‘What would I be upset about?’ she said as she stared at him. He seemed to be full of regret. Up until now he had given her a wide berth, but she thought he knew he had made her feel bad. Maybe that was his intention all along. For the first time he shifted his gaze first, as though he could no longer stand her disapproval.

‘You know, you’re only sixteen. That’s a problem.’

‘You think a lot of yourself, don’t you?’

‘You think I don’t notice the way you look at me? I’m flattered but it’s never going to happen. You’re just a kid.’

‘Felicity’s the same age as me.’

‘That’s different. You wouldn’t understand.’

‘You know if I told my parents what you did tonight, they would throw you out. You aren’t the person they think you are.’

‘Are you the person they think you are?’ The way he said it sounded like an insult, as though he had seen some darkness inside her that she wasn’t aware of yet.

‘Can you get out of the house now? I want to lock the door.’

Jasmine hated him for tonight but still felt this strange connection to him. He talked to her like she was the only person in the world. She saw a different side to him now, different to the way he behaved with Felicity earlier, more honest. Jasmine’s expression was stone cold and he decided against challenging her and turned to leave the kitchen. This time she looked at the tattoo on his back closely. It was a dagger with some kind of inscription on it, though she couldn’t quite read it.

He turned back to her and grabbed her wrist. ‘We’ve all got different sides to us, we’ve all got secrets, Jasmine. You think your parents don’t have secrets from you? You’re wrong. Do you even know where they are this weekend? Do you know what they are doing?’ he hissed.

‘You’re hurting me!’ She pulled at her wrist and he let go.

He snatched his T-shirt off the lawn and walked back into the guest house. She locked the house. She considered telling her parents what he had done tonight, knowing they would get rid of him. She wouldn’t do that though, not yet. There were still so many questions and she needed the answers. Maybe he would open up to her or maybe he would make a mistake. She couldn’t have him just go and never get the answers.