When I opened the bathroom door, I was surprised to see Jamie was still standing there. He was calmer although looked a bit shaken. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

The embarrassment kicked in, and I didn’t want Jamie to know it. ‘Yeah, I’m fine.’

‘You don’t look fine to me. Trent’s a real scumbag, Phoebe. That’s not the first time he’s done something like that. It’s why I was keeping an eye out.’

‘Let’s just go and have a drink,’ I told Jamie, not wanting to talk about what had happened, hoping more alcohol would work like a giant delete button.

We walked through the back room where the fellas were playing pool. Trent was standing in the corner, talking to one of his mate’s girlfriends with a smile on his dial like nothing had occurred at all.

Jamie poured me another drink as I sat back by the fire. I took a gulp of the wine and tried to find my way back into Caroline and Ashley’s conversation for more distraction.

When Caroline saw my face she asked, ‘What happened?’

‘What?’ I said.

She gave me an are you okay? look before continuing speaking with Ashley about some new sneakers she wanted to buy. I was glad that she didn’t give me an I told you so look.

Jamie said, ‘I can’t wait for the music performance night. How about you?’

I couldn’t think of anything worse, apart from maybe Trent McLean. ‘I want to drink,’ I told him, hoping I could get back into that warm and fuzzy state again.

And then I saw Matilda walk into the backyard. She gave Caroline and Ashley a big hug. I couldn’t cope with having to interact with her so I kept drinking and the confusion, embarrassment and anger about Trent started circling around my brain. The sky started spinning and, while I could, I stood and made my way over to lean against one of the grapevine posts.

And then Jamie was holding my hair back and holding me up as I projectile vomited. It wouldn’t stop and I thought I was going to die.

‘It’s okay,’ Jamie said, ‘it will end.’ He wiped my mouth with the sleeve of his jumper.

When I finished throwing up, he said, ‘Stay here. I’m going to get you some water.’

I sat on the ground and put my head beneath my legs, wanting to sleep.

‘Phoebe, Phoebe,’ I heard someone saying. I looked up and even though I was completely out of it, I was with it enough to know that it was Caroline’s mum Theresa, and I panicked that she’d tell Dad.

And then I could barely make out that Jamie was handing me a bottle of water as the world spun.