The House On The Cliff

Then - Maisy

"I saw you looking at her".

Maisy folded her arms tighter across her body, as though putting a barrier between them. She had her back to Paul, but she could feel him becoming still. The air seemed to become thicker.

She could just make out his reflection in the window, looking at her, eyes narrowed, and for a moment she felt a frisson of fear.

She turned to him defiantly and he took an involuntary step back.

"Well?"

Paul threw up his arms, and a red glow had started to spread across his cheeks.

"Well, what? I haven't been looking at anybody!"

"You haven't taken your eyes off of her since she arrived!" Maisy struggled to keep her voice low; she knew that Paul would hate it if the others heard them fighting, though she couldn't care less about what they thought.

"I haven't fucking looked at her Maisy!' Paul stopped, taking a deep breath, 'listen, I only love you, I promise."

He moved cautiously towards her, as though she were a bomb that might explode at the merest touch and pressed his fingertips to hers.

"I'm not talking about love Paul, I'm saying that you want to sleep with Tina!" Her face was stony, and she knew that she was being the kind of girl that she hated, that Paul hated.

She had worked so hard at being the relaxed, cool girlfriend that every boy wanted. The problem with that is, she would have to try and keep it up for the rest of their lives.

She felt her heart begin to pound. She was ruining this. She was going to end up single and stuck on a holiday that she had already paid for with her ex-boyfriend.

She glanced at Paul, his face frozen, even his ears were red now. His brow was furrowed, and he looked up at her with eyes that flashed anger at her.

"Look' she said, her voice softer now, practically begging, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just love you so much, I'm a little jealous, I -"

It took a moment for the stinging of his hand against her cheek to begin, buzzing against her skin. She moved her tongue inside her mouth and tasted the metallic of her blood where she had bitten her cheek.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide, a tear escaping despite her attempt to be angry. She could never let this happen again. Never.

With a small sob, she pushed out of the room, Pauls' voice calling after her. She wouldn't even turn to look at him, she decided as she shouldered her way through the door.

Beryl stepped backwards, her mouth a small 'o' of surprise, her hands grabbing Maisy's arms.

"Are you ok?" She breathed, placing her cool fingers against Maisy's hot cheek.

Maisy stared at her for a moment. Pauls' footsteps began to ring out behind them, and her body jerked with fear before pulling herself from Beryls' grasp and running down the staircase, taking them two at a time.

*