This was the closest they’d been to each other in weeks, the past month the longest they’d gone without speaking for – years. Everything about him was familiar, and safe – even if she was pissed off with him – and now, he couldn’t stand for her to touch him.

One of the men paused as his mates stowed their gear, watching them.

‘This is important, Ty. Please.’

‘Of course it’s important, because it’s Elder bloody House, isn’t it?’ He shook his head. ‘It wasn’t me, I wasn’t there. And if you don’t believe me’ – his expression was a mixture of triumph and pity – ‘you can ask Beth.’

Beth Harland.

It was like being punched.

‘I was round at hers on Friday night.’

Kym was absolutely not going to cry in front of him.

‘We were revising. Maths. You know.’

‘Yeah, I don’t need the details, thanks.’ She shouldn’t have been surprised, Beth had always had a bit of thing for Ty. A little revision, a lot of sympathy; it didn’t take much imagination to see how that would play out. But even so, she had thought they were friends.

‘It’s not like I didn’t ring. Loads of times.’

The dopey cow.

‘Fucksake, Kym. You dumped me. You were the one who wanted to—’

‘Tyler! Got to go, mate.’ There was a flurry of activity on the boat as the engine started up.

‘Yeah well,’ she looked away. ‘Tell Beth from me that diet’s really working.’

‘Tyler!’

‘What if I’ve changed my mind?’ Kym asked.

‘What about?’ Tyler edged her further away from the gang-plank and the boat.

‘Us. You.’

‘Have you?’

And he’d take her back, she knew it, it was written all over his face, no matter what Beth Harland might say or do. It was as if they hadn’t split at all. ‘I don’t know. Maybe. If I can just – work out this stuff with the house.’

And Tyler sighed. ‘I shouldn’t have told you, should I?’ he said. ‘I should never have put this stupid bloody idea in your head.’ He looked back towards the boat as it shuddered into life, its engines churning the dull grey water.

‘Tyler! Last chance!’ Ty’s uncle was on deck.

‘I’ll ring you then, if you like?’ She’d missed him, and now to see him again, so close, so like his old self; they could work everything else out. And he was tempted, she could see that.

‘Don’t bother,’ Tyler said, backing away. ‘It’s not good for you, this – it’s not healthy.’

‘Tyler.’

‘It’s not worth it.’ Then he turned and ran towards the boat. He climbed onto the deck and moved swiftly to the bow, and helped cast off.