Love My Enemy Read Online Free PDF

that rose from her neck. 'I'm sorry about
Gary,' she said.
    'Don't you worry about him – I won't.' Conor kicked
at a loose stone. 'So . . . d'you fancy going out some
time?'
    Zee's heart just about stopped altogether. She was
grateful for the darkness; at least he couldn't see her face
properly. 'Um . . . '
    'We could go for a walk,' he suggested, 'take a picnic
– tomorrow, maybe?'
    'What about Gary?'
    'No, I think we'll leave Gary behind.'
    She laughed loudly. Conor was right; why should she
let Gary rule her life? Maybe, like Tasha, she should
grab her chances. 'A picnic sounds great,' she said.
    'Well, I thought I'd better ask you before you make
that dash for Fleet Street.' His eyes were twinkling as
brightly as the stars. 'G'night, Zee.'
    And he kissed her, ever so lightly, on the tip of her
nose.
     
    Tasha had never felt quite as lonely as she did when Zee
disappeared into the crowd. The Irish were wild, weren't
they? Everybody said so. What if they suddenly turned
against her? What if Gary disappeared? She would be
lost, totally lost, in a strange city.
    'All right?' Gary asked, putting his arm around her.
    'Yes, thanks.'
    Someone threw him a can. He bent back the ring pull
and lager frothed up with a hiss. 'Have a drink,' he told
her. 'Enjoy the fire. In a wee while we'll move on.'
    Tasha would have liked to ask where to, but instead
she knocked back the lager coolly.
    'So where is it you're from?' asked Des, and though
he was the last person in the world Tasha wanted to talk
to, it seemed only polite to answer.
    'London,' she replied.
    'Ooh!' he teased and some of the others laughed.
Tasha might have fled if the girl with the broad accent
had not came to her rescue just then.
    'Better a plum in her mouth than straw in her head
like ye, Des.'
    'Nice one, Ruby,' yelled someone.
    There was laughter, even applause. After that people
were friendly enough but Tasha was relieved when the
boys started talking among themselves, and she had a
few moments to relax.
    Huge flames still lunged heavenwards from the
bonfire and the faces all around her were burnished with
firelight. Tiny kids waved Union Jack flags and when an
accordion struck up, folk began to sing along and dance.
The air filled with beer and laughter again.
    'Ciggy?' asked Ruby, and Tasha didn't refuse. She
had smoked at school once or twice. What the hell?
    Ruby blew out impressive smoke rings, 'So, ye fancy
our Gary, d'ye?'
    'That's my business,' said Tasha tartly but Ruby just
laughed. Between that and the cigarette, Tasha felt a bit
silly. 'Okay, so I do fancy him. Does it show?'
    'Just a touch.'
    'Glad I'm amusing you.'
    'Aw – don't be so starchy! We gotta get our laughs
somewhere. God knows there's enough misery around.'
    Tasha struggled to understand Ruby's accent but she
knew the older girl would have buckets of useful info on
Gary. 'Has he got a girlfriend?' she asked.
    'No way. Plenty have thrown themselves at him, mind
– includin' me.'
    'You?'
    Ruby laughed again and her big hair fluffed out. 'Aye,
we had a wee fling in the early days.'
    She shrugged as if it meant nothing to her, as if she had
a million other lads queuing up to take her out, with her
raggy hennaed hair and her cheap jingling jewellery. Tasha
was not even sure that she believed Ruby. How could
someone like her be so cheery about being dumped?
    'Has Gary got his eye on anyone else?' she persisted.
    'Only you, darlin'. I haven't seen that look in Gary's
eye for a while.'
    Tasha flushed happily but Ruby edged closer.
    'Just don't expect too much of him, know what I mean?'
    'Er – no . . . what do you mean?'
    'When I went out wi' Gary, it was like havin' a
relationship with someone wearin' armour.'
    Tasha bit back a bitchy remark. So Gary hadn't
wanted to get close to Ruby? Surprise.
    'We look out for him so we do – all of us,' said Ruby.
    'Don't gangs always look out for each other?' asked
Tasha.
    'We're not a gang – just a crowd who hang out
together.'
    'I'll tell Conor