Something about the ease with which Mia said Phoebe’s name, something about the way Phoebe turned to Mia and fired a look of panic, sent a cold trickle of sweat down Jess’s spine. “How do you know what Phoebe thinks?”

It was the most fleeting of glances: had Jess blinked she might have missed it. A transitory look of caution that passed between Mia and Phoebe: a silent note of warning, like a tell in a badly played game of poker.

“I asked you a question, Mia. How do you know what Phoebe thinks?”

Guilt flared in Mia’s eyes and it was all the confirmation Jess needed.

“Don’t be too hard on her, Jess. What did you expect? They’re seventeen-year-old girls, with social media at their disposal. Did you really imagine they wouldn’t be able to find each other?”

Her mum’s voice was soft, imploring, but all Jess heard was complicity.

“Are you saying you knew? Are you telling me you knew they were in contact and you didn’t see fit to tell me?”

“I only found out earlier today.”

Words began to erupt from Jess’s mouth and she couldn’t have stopped them even if she’d wanted to. “I don’t care, Mum. You should have told me. You know how I feel about this. I couldn’t have made it any clearer. Mia, get your bag, we’ll talk about this at home. Mum, let me know when you’re ready to leave tomorrow and I’ll come and pick you up.”

“Darling, please . . .”

Ignoring her mum, ignoring Lily and Phoebe, Jess grabbed hold of Mia’s hand, gripped it tightly, and walked out of the cubicle without looking back.

Chapter 33

Audrey

Nobody spoke. Outside the cubicle, pagers bleeped, phones rang, a child cried, a doctor called for help.

Audrey looked at the open curtain, hoping that if she stared at it long enough, Jess and Mia might reappear, like magician’s assistants in a stage trick.

“Mum, are you OK?”

Audrey nodded, her chest hollow as if someone had opened the cage of her ribs and scooped everything out. The mattress creaked as Lily sat down on the bed, her fingers tracing the veins on the back of Audrey’s hand.

“Mum, whatever you want to do, it’s your decision. But please, help me understand. Why won’t you accept treatment, even now?”

Audrey glanced at Lily, then up at Phoebe standing behind her. Because I don’t deserve it, she wanted to say. Because I know it won’t work. Because I feel as though I’ve been waiting almost three decades for something like this to happen and now that it has, I don’t have the strength to fight it.

Audrey reached for the water beside her bed and sipped it, but her mouth still felt dry. “Can we talk about this tomorrow? I know it’s a shock and I’m genuinely very sorry I didn’t tell you before. I’d never upset any of you intentionally, you know that. I honestly thought it was for the best. But I’m exhausted now and I’m not sure I have the words in me to explain.”