Two-Faced Read Online Free Page B

come on. I haven’t got all night, you know.’
    ‘It isn’t really necessary,’ Michelle said, already walking towards him.
    ‘It’s no bother,’ Liam assured her, stuffing his hands into his pockets as she fell into step beside him. ‘I’m going your way anyhow.’
    ‘How do you know which way I’m going?’ Blushing as soon as the words were out of her mouth, because it had sounded flirtatious and she hadn’t intended it to, Michelle tried quickly to correct herself. ‘Well, obviously you know I’m going this way, because this is the way I was walking when you bumped into me. I just meant . . .’
    Amused when she trailed off, Liam glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He already liked her voice, which was less aggressive than that of most of the girls he’d met since moving to Manchester. And now that he could see her more clearly as they neared the lit main road, he thought she was really pretty, too. Her fair hair contrasted sharply with the darkness of her eyes, and she had a small, cute nose, and lips that curved up ever so slightly at the corners, as if she were smiling a secret little smile. He couldn’t make out much of her shape beneath the bulky cardigan, but her legs looked long and slim in her jeans, so he guessed she probably had a half-decent figure.
    Unaware of his appraisal, Michelle walked on in silence. Relieved when they reached the road, she thanked him, and told him she’d be fine on her own from there.
    ‘Take care, then,’ he said. ‘And don’t let me catch you walking through there on your own in the dark again.’
    Michelle pursed her lips when he followed this with a slow, teasing smile. ‘Don’t worry, you won’t,’ she muttered.
    Darting across the Parkway now, she felt like a child as he followed her with his eyes. Because that was obviously what he thought she was: a silly little girl who didn’t realise how dangerous a world this was. And it didn’t help that he’d been so good-looking.
    Not that that made any difference, because he obviously wasn’t interested in her. Although she had no doubt that it would have been a different story if it had been Mia he’d run into. He’d probably have insisted on walking her the rest of the way home.
    As she turned the corner Michelle’s heart sank when she spotted Eric heading up the path. Her mum had said that he wouldn’t be back till ten, and she’d prepared herself for a cold couple of hours on the doorstep. But he was here now, so she supposed she might as well go in. It was either that or go and sit in the park until Mia got home – and there was no way she was doing that after what had just happened.
    Eric was just slotting his key into the lock. Hearing the gate squeak behind him, he snapped his head round, afraid that he was about to get jumped. ‘Jeezus, Shell, you scared the shit out of me,’ he gasped when he saw her. ‘Where’s Mee?’
    Irritated by his use of the shortened versions of their names that only their mum ever used, Michelle told him that Mia had gone to Laura’s and would be back soon.
    When Eric opened the door, she rushed in and ran straight up to her room. Leaving the light off, she slipped her trainers and cardigan off and climbed up onto her bunk, pulling the quilt over herself and propping her chin on her arm to watch for Mia out of the window.
    It was gone twelve when Mia and Laura left Stu’s house. As she gave Darren a kiss on the doorstep, Mia gazed up at him coyly. ‘Promise you’ll be there tomorrow?’
    Smiling slyly, he slid his hand up under her top. ‘I’ve said I will, so I will.’
    ‘And you’re definitely going to tell Sandra as soon as she gets home?’
    ‘Definitely. Now go .’
    ‘Okay, I can take a hint,’ Mia snorted when he stopped groping her tit and gave her a little push. ‘But you’d best not let me down. And don’t forget to set up that meeting for me.’
    ‘I’ll get right onto it,’ Darren lied, jerking his head at Stu.
    When the