The Little Matchmaker | What Happens Next | Book 2

Chapter Eight: Evil Little Worm

"Jody?" Tyler said, knocking on her bedroom door.

No answer.

"Jody?" he repeated. "I know you're in there."

Still no answer, but Tyler wasn't about to wait for one. He opened the door and there was Jody, sitting at her desk on the computer. Isla was asleep in her bed. 

Jody turned to see who was there. "What do you want Tyler?"

Tyler widened his eyes. "Oh, I don't know? Maybe, I want to know what's got into you. Why have you been ignoring me?"

Jody sighed. It had been two days since Ryan blackmailed her and already Tyler had realised something was up. She didn't want to ignore him. She wanted to talk to him, but she couldn't. Ryan warned her not to tell him - he didn't say anything about her having to ignore Tyler. But she knew that he would work it out if she was with him to the extent that they usually were. Besides, the guilt was killing her. Even looking at him now was tearing her up.

"Only five more days," she thought. "Then everything will go back to normal."

She forced a smile and stood to her feet, walking towards him and holding his hands. 

"Nothing's got into me," she said. "I've just been busy... that's all."

"Too busy to spend time with me?"

Jody gulped. She was about to answer when somebody else arrived at her bedroom door. 

"Hi Jody," Ryan said sourly. "My washing up needs doing."

Tyler pulled a face. "Go do it yourself then."

Ryan gave Jody an evil glare.

She looked at Tyler. Sweet Tyler who didn't deserve any of this. 

Then, without saying another word, she left the room - heading downstairs to do Ryan's washing up.

Tyler stood, staring after Jody, completely dumbfounded. 

Then he turned to Ryan.

"What have you done?"

"What do you mean? I haven't done anything."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Well, you've obviously done something. Why else would she go and do your washing up?"

Ryan smirked. It wouldn't hurt to admit his ingeniousness, would it? Then he could blackmail both of them.

He shut the door quietly, glanced in Isla's direction to make sure she was definitely asleep, and then told him.

"You're blackmailing her?" Tyler said once Ryan's explanation came to an end. 

"Is blackmailing the right word? It's more like keeping her— your secret."

"It is blackmailing, you evil little worm," Tyler said. "How could you do this to her?"

"Well, what I'm more interested in is whether or not you're going to do what I say, otherwise I'll tell?"

Tyler stopped. He didn't care if people knew or not, but he knew what Jody would want him to do.

"Alright," he said with a sigh. "What do you want me to do?"

Ryan smirked. "I'll have a think about it. Then I'll let you know."

And then, he was gone.

*************************************************************************************

482 Words

This part was first published on 28th June 2020