She grabbed Ellie’s hand, holding it dearly to her chest. ‘I know it’s true, and even if we have to go our separate ways after we graduate we still have one more year to be us. And to become the best versions of ourselves.’ She squeezed Ellie’s hand tightly and looked her dead in the eyes. ‘We’re unstoppable, and I don’t want you being afraid of that any more. You don’t have to push me away. We can survive with each other and apart. I know that now … but let’s face this together.’

Ellie stood totally still for a long moment, the only sound their ragged breathing mingling. Her painted lips parted once more, and again she seemed about to say something, but she swallowed whatever it was down hard and instead gifted Lottie with her little half-smile.

There was still something Ellie wasn’t telling her. She just had to hope she’d trust her soon. She needed to if they were going to rescue Jamie.

‘I knew you’d come round,’ Ellie said, and with a great sigh she leaned forward, forehead resting in the crook of Lottie’s neck, her warm breath tickling her skin. ‘I’m sorry.’

The shape of Ellie’s words against her neck felt like a kiss, and it took all Lottie’s self-control not to fall into it.

‘Yes, well, one of us had to –’ Lottie was about to make a joke, when she glanced down at where Ellie had been sitting. ‘What’s all that?’

Ellie turned to the mess and boxes. ‘Oh, I was just starting packing, you know.’ She shrugged, uncomfortable with the change in conversation. ‘I want to get to Maradova as soon as I’m able to for reading week, what with the circumstances.’

‘Right, of course. I didn’t realize we’d be going back for half term.’ Lottie felt silly for not considering such a thing in light of Leviathan having new information on them. ‘It’s going to be OK, you know?’ she added. ‘We’ll bring Jamie back.’

‘Yeah, it’s going to be OK,’ Ellie agreed, and the look on her face let Lottie know that she really believed it. ‘I’ve made sure of that.’

Lottie tilted her head to the side, not sure if she’d heard her right. ‘What do you mean?’

Ellie waved off the question, stepping back to lie on her bed, sizing Lottie up with a mischievous smirk. ‘The only thing you should be worried about is the huge smear of paint you have across your forehead.’

‘What?’ Lottie rushed over to the mirror and, sure enough, there was a massive streak of rose-pink paint that ran from her brows and across down to her ear, the same colour as her cheeks, making her look like a grinning peach. ‘Well, it finally happened. The blush has taken over my whole face.’