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  Pia

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  JUST STAY

  by Michelle Abbott

  Copyright © 2014 Michelle Abbott

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author, except for reviewers who may quote parts of the book for review purposes.

  Cover design by Najla Quamber Designs http://najlaqamberdesigns.com/

  CHAPTER ONE

  Pia

  I hobble down the narrow street, past the pastel coloured houses, towards the seafront. I’m stiff from spending the last six hours in the car. As we pulled into this tiny, little village, I knew this was going to be the most boring family vacation, ever. I tried to get out of it. I told Mum and Dad that I wouldn’t have the time because I’d be busy preparing for university, but then Mum got all teary eyed about this being the last family vacation we’ll have together.

  My friend, Fay, promised to hook me up with Antonio. Tall, dark, and smoking hot. Yes, I want a date with this guy, and the only obstacle standing in my way of finding out if I have one, is a damn phone signal. I gaze at the moonlight reflecting off the sea; there are no waves. It’s still, calm, and quiet, just like this village. I look down at my phone, still no signal. I hold it up above my head. I crouch down on the ground with it. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

  “Stupid, stupid place. So boring even a phone signal doesn’t want to come here,” I shout.

  “You can get a signal up there.”

  Startled, my phone slips from my fingers, I manage to catch it before it hits the ground. I scramble to my feet and stare at the guy who’s standing a few feet away. He looks about my age. He’s wearing faded ripped jeans, a loose, black t-shirt, and he’s holding a plastic grocery bag.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He points with his free hand. “Up that hill, it’s the only place that you’ll get a signal.”

  I look over my shoulder in the direction that he’s pointing. There are no street lights. It’s dark. I narrow my eyes at him; he could be a rapist trying to lure me into a convenient spot. “Thank you for letting me know.” I flick through my phone contacts, and try to look casual. I’ll wait for him to leave before I walk up there to make my call. He doesn’t move. I grip my phone, my heart is thumping. I could call the police, I’m sure those calls go through without a signal.

  “Are you afraid of the dark?” He drops his grocery bag down by his feet and takes a few steps towards me. “I can come with you, if you want.”

  His gaze rakes over my body, appraising me. His eyes seem to shine, and sparkle. They’re the colour of emeralds. I wipe my sweaty hand on my jeans. “I’m not afraid.” I step backwards up the hill, ready to call the police if he makes a move towards me, but he doesn’t, he turns around and stares out to sea. As I scroll down to find Fay’s number, I’m aware of the darkness, and the sound of chirping insects, at least I think they’re insects. It sounds like there are hundreds of them, thousands even, but I can’t see a thing. I shiver. He’s right, I have a signal, but how important is this call anyway? I can always try again tomorrow. I shove my phone into my jeans pocket and run back down the hill.

  He’s there, waiting.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” The corners of his mouth tip up. “Did the crickets scare you?”

  I stare into his eyes; they’re almost luminous in the dark. “Crickets.” I frown. “Is that what was making all that noise?”

  He grins at me. “Yes. Is it an important call? You’re welcome to use my land line, I don’t live far.”

  Definitely a psycho. If I go to his home I’ll probably never be seen again. I shake my head as I back away. “No, it’s fine.” I turn and jog back towards our cottage.

  “Hey,” he calls out, “what’s your name?”

  I glance back over my shoulder, and yell, “Notya, and my surname is business.”

  “Is that you, Pia? Would you like a cup of tea?” Mum calls out from the kitchen.

  “Yes please, Mum.” I throw myself down on the sofa. Mum drinks about twenty cups of tea a day, I’m glad she likes the caffeine free variety, or she’d never sleep.

  My kid brother, Jake, is lying on the floor, his head in his hands, surrounded by leaflets and brochures. “Mum gave me first choice of room, seeing as you weren’t here,” he says, without looking up. Great. I’m probably stuck with the smallest bedroom. “There’s a seal sanctuary in Gweek, that could be fun,” Jake says.

  Mum places a tray of teas on the small coffee table. “When we’ve had our tea we can take a walk around the village,” she says.

  “Seriously?” I raise my eyebrows at her. “That will take all of five minutes.”

  “The beach is supposed to be nice,” Mum says.

  I nod my head. “It’s sandy and deserted.” Perfect for skinny dipping. I close my eyes and imagine Antonio’s naked, wet body.

  “Ooh, can we go to Bodmin Jail, Mum? It’s supposed to be haunted,” Jake says, his voice snapping me out of my daydream.

  “Oh no.” Mum shakes her head. “You know I don’t like anything to do with jails and prisons, or ghosts for that matter.”

  I examine my mug, the handle is chipped. “Then why are we staying here? This place is probably full of the living dead; I doubt there’s anyone here under seventy.” I think about the guy I met at the beach. “And those that are, are creepy.”

  Mum ignores me.

  “Oh, oh, this is so cool.” Jake jumps up and waves a yellow leaflet in Mum’s face. “They have an American theme park, with cowboys and everything. Can we go there Mum? Can we?”

