Instinctively, I swivel to look at her, responding to my name. Pippa turns to glare at Natalie, opening her mouth to interrupt her, but she’s too late.

‘I’m sorry,’ she mumbles. ‘I— that’s just what they called you at the airport, it’s been bothering me this whole time. You’re Andi.’ She starts to babble, more than I’ve ever heard her talk before.

My big sister is still echoing through my brain. I’m having trouble concentrating on what Natalie is saying. I’m not even sure if I care anymore.

‘I kept wanting to ask you about it but . . .’ Natalie’s saying, ‘I wanted to make sure I had your name right because I was hoping . . .’ I tune her out again. The dock is closer now. All I care about is getting to Millie as fast as I can.

But Hugh’s voice breaks through my daze. ‘Wait . . . Is that true?’ he asks from beside me, his voice low. ‘I thought your mom was . . . so, you’re not Millie, you’re the . . . the other one?’ Realisation dawns on his face slowly. ‘If you’re Andi . . .’ He trails off.

I think about lying again, saying I switched names with my sister when we were little and I go by Millie, but even to my exhausted brain that story sounds flimsy, so instead I just nod. This is too much to process, all at once. I hear Aaron softly communicating with a cab driver, describing who he needs to wait for at the edge of the pier. Brown curly hair, average build.

‘You’re not Millie.’ Hugh’s voice is hard.

I nod again. ‘No.’ For a moment I wish I could just step into the ocean and let the waves pull me under. I don’t feel strong enough to face this conversation. I don’t feel strong enough to face whatever is waiting for me at home.

‘So, you’re not a marine biologist?’

I shake my head again.

‘But you knew everything.’ It comes out as a question and a statement.

‘I studied it in college.’

‘But you’re good.’

‘Thank you,’ I whisper.

Hugh’s face crumples as the information continues to sink in. His eyes are dark and stormy, his mouth settles into a grim line. He’s created distance between us, scooting further from me on the bench, and our legs are no longer touching.

I open my mouth, but no words come out.

After a moment, Hugh lets out a sharp bark of a laugh. ‘And you were angry with me because I didn’t tell you about my paper,’ he says, in a tone dripping with disdain.

For the second time in two minutes, my heart completely shatters.

Chapter 27

True to his word, Aaron tells me a cab is idling at the end of the pier when we pull in.