The thought of sitting next to him in the car excited her, like she was doing something she shouldn’t. She felt like she was at the beginning of one of her daydreams as this was how they started, a situation that she hadn’t engineered where they got to be alone together in a confined space.

‘Thank you.’

‘Let’s go.’

She followed behind and watched him. He checked up and down the street before getting in his car. She wondered what he was looking for. As he changed gears, she noticed he was wearing a handwoven friendship bracelet. Jasmine thought that was the kind of gift you would be given by a girl, so her mind went into overdrive. Did he have a girlfriend? She had never even seen him speaking on the phone, but who knew what he did when he was alone in his room. Or the bracelet could be from a sister. Before she could ask about it, they were at the school. Felicity was standing at the gate and her eyes widened as she saw Jasmine get out of Tim’s car. Tim got out too, and leaned against the door jamb.

‘Who’s your friend?’ Tim asked, his crocodile smile in full effect.

‘I’m Flick,’ Felicity said. ‘Are you Jazz’s lodger?’

‘Something like that.’

Jasmine couldn’t help but feel tense at this interaction; Felicity always did know how to wrap males around her finger and Tim was someone Jasmine wanted to keep just for herself. Something sank inside her as they looked at each other; there was an instant ember there. At home, she hadn’t really been able to tell what she felt about Tim – she was torn between being grateful that he had intervened with Mr Morrell and being suspicious of his stranger behaviours. Seeing the way he was sparking with Felicity invoked a new feeling entirely. She was jealous.

‘I’ll see you later,’ Jasmine said to Tim, obviously hoping he would take his leave. He did a little salute as though he understood her instruction. She looked away quickly and he got back in the car and started the engine. Felicity pretend-screamed in excitement as Jasmine approached her, and she hoped that Tim couldn’t hear. She was so embarrassed, but when she turned back to look, his car was gone. He didn’t watch Jasmine to the last possible second like she watched him.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Now