Underground Rivers Read Online Free PDF Page B

be?”
    â€œYes, I’m fine. Of course I am.”
    â€œSo why did she call?”
    â€œShe’s my friend. We call each other.”
    â€œHmph.”
    He disappears into the bathroom again. I sit on the bed, trying to make sense of the change of atmosphere. Charlie reappears, wiping his face.
    â€œSuddenly you don’t want to come with me, then?”
    â€œI was thinking.”
    His face darkens.
    â€œThinking, huh? Boyfriend made you think, did he?”
    He hurls the towel across the room. It catches on the top of the mirror and hangs.
    â€œBoyfriend?”
    The towel flops to the floor.
    â€œSee. You admit it. That wasn’t Emily at all.”
    â€œOf course it was Emily.”
    I can’t take it in. A moment ago we were happy. Now I’m a naughty child. I’ve no idea what I’ve done wrong. Tears well up.
    â€œDon’t start none of that crying. Just ‘cause you’ve been caught out. Slag.”
    â€œI’m not. I mean, I haven’t. How can you say that? Check the phone if you don’t believe me.”
    â€œDo I look stupid?”
    â€œOf course not.”
    He’s right in my face now. He’s cleaned his teeth. Everything’s minty. I flinch. He flips.
    â€œYou really think I’m a twat, don’t you? All that lovey-dovey stuff. Laughing. I could hear his voice from the other side of the room. That wasn’t a woman you were talking to. You think I’m deaf as well as daft?”
    He recoils and stomps off to the bathroom. I follow. Bewildered. He turns on me. His lip curls.
    â€œBy the way, your breath smells. Brush your fucking teeth.”
    That’s so unfair. I trail after him.
    â€œCharlie.”
    â€œWhat?”
    He’s pulling on his boxers. He doesn’t even look at me.
    â€œI love you.”
    I know it’s pathetic. He zips his trousers. Pulls the belt a notch too tight. Drags a clean T-shirt over his head. Then he comes towards me and cups my chin in his hand. I purse for the kiss. He spits in my face. He shoves me against the doorpost and stalks down the stairs.
    I’m shaking. I wash my face. Once. Twice. It doesn’t feel any cleaner. I pull on a T-shirt and a pair of jeans and follow Charlie. He’s in the kitchen, rooting through the fridge.
    â€œThere’s nothing in here.”
    And that’s my fault? He pulls out the milk. Sniffs it. Growls and throws the bottle in the sink. A fountain of off milk splatters everywhere.
    â€œThis is a fucking joke. I’m going out to get something to eat. You’d better clean up this mess before I get back. And don’t you be phoning the boyfriend. I’ll be watching you.”
    He’s gone.
    The house is still and scary without him. It’s my house for fuck’s sake. How can it be scary? I don’t know where he’s gone or how long he’ll be, so I decide to clean up the kitchen first. At least he won’t be able to have a go about that. I’ve just wiped the last of the milk off the tiles when the phone goes. A text. I want to ignore it. Best not.
    Love you little brown eyes xxx
    Love you too my blue eyed boy xxx
    It makes me feel better. Maybe he was hungry. Or stir crazy. Like me. I’ve no appetite now though, so I sit down on the sofa and open up the laptop. I can upload some of the wedding photos. There’s a great one Emily took of Charlie and me cutting the cake. My Facebook page is covered with messages. I click ‘like’ on each one and post a status update:
    Thanks for the messages everyone. I’m officially the happiest woman in the world :-)
    How easy to believe my own lie. On the other hand, something tells me Charlie won’t be the happiest man if he comes home and finds me on Facebook, so I don’t hang around. I’m about to log out when People you may know catches my eye. I always check in case some blast from my past is skulking there. Today, there’s someone