She dropped the apple onto her plate and stood up.

‘Can I go now?’

‘Can’t we just talk for a bit more?’

She walked out without another word.

‘Lucy?’

But she was gone. I followed for a few paces, then watched through the window as she went back down to the garden.

Chapter 41

41

Lucy

Lucy marched over to the shaded stone bench at the far corner of the garden and sat down heavily, the heat of anger burning her cheeks. She liked this bench: it was away from the house but still just about in range of the Wi-Fi. She unlocked her phone and began scrolling furiously through her Instagram feed.

It was so unfair. All she wanted was a bit of wine to take her mind off things, to take the edge off her feelings, but no, it always had to be some big drama with her mum, some load of crap about the legal drinking age and doing what she was told. Her bloody mum was always the same: this is the law, this is the way it is. She claimed to be all supportive when Lucy got upset about stuff, but wouldn’t let her have a tiny bit of wine to help her relax. Then it had turned extra-weird with a lecture about Alistair, about how she should keep her distance from him. And she hadn’t even really said why. It was infuriating, being treated like a little kid all the time.

She jumped as Jake sat down next to her on the bench and held out two Solero ice creams.

‘Orange or strawberry?’ he said.

She took the strawberry lolly from him with a sigh. ‘Thanks, Jake.’

‘No worries.’

‘Where’s your brother, your little shadow?’

‘Dunno. Shaken him off, I guess.’

Lucy unwrapped her ice cream and took a bite, the chill delicious on her tongue. ‘God, she’s such a bloody hypocrite.’

‘Who?’

‘My mum.’

‘What’s up?’

She looked out across the pristine garden with its infinity pool and palm trees and brightly coloured flowers.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

‘Sounds like it does.’

‘Oh, let’s talk about something else.’

Jake bit into his ice cream. ‘Have you heard anything? From back home?’

‘About what?’

He stole a sideways glance at her. ‘You know.’

She held up her phone. ‘Only what’s been posted.’

‘You haven’t heard anything else? Like from family or something?’

‘Why should I have?’

‘Just thought that because you were . . .’

‘Because I was what?’

He shrugged, feeling the blush rising in his cheeks. ‘Dunno,’ he said quietly, staring at the ground. ‘I was going to ask you the other day, but Ethan was there and he’s always talking shit about everybody, so I didn’t want to do it in front of him. Wanted to check that you were all right, that’s all.’

‘All right?’ She snorted. ‘No, not really.’

The silence stretched out between them until Lucy raised a hand in apology.