this?”

“Yes but-” Yuri started to reply, but didn’t get any further,

“How dare you!… H-How could you?!” she exploded angry dismay.

“Maria if you will just let me explain-” Yuri started again.

“I don’t want to hear your explanations or your excuses, how could you sink so low Yuri, did you really think I would come running to you because I seen you with Cynthia?”

“Well it was obvious you were jealous.. So you must have some feelings for me, or you wouldn‘t care” Yuri pointed out in defence

“Whether I cared or not is immaterial now!” Maria snapped, “I am just so mad at you I could happily send you to hell!”

“Don’t be like this Maria-” Yuri pleaded, attempting to reach out for her and reason with her, but she jerked away, glaring at him.

“Don’t you touch me Yuri Sidorov; in fact I don’t want to look or speak to you right now!” she stated with contempt, turning on her heel, before strode away in fury, ignoring Yuri’s pleas, as he called after her.

He was suddenly realising with dismay that coming clean about Cynthia, had perhaps not been one of his best ideas. All he had achieved was to alienate her even further.

“How could you be so stupid?” Carlos echoed Yuri’s own thoughts a little while later when he discovered what Yuri had done, “why did you tell her about Cynthia?” he demanded in bewilderment, “Our plan was going so well.. What on earth possessed you?”