One More Thing

Chapter Fifteen: Not What It Looks Like

"What are you guys doing?"

I turn around to see Sydney standing at the back door, her hands on her hips.

Jude freezes, eyes wide. I just stand there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

"Um, we were just clearing the leaves off the patio," I say hurriedly. "Your mum asked us to."

"Did she?" says Sydney, her voice flat. "I thought she asked you."

She's looking at Jude with narrowed eyes.

"She did," I say. "But then she saw me and asked me if I wanted to help him."

"And you said yes."

It's a statement, not a question.

Jude walks up to Sydney and takes her by the arm. She doesn't shirk away, but her body tenses up like a marionette. They head into the house and I follow them, keeping my distance. Once we're all in the kitchen, Sydney shoots me a disapproving look.

I disappear into the living room. It's empty. There's an open magazine on the footstool; Country Life or something similar, from the look of it. It's almost certainly Cathy's.

I slump onto the sofa and kick my feet out. My bottom lip is throbbing and my head aches from the fall. I close my eyes.

A few minutes later, Jude and Sydney come into the living room. I don't know what has been said but I assume that it can't be good, because Sydney says "fine" in a tone which suggests that things are everything but fine, and Jude sighs exasperatedly.

"Back in a minute," he says before disappearing upstairs.

As soon as he is out of sight, Sydney turns to face me. Her doll-like lips are pursed.

"Look," I say. "I'm sorry if I've caused an argument but I really was just helping out in the garden because your mum suggested it, and I felt bad saying no. That's all there was to it."

Sydney laughs coldly. "Well, it doesn't exactly look like that from where I'm standing."

I fall silent. What can you say in response to that?

"I know what your intentions are so there's no point trying to hide them," she continues. "And don't bother trying to be nice to me because you're not going to get what you want."

"Sydney," I say. "I don't want anything. I just want everyone to be happy. Is that really too much to ask?"

"Do you seriously expect me to be happy when you're blatantly trying to steal my boyfriend?"

"I'm not trying to steal him!"

"But you like him."

"No I don't."

"Oh please. I can see it from a mile away."

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean," she says, her blue eyes brighter than anti-freeze in the harsh midday light. "Like I said before. Don't try to pretend."

She takes a step closer.