He laughs, and there is none of the usual rich humour about it. It sounds horrible. “Why the fuck would you panic, Zeb? We slept together. That’s it. Panic should be reserved for running away from tornados or erupting volcanos. Not sleeping with the office joke who will be forgotten as soon as he leaves.”

“Where the hell did that come from?” I say angrily as he marches towards the door, grabbing an amber-coloured jacket as he goes. “No, you wait a fucking minute. You’re not going to be forgotten like that and who the fuck ever called you the office joke? Wait, where are you going?”

I follow him into the hall and he whirls to face me. “I am going to breakfast. Alone,” he says as I open my mouth. “I don’t want to speak to you for a while, Zeb, because I’ve just realised that you’re a bit of a fucking cunt.” The door slams behind me and his mouth quirks. “And you’re going to be super busy soon anyway. You’re in the corridor naked apart from a sheet, and now you’re locked out of our room.” He shrugs. “Still, as you’re such a fucking grown-up, I’m sure you’ve got a spare key somewhere on your person. See you later.”

He gives me a casual wave of his hand and disappears down the stairs. A door opens behind me and I turn and sigh. “Oh, of course it would be you.”

“Good morning, Zeb,” Nina says icily. “Nice to see you taking your messy private life onto the hotel corridors.”

“Fuck my life,” I groan and bang my head against the locked door. It hurts and maybe it should.

Jesse

I make my way quickly downstairs and out towards the lake. I need to be outside where I can pace and try and get rid of this tight feeling in my chest. My eyes feel hot, and I rub them briskly until the moisture goes away. I knew this was going to happen. I bloody knew it. So why did I do it? I shake my head. Because I want him. I want him all the fucking time and that was my chance to have him.

I rest my back against a tree and look out over the lake. A storm is threatening and the sky is a heavy golden-grey colour, infusing everything with that strange glaze. The water reflects the sky back, making it look somehow magical like a portal into fairy land. I bite my lip. If I had the chance, I’d fuck off to fairy land straightaway. Never mind the enchanted food and drink. Just the chance not to have to face Zeb would have me signing up for wings and a wand.