All around Jenna, people are talking softly, reassuring and encouraging each other, stressing how important it is to succeed. There’s no fence keeping them in and no lock on the door but the sweat lodge has become a prison with the guests acting as guards. It’s palpable, the pressure to see it out until the end. Jenna closes her stinging eyes and trawls through her memories, looking for something, anything, that will help lift her out of the hell hole she’s found herself in. She thinks about the sea on the first night, and that first, sharp, intake of breath. She thinks about the pool and the way the water rose up to meet her as she dived down to the bottom. She thinks about Tom and how she ached for his kiss.

‘Keep away from my husband.’ Kate’s words are hot in her ear, making her jump.

‘What?’ Jenna turns towards her, searching the darkness for the face she knows she can’t see.

Kate grips her forearm and leans in again. ‘I’m his wife. He missed that little detail out when he was fucking you, didn’t he?’

Jenna smothers a gasp with her hand.

‘Tom’s a liar,’ Kate hisses, ‘and a cheat.’

‘I … I didn’t …’ Jenna stutters. Her mind’s whirring, picking through what Kate has just said. How does she know she slept with Tom? ‘I didn’t know.’

Somewhere, on the other side of the tent, separated from her by a pile of red-hot steaming rocks, is Tom. But Jenna can’t see him. She can’t meet his eye, can’t gesture that she needs his help.

‘We keep our marriage quiet,’ Kate continues, ‘because of women like you. Sad, lonely, desperate women who latch onto him like limpets.’

Jenna tries to pull away. Her arm is slick with sweat but Kate’s grip is pincer strong and the more she pulls the tighter it gets.

‘You’re not running away with him.’ Kate laughs softly as Jenna stiffens. ‘Yes, I know about that. Surprised, are you? Tom tells me everything. How else would I know you’d had sex?’

‘Please.’ Jenna wriggles and squirms, her voice rising as she tries to escape. ‘I want to go. I can’t breathe.’

‘Everything okay, Jenna?’ Tom calls from the other side of the tent.

‘She’s fine.’ Kate’s nails dig into Jenna’s skin. ‘Just a bit panicky. Why don’t you do some square breathing exercises with everyone, Tom?’

There’s a chorus of ‘yes!’ and ‘please!’ and several seconds later Tom’s voice fills the small space. ‘Everyone exhale, then gently inhale through your nose to a slow count of four. Hold now for a count of one … two … three … four. Now gently exhale through your mouth for one … two …’

As he continues to instruct the group Jenna feels Kate’s hot breath in her ear again.