Will laughs. “Bloody hell, Jane. You’re addicted to that thing. Yes, yes, I’ve got it.” He digs into the messenger bag he’s wearing across his body and hands me my mobile. “Most people would ask for a change of clothes and a good book, but no, you need to check Facebook. Or is it Twitter you’re addicted to?”

I look at the screen. There are no new Facebook notifications, but there is a new text message. It’s from a number that isn’t registered in my phone …

“Chloe says hello,” Will says as I click on the message icon. “She wanted me to find out if you’ve got to have your arm in a cast, because she thinks the pink ones are really coo— Jane? What’s the matter? Why are you crying?”

I turn the phone around so he can see it.

“Only the good die young,” he says, reading the text message aloud. “That’ll explain why you’re still alive, then.” He stares at me, his mouth agape. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Jane?” I flinch as he wipes a tear from the scratched, swollen side of my face. “What does it mean?”

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Five Years Earlier

“Emma!” Isaac stands up from his desk and steps towards me, his arms spread wide. “Good breakfast?”

I’m breathless from running through the garden to the house without stopping, and I push him away as he attempts to hug me. He smells of cigarettes, incense and deodorant.

“What’s going on?” He glances at Al, hovering behind me. She shrugs in response then reaches down to rub her ankle. She hobbled after me all the way back to the house, still trying to convince me not to talk to Isaac about the Frank rumour. She said she’d talk to Daisy and Leanne for me, but it’s not enough. I won’t have people think I’m the type of girl to lie about an attempted rape. Isaac saw what happened; everyone needs to hear it from him.

“I’d like to know what’s going on, too,” says Leanne from the doorway, her expression unreadable.

“Good,” I say. “You need to hear this.”

A wry smile crosses Isaac’s face as he looks from Leanne to me, and back again. “What’s going on?”

Leanne crosses her thin arms over her chest and leans against the doorway as though she needs its support in order to stay upright. She’s steadfastly refusing to return my gaze. Whoever told her I lied about the attack must have been very persuasive.

I glance behind her but the hallway is empty. “Where’s Daisy? She needs to hear this, too.”

I move to go and look for her, but Isaac grabs my hand before I can leave the room. “Daisy’s tidying up after breakfast. Just tell me what’s going on, please. Leanne, come in and shut the door.”