He explained later – in a letter he was permitted to send Jasmine as part of her therapy – that he had thought she was flirting with him, that it was his mistake and she wasn’t to blame for what he’d done. He’d apologised for any distress caused and said he hoped that she would get over it in time. Jasmine had felt betrayed – that he could think she was into him made the relationship she thought they had fake. He never really thought she had potential; his encouragement and support were a lie, a way to get to Jasmine. The most distressing part of that whole experience was what came after, though. Interviews and questions, counselling and sad puppy dog looks from everyone who treated Jasmine like some kind of victim. By the end of it she thought there was something wrong with her because she wasn’t completely traumatised by the incident. A part of her wondered if she had done something to lead him on but if she had, it was unintentional. Jasmine did feel bad that he had lost his job, but she knew it wasn’t her fault.

At the time, the incident had brought Jasmine closer to her parents, but since then they had babied her and been a little dismissive – anytime she was upset about something it was because of what happened with James Morrell. But were they right? Was Jasmine’s unease around their new lodger just a reaction to what had happened last year? Jasmine didn’t know if she could trust her own instincts, because she really hadn’t seen it coming when Morrell kissed her.

And yet, she found herself aware of Tim in a way she’d never been aware of her teacher and that scared her. Was her mind playing tricks on her or was he really a threat? She had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before she found out.

Chapter Eleven

Only two exams left before Jasmine finished school for the year. She hadn’t yet decided whether to go to the sixth form college instead of staying at her school – technically she had been accepted into both – as it all depended on Felicity. They had come to rely on each other since becoming friends, and moving to a new school without her didn’t feel like something Jasmine would ever want to do. They had agreed they both felt a bit limited in Sidmouth and it would be nice to get a bus into the city just for a change of scenery, a chance to meet different people instead of being stuck with the same people since primary school. The town was so small, dwarfed by the English Channel that ran alongside it and the Jurassic coastline that enveloped them.