Rock a Bye Baby by Mia Dolan Read Free Book Online Page A

stuffed into the bag.
    ‘Now you’re the one who’s swearing!’
    ‘No, I am not,’ she said indignantly. ‘Well – not as badly as you!’
    ‘If you were going to find fault with me, I’d never have taken you for a ride!’
    ‘If you were going to behave like an octopus with eight arms …’
    ‘Tentacles! Eight tentacles.’
    ‘OK! Eight tentacles. If you hadn’t tried to put your hand up my dress …’
    ‘What do you expect wearing an outfit like that? Everything’s on view!’
    ‘Only my legs.’
    ‘Well, you should cover them up.’
    ‘No, I should not. It’s the fashion, you bloody moron! Get with it, why don’t you!’
    The eyes looking at her narrowed. He was trying to dig beneath the surface; she hated it when people did that.
    ‘You can be a right cow when you want to be.’
    She didn’t regard that as a worthy or accurate appraisal and it threw her off guard. If he got to know her better …
    ‘Well, there you are,’ she retorted. It was a nothing kind of comment but was all she could think to say. For good measure she added, ‘You’ll have to find someone else who’ll let you put your hand up her dress!’
    Feeling let down she hugged herself and turned away, unwilling to show her face in case he saw that her eyes were turning misty. Getting home was now her number one priority. Gran would kill her if she missed the last bus. If Johnnie didn’t take her home, or at least get her to the bus stop, that’s exactly what would happen.
    It would hurt her pride but there was only onething she could do. She had to get him to take her to the bus stop.
    Hugging her shoulder bag to her chest like some medieval breastplate, she turned to face him. Her mouth was dry but she was prepared to beg – or at least almost beg.
    He was winding the white scarf around his face followed by the rest of the gear. He started the bike.
    Her heart thudded. Surely he wasn’t going to leave her here?
    ‘Johnnie! I need to get to the bus stop!’
    Pleading didn’t come into it. Neither had please.
    Worried she might not get home on time, and angry at him, she did the only thing left to her. Clutching his arm with both hands, she shook him.
    He looked surprised. ‘No need to get violent. Hop on.’
    Without bothering with the scarf or securing her shoulder bag strap, she got onto the bike, her arms around his waist, her head lying against his back.
    The night air was turning damp and clouds were now hiding the moon. A light drizzle began to fall, stinging her face as they sped towards the main road. Without a moon Sheppey took on an eerie loneliness that had something to do with its flatness that was basically on the same level as the sea. Prone to flooding, it was as though the sea was merely waiting to reclaim the land it had begrudgingly given up. Onnights such as this, without moon or stars and a drizzle-misting distance, it was easy to imagine the sea swallowing the whole island in one easy gulp.
    Wind and rain sent her hair in tangled strands across her face making her wish she’d worn her scarf. Her knuckles were chaffed and cold from hanging on to her bag at the same time as hanging on to her escort. Burning up was not all that it was cracked up to be; she was cold, wet and would be glad to get home.
    Ahead of them was the bus stop standing solitary on a small patch of pavement, an island amongst stunted shrubbery and rough grass.
    The bike slid to a stop, gravel flying up from the front tyre and hitting her in the face.
    She got off and looked down at her wet, dirt-spattered clothes. ‘Look at the state of me. I look like something the bloody cat’s dragged in.’
    Johnnie glowered and said nothing, not even good night. Bracing one leg to one side, he turned the bike towards Leysdown where his mates would still be gathered.
    She waited, half expecting him to look in her direction, perhaps even say goodbye. He did neither. The bike roared off, the engine’s sound gurgling through the exhaust