Almost back at the cottage now, her hair was plastered to her head and her top was drenched and practically transparent, but she felt as if she was glowing, radiant with happiness. Her lips still tingled where Fraser had kissed her, she felt swoony and liquid and weak. Oh my God. She had kissed a boy. She liked this boy! And he was going to pick her up later on – he could drive! – and they were going out together and she was almost certainly going to kiss him again and . . .

Just as she was approaching the driveway to the cottage, a car beeped and flashed its lights at her as it overtook, snapping her out of her dreamy thoughts. Was that George’s car? Her mum’s face whizzed past, pale and anxious, and Izzie stared after it with a frown, remembering the missed call. She had been so caught up in Fraser and the headiness of their encounter that the rest of the family had seemed remote the whole time. What had her mum been calling about? she wondered now.

Cycling quickly back to the house, she got off her bike and fumbled for the key in her pocket just as Mum, Jack, George and Seren walked round from the car park, hurrying through the rain. ‘Hi,’ she said, opening the front door and lifting her bike in. ‘How was the boat trip?’

There was this weird sort of – well, it was like an angry silence, if that was even possible, Izzie thought in alarm, staring at them all as they followed her inside. ‘Mum?’ she prompted. What was going on? ‘Are you okay?’

‘You’re soaked through,’ her mum said, sounding simultaneously irritable and as if she was going to cry. ‘Go and get those wet things off. I’ll be up in a minute.’

‘Okay,’ Izzie said, puzzled. Jack pulled a face at her as he stomped through to the kitchen, while George didn’t even meet her eye. Unsure what to think of all this, she went upstairs and began towelling her hair. Then she remembered the missed calls and message from Ruby and pulled out her phone.

Another text had arrived since the RING ME! RED ALERT! one, and her eyes widened as she read the words. Major major shit, Ruby’s new message declared. Mum got hold of my phone – long story – and read our group chat. Am grounded for fortnight. She is currently ringing everyone’s mums and telling them what we’ve been up to. She was shocked about you and older man. SORRY. Apparently she rang your dad too. SORRY SORRY SORRY.

All the breath seemed to have left Izzie’s lungs. All the blood had drained from her head. ‘Shit,’ she breathed as panic took hold of her. ‘Shit shit SHIT.’ Seriously? she typed, fingers clammy. You’re not winding me up??