A Girl Called Malice. Aurelia B. Rowl

      Once I was safely belted in, Zac turned the key in ignition and the engine roared to life. He put the car into first gear, then reached for the handbrake but didn’t release it. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.

      ‘Huh?’ I looked up from my lap to find him staring at me.

      ‘Is it your hands? Are they really bothering you?’

      ‘No.’ My response was met with two arched eyebrows. ‘Well, I mean yes, they hurt like hell but I’m OK. Why?’

      ‘You look…worried.’ He took his hand off the handbrake and put the car back into neutral. ‘I’m insured to drive any car if that’s what’s bothering you?’

      ‘No, it’s not that. Although good to know and I probably should have checked first—’

      ‘Do you always ramble when you’re nervous?’

      ‘Ugh. Fine. This is going to make me sound like a total loser but it just dawned on me that you’re the only person aside from me to get behind the wheel of my car.’

      ‘Ah…’ His eyes softened with understanding. ‘I promise I’ll drive carefully.’

      ‘You’d better. I’ll have you know this car is my pride and joy.’

      ‘Duly noted.’

      I waited until Zac was on the road and moving before I spoke again. ‘So what do you usually drive?’

      ‘A Land Rover.’

      ‘Oh, but of course.’ I smacked the heel of my hand off my forehead and successfully stabbed myself in the head. ‘How very manly. I should’ve known. Which model? Discovery? Defender?’

      Zac took his gaze off the road for a second and grinned. ‘Freelander. The three-door version.’

      ‘Nice. Let me guess…it’s green, right?’

      ‘A-ha, no. You’re wrong.’

      ‘Black?’

      ‘Nope.’

      ‘Silver.’

      ‘Yep. Um…Alice?’

      ‘Yes?’

      ‘Where am I supposed to be going?’

      ‘Oh. Ha-ha. Oops.’ The rest of the journey consisted of me giving Zac a series of directions and it left little opportunity for conversation. I toyed with the idea of taking him the long way but he would have sussed me out as soon as we arrived at the house so I led him directly there. Going home wasn’t nearly as daunting when I knew there was nobody else there.

      Zac made the final turn and pulled up outside the gates. His jaw dropped and he stared open-mouthed at the driveway on the other side. ‘You live here?’ he asked, finally finding his voice. ‘Are you like royalty or a celebrity or something?’

      I let out a choked laugh. ‘Hardly.’ My response earned more raised eyebrows from Zac but I wasn’t about to elaborate, especially not with Charlie in the car. ‘There’s a remote control to open the gates on my keyring.’

      ‘Oh, right. I wondered what that was for.’ Zac found the button then waited for the gates to open before driving through and cruising slowly along the driveway to take in the scene. ‘Wow, nice place,’ he said, bringing the car to a standstill in front of the house.

      ‘If you say so,’ I mumbled, earning another quizzical glance until Charlie saved me from an interrogation.

      ‘Can I show Zac my bedroom, Aunty Alice?’

      Zac made a tiny sound; a sort of gasp in reverse. He wasn’t the first person to wonder about my relationship to Charlie and he sure as hell wouldn’t be the last so I pretended not to notice. In a backhanded way, I found it extremely flattering. If I ever had a child then I’d want him—or her—to be just like Charlie.

      ‘It’s fine with me, Charlie, but it’s up to Zac really.’

      ‘I’d love to see your room, Charlie, but I seem to recall you saying you were hungry so why don’t you show me after you’ve had some lunch?’

       Impressive.

      ‘Yay,’ came Charlie’s standard answer to anything that involved getting his own way. ‘Can you sit next to me, Zac?’

      ‘Um…’ Zac’s gaze darted to meet mine. ‘I don’t—’

      ‘There’s plenty of food,’ I said, butting in before he could decline. ‘You’re more than welcome to join us.’ He still didn’t look convinced so I went for the clincher. ‘Think of it as our way of saying “thank you”.’

      ‘Pleeeaaaase,’ Charlie whined.

      ‘OK. Thanks.’ He hit the release for both his seatbelt and mine and then removed the keys from the ignition. ‘Shall we?’

      A frisson of excitement made my heart beat out a faster rhythm. I’d never invited anybody to the house before; no friends, none of the girls from my old boarding school, and most definitely no boys. ‘Let’s go.’

      We all piled out of the car at once, with Charlie jumping out from the driver’s side to save me having to fight with the lever to collapse the front seat. Zac walked around to the boot to retrieve my rucksack and the picnic blanket before trailing Charlie and me to the front door. Keys still in hand, Zac used the only available option since I only kept one door key on my keyring then pushed the door open.

      ‘After you,’ he said, extending his free arm.

      ‘Why, thank you.’ I led Charlie into the playroom then, with Zac’s help, we got Charlie settled on the picnic blanket with a plate full of food in front of Cars 2.

      ‘So?’ Zac said, turning away from the TV to face me.

      ‘My turn now, huh?’ I said, too scared to turn my hands over to see if they looked any better. Judging from how much they hurt, I suspected worse.

      ‘Yep. Do you have tweezers?’

      I nodded. ‘They’re in my room. Do you want to come up—er…’ My stomach plummeted to my toes. Oh, puh-lease. I sounded no better than a stranger inviting someone to see their puppies. ‘Give me a sec and I’ll pop up and get them.’

      ‘Why? Is your room a pigsty?’

      ‘No.’ I shot him a glare but then noticed the crinkle around his eyes.

      ‘Then what’s the problem?’

      ‘I just thought that after…’ Stop talking, Alice. My mouth finally caught up with my brain. After the debacle in the park, I’d been given another chance. ‘Never mind. The tweezers are in my bathroom.’

      ‘Even better. I’ll need running water too.’ He hauled my bag back onto his shoulder and quirked his eyebrow at me. ‘Lead the way.’

      ‘There’s a better first aid kit in the utility, and antiseptic—’

      ‘No antiseptic. It might damage the tissue.’

      ‘Really?’

      ‘It can slow down healing too.’

      ‘Oh.’

      ‘You might want some painkillers though.’

      ‘Again…bedroom cabinet.’

      ‘Then what are we waiting for? You point out where everything is, and I’ll do the donkey work.’

       Yep, he’s definitely too good to be true.

      ‘This way,’ I said, not stupid enough to look a gift-horse in the mouth, not even a donkey version. I got as far as the doorway before I stopped and turned back. ‘Charlie, we’ll just be in my bedroom cleaning my poorly hands if you need anything.’