  That’s the downside to having a brother who is eight years younger than me; he’s so damn enthusiastic about everything. I pick up the TV remote and start flicking through the channels. The TV is half the size of the one we have at home. What’s so great about being on vacation at a place that’s nowhere near as comfortable as our own home? I don’t get it. I put the TV back on standby and drop the remote on the table. “We’re not going to be able to watch anything decent; all we have are the crappy freeview channels.” I pick up my tea. “I’m going upstairs to unpack.”

  “Your room is on the left, next to the bathroom,” Mum says.

  I hear the sound of running water; I guess Dad must be taking a shower. Oh I definitely got shafted on the bedroom; it’s not much bigger than a closet. There’s barely enough room for the single bed and the chest of drawers. I glance out of the window at the view of the village parking lot, lit up by street lamps. Fabulous. I fold my clothes and put them in the drawers, then I flop down on the bed. The mattress is hard and uncomfortable. I close my eyes and pretend I’m back in London with my friends, and the delicious, Antonio.

  “Pi
a. Pia.”

  I peel open my eyes. I must have dozed off.

  “Pia.”

  I rub my eyes and get up off the bed. “Yes, Dad?”

  “Your mum wants to take a stroll around the village. Are you coming?”

  I groan. I may as well, there’s nothing better to do.

  “You should put a cardigan on, Mum, there’s a breeze down by the beach,” I tell her, as I pull my pink, hooded sweatshirt over my head. It creates static, and I smooth my palms over my hair to tame the frizz. Mum puts on her beige cardigan. She’s thin and always feels the cold, yet she eats enough cakes to keep a bakery in business all by herself. I only have to look at a cake and I put on a pound. Mum runs her fingers through her curls. Her hair is naturally poker straight, like mine, but it’s got thinner as she’s got older, so she has it permed. Dad pulls on his linen jacket and we head out for an evening of fun and excitement…not.

  “Oh look.” Mum points to a building a couple of doors up from our cottage. “There’s the grocery store, that’s useful if we need to stock up.”

  I walk up to it and peer through the window. “I’m not sure it’ll be that useful. It’s tiny and probably only sells the basics.”

  “That’s all we’ll need,” Dad says, “we’ll be eating out most of the time.” He pulls his cigarettes from his jacket pocket, and lights one up.

  “Will I be able to get sausage and fries?” Jake asks.

  “I’m sure you will,” Dad says, as we walk on down towards the seafront.

  I slide my phone out of my pocket, hoping the signal varies depending on the time of day. I glance at the screen, nope, still nothing. I could suggest we all go for a walk up the hill, but then they’d overhear my call and that will be embarrassing. I’m going to have to be patient, but not knowing is killing me. Sighing, I shove my phone back into my pocket.

  We’ve reached the road that runs alongside the beach. I’m half expecting the creepy guy to be here, staring at me with his green eyes, which is ridiculous, but my gaze darts to the wall anyway. There’s no one there, I let out the breath I was holding. There doesn’t seem to be anything here other than the beach and houses. The street is deserted. As we round the corner, I hear the sound of chatter, and the clink of glasses. I see a group of middle aged people occupying some tables and chairs outside a pub. A single pub. It seems that’s the only source of entertainment here because I can’t see any cafes, restaurants, clubs, or even a cinema. Dad strolls over to check out the menu, which is pasted in the pub window. He studies it for a few minutes and then gestures for us to join him.

  “They serve sausage and fries,” he says to Jake, who beams.

  Mum moves closer and squints at the menu. “What desserts do they have? I hope they serve tea.”

  I scan the menu and see they have a crab platter. I love crab, so I’ll go for that. We head inside. The pub is full of middle aged people and younger children; I can’t see anyone of my age group. I slump down in a seat. Two weeks of mind numbing boredom, can I take it?

  CHAPTER TWO

  Pia

  I wiggle my toes in the warm sand, as I look for a suitable spot to lay my towel. I have a couple of hours until we leave for the theme park, which I’m looking forward to because I should be able to get a signal on my phone once we leave the village. A little girl dashes past me, she squeals when she runs into the cold sea water. Two small boys are building an elaborate sandcastle, complete with flags. Another boy is digging a hole with his spade and tossing the sand over his shoulder. I decide to head to the far corner of the beach, near the wall, where I won’t be disturbed. Two guys are sitting on some steps near the wall, they’re both shirtless and one of them is good looking. He’s not a patch on Antonio, but it’s nice to have some eye candy.

  I wiggle out of my shorts & adjust my red & white striped bikini bottom. As I bend over to lay my towel on the sand, I hear one of the guys whistle at me. I smile but I don’t turn around. Perhaps this place isn’t so bad after all. I grab my book from my bag and lie down on my stomach. A massive seagull struts past my head; he looks like a real bruiser. I turn to the first page of my novel. The warm sun feels good on my skin and I start to relax, as I tune out the noise of seagulls, and squealing kids.

  “NOTYA.”

  I read the first sentence of my book.

  “NOTYA.”

  I frown and re-read the first sentence. Whoever that guy is, he’s making more noise than the kids.

  “NOTYA.”

