I haul myself up on to solid land, every muscle-bearing part of my body bubbling with snappy adrenaline. Thrill of the chase, maybe, except I’m not sure who is chasing who. I slosh down the street but everything is heavy and wet, even the sky, so I don’t get the immediate relief of air on skin. Humidity settles on top of saltwater. This is when I understand a body does have limits because I collapse, stumble down on to my knees, taking long, unsatisfying breaths. My field of vision trembles, littered with stars. Can’t move. Can’t believe I did that. The ferry is far enough away now that I can’t make out anyone on it but I’m sure they’re all looking in this direction.

I remember my phone in my pocket and finger around for it; it’s busted, obviously, so I rear it behind my head and chuck it into the ocean, and it’s swallowed the way I imagine Roxy’s guitar was too.

Everyone, I realize, is staring at me, including Peyton, who abandons her suitcase and Liam and place in line for the next ferry and moves to me like a moth to light. I just stand there, palms exposed, like I’m offering myself to her, water cascading from my clothes. I smush a wet tendril of hair from my face and smirk despite myself.

Peyton does too, finally. Rushes beneath the barriers, runs to me and wraps me up close, even though I’m soaking, and my shape imprints itself on to her.

‘Did you – did you see –’

Peyton shrieks into my shoulder. ‘Yeah, everyone saw, you attention-seeking piece of shit.’

‘I’m sorry,’ I say.

She grins again, looks like she’s about to cry. ‘Did you nearly drown and have an epiphany?’

‘Yeah. Yeah, I think that might have been it.’

‘Well, I’m glad you lived to tell the tale. Otherwise you just would’ve died a jerk.’

‘I shouldn’t have done any of this. At least I should have been more gentle. I’ve been selfish. I hurt you. And Ellis. He’s there because of me, I …’

Her gaze travels over my body and there’s nowhere to hide. She’s stiff, arms crossed over her chest; although she’s relieved that I’m here and still breathing, she’s still upset with me. I don’t blame her, given what’s happened. ‘What are you going to do?’ she asks finally, sniffling a bit. ‘We wanted to help with the search, so many of us – you should have seen. I was about to lose my mind, but they’re making all the Seasonals evacuate – legal shit, I don’t know – but it was cops and I didn’t know what else to do.’