Poison Heart Read Free Page B

– word soon spread and my popularity soared. We spent every minute we could together, and Nat and Hannah joked that they were sick of seeing us mooning about and gazing into each other’s eyes.
    Merlin made arrangements to call at mine on Saturday, which was nerve-wracking because Mum had already judged him. I was on pins all morning, and when I peered out of our front door for the twentieth time to see if he was coming it was impossible to miss the sight of Luke unloading his ancient car of all the stuff he’d brought from his flat. It was filled with boxes, plastic bags, crumpled clothes thrown into a heap and there were plates, cups and a kettle rattling around on the back seat.
    ‘Where’s my favourite Kat?’ he called over.
    I smiled at his usual nickname for me and went over to him. ‘No more student life,’ I taunted, flinching as a glass smashed on to the pavement. ‘Now you’re a proper grownup.’
    ‘Not in a million years,’ he scoffed. ‘You’re talking to the guy who used to put snails down your back and spiders up your nose.’
    Luke Cassidy was five years older than me and had spent the last ten years terrorizing me in every way he could. I spent my childhood trailing after him and his friends, but they always managed to shake me off. Then he went away to university and I was surprised how much I missed having him around. But he was back and still teasing me.
    ‘Little Kat’s grown up too,’ he said, gingerly picking up the broken pieces. ‘I saw you with your boyfriend and waved, but you were kind of occupied.’
    I blushed, knowing how spaced out I must have looked holding hands with Merlin. I hastily changed the subject. ‘So what’s it like being a journalist?’
    ‘So far I’ve covered three church fêtes, a dog show and the story of an old man who sleeps in a tree house with a squirrel.’
    ‘No calls from the nationals?’
    Luke gazed skywards. ‘Maybe next year.’ Out of the corner of one eye he seemed to be peering at me.
    ‘What’s wrong? Is my make-up smudged?’
    ‘You look different, that’s all,’ Luke muttered, and quickly lowered his eyes.
    I stretched out one finger to touch his chin and grinned. ‘So do you. Luke finally has to shave.’
    ‘I’ve been shaving for years,’ he protested, and I pressed my lips together so as not to laugh. Luke had a smooth baby face and corn-coloured hair which made him look younger than he was. Leaving his car doors open, he marched through our front door, without being invited. I tried to head him off, but he reached the kitchen, pulled up a chair and said lazily, ‘Put the kettle on, Kat.’
    My hands glued themselves to my hips. ‘You can’t treat our house like your own any more.’
    He shrugged. ‘Why not?’
    I was trying to come up with a reason when Mum appeared from nowhere and ruined everything. She got out Luke’s ‘special’ mug, which had his name on, and brought over the biscuit tin. I refused to sit down and glanced at the clock.
    ‘You’re edgy, Kat.’
    ‘Merlin’s calling for me,’ I announced, trying to sound aloof and worldly wise. ‘Then we’re going to his house. He’s a talented painter and has his own studio.’
    Luke didn’t laugh at Merlin’s name, but I could tell that he wanted to. ‘Where does he live?’
    ‘Over on Victoria Road, by the riding school.’
    ‘He’s a posh boy then.’
    My mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. ‘He is not. Merlin’s just ordinary, even if his house is really grand.And his mum devotes lots of time to penniless students and lets them work in her studio.’
    ‘How noble,’ he commented sarcastically.
    ‘Don’t be so judgemental, Luke. Mum is already convinced he’s encouraged me to smoke, and now you think he’s over-privileged.’
    Luke leaned back in the chair, taking a long satisfied slurp of coffee. ‘You haven’t fallen for that tortured-artist thing, have you? This … Merlin probably has a whole line of girls whose portrait he’s