‘She’s fine,’ Edie answered. ‘A boy was pulled out of the water and needed the kiss of life but it had a happy ending. He didn’t die.’

Jago ignored Edie and pulled me in for a hug. ‘Jesus,’ he breathed. ‘Fuck.’

‘I’m okay,’ I whispered.

‘Honestly, there’s nothing to get worked up about,’ said Edie. ‘I mean, he’s probably running around demanding fish and chips right now. It’s fine.’

Jago squeezed me. ‘Do you want me to take you home? I can leave this.’

‘No!’ Edie said with too much enthusiasm. ‘Don’t go, Tamsyn! Not before you’ve had a swim. Jago, you should come too. My father has spare swimming trunks if you’d like to cool off before you go home.’

I shook my head and gave him a pretend smile. I wanted to stay. I didn’t want to face the brutal world outside the fence.

He stared at me for a moment then addressed Edie. ‘She can stay and swim. I’m okay though.’ Then he returned his attention to the railings.

Edie told me to wait in the living room while she went up to put her swimming costume on and grab one for me to borrow as, in my haste to leave that morning, I’d stupidly forgotten mine.

I sat on the edge of the settee and noticed how clean it was. Mum was good at her job. Didn’t cut corners and cared about the detail, plumping up the cushions, cleaning the white leather with furniture spray which turned it slippery, polishing its chrome feet to a mirror-shine. I leant forward and breathed on the glass coffee table top, then with my finger I drew a cross like the one that marked Edie’s shoulder. Then I pressed my forearm against the underside of the table so the cross appeared to be on my skin. It faded quickly and I sat back to wait for Edie to reappear.

She came down the stairs with a towel wrapped around her. She threw a black swimming costume at me. ‘It’s my school one. Regulation, I’m afraid. I borrowed one of Eleanor’s so you can use it.’

‘Thank you,’ I said.

‘No big deal.’ She smiled then walked towards the door to the terrace. ‘You can change in the downstairs loo.’