Cock & Bull - Laura Barnard Page 0,68

busy. So busy it has me wondering if Clooney went ahead and reported his dad himself. He wouldn’t do that, right?

Clooney not talking to me has put me completely on edge. I’ve caught myself chewing my nails a few times. I haven’t done that in years. I still can’t believe I went from forgiving him, to kissing him and then upsetting him, all in about three minutes.

But the more I think about it, its him I should be mad at. He can’t go around kissing me and then telling me I’m none of his business. The two are kind of inclusive of each other.

‘Talk about going zero to ninety miles an hour,’ Ella complains next to me, us both pumping out different bitters, most of it spilling into the overflow tray. I’ll never get used to its consistency. It has a life of its own.

‘Why are you being so weird?’ Ella asks, looking curiously over at me as she serves the man his bitter.

‘I’m not,’ I shrug. Maybe I shouldn’t have had that third coffee.

‘Please.’ She gives the man his change. ‘You’re all jumpy. Have you fallen out with Clooney again? He’s been acting sulky all day too.’

As I hand over the bitter and take payment, I quickly check he’s not within ear shot. ‘Okay, I kind of said the wrong thing last night and upset him.’

‘Ooh, really.’ Her eyes light up. She’s always loved a bit of gossip. I suppose without the internet there’s not much else to do around here.

I sigh, needing to tell someone. Lighten the load of the burden and all that.

‘Yeah, I asked him if he was a gambler.’

She huffs out a shocked breath. ‘Well, yeah, that’ll piss anyone off.’

‘And…’ I cringe, ashamed of myself. ‘I’d looked on his phone to find a gambling app open.’

She shakes her head. ‘Jesus, Pheebs. You’d go mental if someone went through your phone.’

I nod with a grimace. ‘I know, I know. But look at the evidence. A gambling app open on his phone, him putting on a bet on a horse, he was playing poker with his mates. I mean, that’s all proof. And he reacted so badly, there has to be something there.’

She gives me a pointed stare. ‘Or you’re just reading too much into things.’

The other niggling thought is one I’m really ashamed to admit out loud.

‘And something his dad said just keeps circling round in my head. He said he can put on the charm, but he’s nothing but a bad-un. That scares me.’

She sighs and looks at me sympathetically. ‘He’s probably just trying to stir up more trouble. Either way, you need to apologise.’

I hate how she’s always on his side. The nagging idea that her and Clooney would probably be better suited hangs over me. He doesn’t need a control freak like me poking into his business.

I tried to apologise this morning at breakfast, hoping that his mood would have disappeared like the snow, but he just glared at me and walked off.

‘I have, but he won’t listen.’ I hate bad blood with anyone, but with Clooney, I feel sick to my stomach.

‘I don’t blame him.’ I hate even more that she’s right and not automatically on my side. Surely that’s what sisters are for? She rests her hand on my shoulder. ‘Just give him time.’

She’s so laid back. She wouldn’t be pressuring him to tell her everything about his past. She’d make the perfect girlfriend.

‘Yeah.. Easy to say when we work and live together.’

‘I heard he’s had his licence suspended,’ I overhear one man say and it catches my attention.

Damn that man Clooney. Has he reported his dad to spite me for upsetting him last night?

I didn’t bother telling Ella mine and Clooney’s plan to report Fergus. Didn’t want her to be an accomplice in case it ever came back to bite us in the arse. Ever the older sister. I’d confront Clooney if he wasn’t being such an arse. I’ll avoid it until I absolutely have to.

We’re busy all the way up to closing time. The time, which normally drags, the graveyard hour, flies by.

‘I can’t believe that was just a Monday night,’ I say with a heavy sigh, massaging my tight neck. ‘I’m shattered.’

‘Ella,’ Clooney says as he dries a glass. ‘Why don’t you go up to bed and I’ll help Phoebe lock up?’

She shrugs, looking to me. ‘Okay.’ She gives me a quick wink before escaping.

Why is he trying to get me on my own? Is he going to