Jenna and Tom stroll along the dirt track that leads out of the hotel and along the cliff face. The sun is striping the sky red, purple and orange, and there’s a chill in the air that makes Jenna wish she’d put a coat on over her jumper. She briefly considers putting her dressing gown on over her clothes then dismisses the thought. When she met Tom as planned, in the hotel lobby, he simply nodded and said, ‘Great, follow me.’ And so she did. He still hasn’t told her what they’re doing, or why, and she hasn’t asked.

‘I lied to Erica,’ she says. ‘About where I was going.’

Tom glances at her. ‘Why?’

She tries to unpick it. Why did she lie? Because she knew Erica would ask her questions she didn’t know the answer to? Because she didn’t want her to tag along?

‘I suppose I panicked.’

‘Do you always lie when you panic?’

Affronted, she stops walking. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘I wondered if it might be part of a pattern.’

‘A pattern of what? Compulsive lying?’ She stares at him, hurt and unsettled. ‘Forget it.’ She turns and marches back towards the hotel. As she walks she listens out for the sound of his trainers slapping against the mud and his voice calling her back. When she doesn’t hear anything she turns sharply. Tom’s not following her. He’s not even looking her way. He’s still strolling towards the cliffs, his dressing gown hanging from his arm. She wants to go back to her hotel room, crawl into her bed and pull the blankets over her head, but what would that solve? She needs to find a way to move forward, not stay in the same place.

‘Wait up!’ She runs after Tom, her trainers pounding the hard, dry mud.

She rejoins him, matching him step for step. His eyes flick towards her and he smiles.

‘Are you laughing at me?’ she asks, as they reach a rickety gate and Tom fiddles with the latch.

He opens the gate and gestures for her to pass through. ‘Why would I do that?’

‘Because I came after you.’

She feels as though he’s toying with her, testing her somehow. It feels risky, being around him, but she’s played it safe her whole life and it’s only led to frustration and regret.

‘Where are we going?’ she asks.

He gives her a long look, his eyes searching her face. ‘You need to trust me, Jenna. Can you do that?’

‘I don’t know.’

His smile widens. ‘At least you’re honest.’