The Last Charm. Ella Allbright

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СКАЧАТЬ shot. I thought I’d try English. You’d enjoy that, right?’

      ‘I … ah …’ Mr Strickland’s face whitens.

      ‘Stop torturing him, Jake,’ Leila admonishes, ‘we both know that’s rubbish. You couldn’t wait to get out of here.’ She gives him a sideways look.

      Jake shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans. ‘She’s right. I was just here to see a friend for lunch. Owen Plaitford? We’d just said goodbye and I was leaving when Leila and I bumped cars. I’m not applying to come back, don’t worry.’

      Mr Strickland relaxes, his chest puffing out as the anxiety slips away. ‘So, what are you doing these days? I can’t imagine you’ve made anything of yourself, after the way you behaved at school.’

      Jake’s grin falls away at the derisive tone, and he stares at the older man. ‘You haven’t changed much, have you?’ He stands straighter. ‘But actually, I have. I got the basic qualifications I needed, left school, and joined the Marines. I was in officer training last year, all five phases, and went on my first mission a couple of months ago. So, whatever you might think of me or who I was back then, these days I’m proud to serve my Queen and country, and help keep others safe.’

      Leila’s eyebrows rise, but she says nothing.

      ‘Oh.’ Mr Strickland’s mouth opens and closes like a vacant goldfish before he pulls himself together. ‘In that case, if I’m right to believe you, then well done.’

      Jake’s face goes blank, but he manages a nod and then his chin tilts up, just by an extra millimetre. ‘Thank you,’ he replies in a low voice. He steps away. ‘Anyway, we’d better separate these cars and exchange details. We won’t be long; I’ll be gone soon.’

      ‘All right,’ the teacher agrees, ‘as you were then. Try not to be too late for English,’ he shoots at Leila, before hurrying from the car park.

      ‘Well, that was weird,’ she remarks, watching the man’s departing back. ‘It’s not like him to be nice.’ Jake’s already crouched down by the bumpers as she turns around. ‘Don’t you think, Jake? It was nice of him to say that to you, right?’

      ‘Whatever,’ he mutters. Bending back a piece of metal with a grunt, he stands and moves around to the driver’s side of his car, wiping his dirty hands on his jeans.

      ‘Whatever?’ She looks perplexed. ‘He said well done; he acted like he was proud of you. What’s not to like about that?’

      ‘It’s not him who should be proud of me. Look, just forget it.’

      ‘Oh. Right, I see. It’s about your dad.’ A beat of silence. ‘Look, Jake, what I said about you being like your dad at the beach party. I shouldn’t have. I never got the chance to say sorry properly. And I am sorry.’

      ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he says, looking over her shoulder, but his voice is terse, betraying him.

      ‘But, I really didn’t—’

      ‘I said, let it go.’

      She sucks in a breath. ‘Okay, if that’s what you want.’

      ‘It is.’ Getting into the BMW, he slams the car door and starts the engine. Reversing it carefully by a couple of centimetres, he slams it into first gear and shoots forward a metre or so. With a shearing sound, the cars break apart. He climbs back out and comes around to inspect the damage, wincing. After a moment, he shrugs. ‘It could be worse, I guess.’

      Leila studies the buckled chrome bumper, her lips twisting. ‘Grandad’s not going to be happy with me. I’ve only had it a few weeks.’

      ‘I’m sure he’ll forgive you.’

      ‘Hopefully. Anyway –’ she changes the subject abruptly, spinning round to face him ‘– it doesn’t matter, does it? About what Mr Strickland said. Because you were making it up, right? You’re not in the Marines. It was a load of rubbish.’

      He frowns. ‘Why would you say that?’

      ‘You’re the most rebellious person I know, Jake. Answering back and getting into fights. Jumping off Durdle Door. Getting thrown out of school. Plus, you’re here, not halfway across the world. So come on, stop being stupid, what have you actually been up to?’

      For a second, his frown deepens but then he laughs and crosses his arms across his broad chest. ‘Yeah, you’re right. You got me. I’ve actually been in a youth offending detention centre for the last eighteen months.’

      ‘What … what for?’ Her eyes widen.

      ‘You’re unbelievable.’ He chuckles. ‘You’d rather believe I broke the law and was sent away than believe I might’ve found something worth doing with my life. Because of course people can never change, and there’s no way the rebellious stuff could’ve been a phase I was going through, or a reaction to an unhappy home life, could it?’ Her mouth drops open, but he carries on. ‘There’s no way that talking to someone I looked up to and respected as I was growing up, someone who’d served in the Navy and said it was the making of him, inspired me to want to do something better, to be someone better than my dad. And of course, leaving home, finding a purpose and something I’m good at and a family I belong in, isn’t a possibility you’d consider for me.’

      ‘Woah. Quite the soliloquy. Okay, I apologise if I got it wrong.’ She cocks her head, studying his face. ‘You do look different. More grown up.’ Then her gaze drifts down to his muscular forearms. Even though it’s a crisp November day, he’s wearing a black T-shirt. She shivers in the breeze whipping brown and auburn leaves around them, the wind sending them whistling along the concrete to form in damp piles in corners of the car park.

      ‘I believe you –’ her expression smooths out ‘– about the Navy, I mean. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. I was just surprised. How come the visit?’

      ‘We’re allowed shore leave. I wanted to see my mum, and my old stomping ground.’ He clears his throat. ‘You seem irritated with me sometimes. Why is that?’

      ‘Well, you can be pretty annoying. Cocky, and overprotective.’

      ‘Please,’ he says wryly, ‘you’ll give me a big head if you’re not careful.’

      ‘Sorry, but it’s just the way you can come across.’

      ‘I don’t mean to. I guess cheekiness can edge into cockiness, and as for overprotective, I’m just looking out for you.’

      ‘I appreciate that, Jake,’ she says, nodding, ‘but I find it a bit much, especially when it’s done without asking.’

      ‘Okay, noted. I’ll try not to do that,’ he says stiffly.

      ‘Don’t be like that. But you also called me spoilt at the party, and I didn’t really get it.’

      Flushing, he shoves his hands in his pockets. ‘Sorry. Heat of the moment. I didn’t mean it. It’s just that I don’t always think you realise how lucky you are, and maybe sometimes you take things for granted.’

      ‘In what way?’ She frowns.

      ‘You’ve СКАЧАТЬ