She didn’t have to tell Victoria why. She could see that her best friend understood how important that was, after her father, after Alistair, after Blake. All the important men in her life who had gone – two through no fault of their own, and one just because … But how it happened didn’t really matter. That it had happened did. And Henry Hawkesbury, hell-bent on getting out of the cove, was the worst person she could ever fall for.

‘Lils, did you not ever think about leaving Hawke’s Cove?’

‘What? No. London was bad enough.’

‘But London isn’t the only other place in the world.’

Discomfort swirled in Lily’s stomach, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. Since returning from London Lily had really not liked the idea of leaving Hawke’s Cove. She felt safe here. ‘V, Hawke’s Cove is my home. I love it here. The Sea Rose, the Hawkesbury estate. Mum’s just up the road now. And Malie’s coming back … It’s everything I’ve always wanted.’

‘But it won’t have Henry,’ Victoria said gently.

‘Who – despite popular belief – is not,’ Lily asserted, rousing herself, ‘the centre of the universe. But V, he has been so amazing with the wedding. He’s helping out so much, I don’t know what I would have done without him.’

‘Oh, Lils. You know I would have been happy with a wedding planner,’ she replied, frowning, and Lily hated the fact she’d just made her best friend feel guilty.

‘I wouldn’t have let you do that. And besides, it’s been fun.’

‘Really? Because … because I was a bit worried, you know. Given Alistair and your—’

‘No. Don’t do that, V.’ Lily sighed, deep and hard. ‘I’m not going to lie … It might have been a bit hard at the beginning, but my … That was something altogether completely different. And Henry’s been helping out so much. And it’s your wedding, V. Yours. And it’s going to be amazing. So get that bridesmaid’s dress out of the bag and let me see it.’

Instead of reaching for the bag, Victoria walked over to Lily, dragged her, laughing, off the bed, and took her in a warm hug. It was just what Lily needed. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered into the embrace.

‘Anytime, Lils. Anytime you need it ever.’

Over Lily’s shoulder, Victoria must have seen the picture on the side table as she pulled away and went to it, picking up the photograph of them taken just hours before the accident. She held it in her hands and Lily knew what she was seeing. Each and every one of them – Victoria, Malie, Zoe, herself-beaming at the camera like they had everything they’d ever wanted.

‘We look so young,’ Victoria half laughed.

‘We were so young,’ Lily grumbled.

‘We had no idea, did we?’ Victoria said sadly.