  I huff. Who the heck is that? I glance up, scowling, and see it’s the creepy guy from yesterday. He’s standing at the other side of the small beach, grinning inanely at me.

  “NOTYA,” he calls out, as he heads towards me. Oh. My. God. I peek at the two guys sitting on the steps; they’re glancing from him to me, with smirks on their faces. I can feel my cheeks heating up. I bury my face in my hands. His shadow blocks out the sun as he stands over me. Sighing, I turn my head and my gaze lands on his bare feet, travels up his ripped jeans, to his white sleeveless t-shirt, and finally to his emerald green eyes, which are firmly fixed on my butt.

  “Why don’t you take a photograph, it’ll last longer.” I scowl at him.

  He grins and his green eyes twinkle at me. “Thanks precious.”

  I frown as he pulls his phone out of his jeans pocket. He aims it at my butt and snaps a photo; he smiles as he looks at the picture. “Very nice.”

  “What the hell. Delete that. NOW,” I snarl at him.

  He pushes out his bottom lip and pouts at me, then he taps at his phone and waves it at my face. “All gone,” he says, as he flops down on the sand next to me. I try to ignore him and concentrate on my book, hoping he’ll get my hint that I’m not interested. He sprawls out, propping himself up on his elbow and peers at my book. “What you reading?”

  I close my eyes and sigh. He snatches the book from my hands. “Hey.” I try to grab my book back, but he shuffles away from me and begins reading the blurb on the back cover.

  He chuckles. “Oooh, women’s porn.”

  “Give it back,” I say, in a low voice, through gritted teeth.

  He slides back over to me and drops the book on my towel. “I was only playing,” he says.

  I glare at him. Now that I see him up close, he’s really attractive. His eyes are framed by long, thick lashes, and his skin is tanned. What a shame he’s a complete asshole.

  He rubs his hand over his chocolate coloured butch cut. “So, Notya, are you here on vacation?”

  “None of your business.” I sit up and throw my book into my bag; I’m not going to be able to read it with him gawking at me. I glance at the guys on the steps. Maybe I should go chat up the good looking one, that should get rid of him.

  “Fancy him, do you?” He asks. He sits up and rests his forearms on his knees. “I know him, I could get you a date if you want…on one condition.”

  I close my eyes and draw in a breath. “I’m perfectly capable of getting my own date, thank you.” I focus on the kids, laughing and splashing each other in the water.

  He pokes me on the arm. “Don’t you want to know what the condition is?”

  I spin my head around and give him my iciest look. “Don’t touch me.”

  His eyes widen, then his face breaks into a grin. “Fiery, I like that in a woman.”

  My skin is getting hot; I root around in my bag until I find my sun lotion. I can feel his eyes on me but I’m determined to ignore him, until he gives up and goes away. He’s messing with the wrong woman, I’m well known for my stubbornness. I rub some lotion onto my arms and shoulders.

  “I can do that for you.” He reaches for the bottle of lotion in my hands but I grip it tightly, aim it at him, and squeeze. The lotion squirts onto his face, and slowly drips from his nose onto his chin. I smile at him, feeling smug. He blinks a few times, then smooths the lotion onto his face. “Thanks precious, I was starting to burn.”

  My mouth gapes open. He’s insufferable. I stand and snatch up my to
wel. I stuff it into my bag and storm up the steps off the beach. I hear footsteps behind me. “Hey, wait up,” he says. I walk faster but he has long legs and he easily keeps pace. “Hey, Notya, will you have dinner with me tonight?”

  I stop dead and he almost crashes into me. I spin around, cross my arms and glare up at him. He’s standing so close that my nose is almost pressed up against his chest. I can feel his breath on the top of my head. He smiles down at me, and I want to slap it straight off his face. “My name. Isn’t. Notya.”

  He stuffs his hands in his pockets and shrugs. “I kind of figured that.”

  I place my hands on my hips. “Then why do you keep calling me it.”

  His eyes sparkle at me. “Because I don’t know your real name.”

  “And you never will.” I turn and continue walking. He follows.

  “You didn’t answer my question. Will you have dinner with me?”

  Fine. If he wants to follow me to our cottage, I’ll let him. It’s his own time he’s wasting. I stare straight ahead but I can feel him looking at me.

  “Have dinner with me. What have you got to lose? You were screaming at your phone yesterday, saying how bored you were.”

  Doesn’t he ever shut up? “I will never be bored enough to consider having dinner with a jerk like you.” I can see our cottage, in a minute I’ll be rid of this idiot.

  “Give me a chance, you might even like me,” he says.

  I rest my finger on the doorbell and stare at him. “I’d like to say it’s been a pleasure, but it hasn’t. Goodbye.”

  He grins. “You haven’t said hello yet.”

  I press the doorbell, expecting him to leave, but he doesn’t move. Mum answers, she’s holding a dish towel. “You’re back early. I thought you were going to spend an hour on the beach.” Her gaze flicks to the jerk standing beside me and her eyes light up. “See, I told you there would be people your own age.” I try to walk inside but she’s blocking my way. She rests a hand on my shoulder. “I knew it wouldn’t take long for you to make a friend.”