Naomi had come with him. She had seemed to find it odd that he’d withdrawn from the rest of the group, but in the end, had taken his hand and begun chattering away to him happily. She had grown quieter by the swimming pool. That was when he had pulled her toward him and kissed her. Her lips were warm and soft, and her small, smooth hands had disappeared under his hoodie to caress his back. In any other situation, he would have taken her straight back to his car and driven to a quiet spot out in the country. He hadn’t done that, and now that the party was drawing to a close, he regretted it.

The garage was full of overgrown toddlers who thought they were something special, showing off to rap tracks by posers like Drake. It was unbearable. Of the few girls present, the only good-looking ones were Naomi, Sara, and Jackie—with a swarm of losers inevitably circling around them the whole evening.

Ralf tried to keep a level head. He had kept himself slightly apart, drinking only two vodka Red Bulls and grazing on half a bowl of chicken nuggets.

A little before eleven, Werner Möhring had stuck his head around the corner of the garage, brought Sara’s little sister indoors, and exchanged a few words with his son. That was nearly two hours ago now. Ralf would have liked to go inside to strike up a conversation with the man, but he would have been the only one to do so. The bathroom was accessible from the garage, and the fryer was outside under the canopy, as was the fridge full of snacks and drinks. Nobody needed to go inside the house.

18

18

“Why can’t I stay at the party?”

“Because it’s really late.”

“What about Thom?”

“Thom is turning sixteen.” Helen laid the duvet over Emma and tucked her in. “It’ll be your turn soon enough.” She yawned. It was one in the morning, and Emma had already gotten out of bed twice.

“I can’t sleep because of the music.”

“Don’t you like it?”

She shook her head. Her skin gleamed under the soft glow of the bedside lamp.

“Me neither, but there’s not much we can do about it. It’s really late, honey. I was asleep when you came in.”

“Where’s Dad?”

“Downstairs. He’s waiting until everyone goes home, and then he’ll come up. Just like Thom.”

“Is he going to sleep in the guest room again?”

Helen clenched her jaw. “What makes you say that?”

Emma looked past her at the ceiling. “Kim’s father sleeps on the sofa sometimes too. Whenever he argues with Kim’s mother.” She sought Helen’s eyes. “I never hear you two arguing.”

“That’s because we don’t argue.”

“Really?”

“No, darling. Your father and I love each other very much.”