A twig breaks behind me and I hear laughing. We both spin round to see Jack and Sean stepping out of the trees. Oh God—how much did they hear? And what the bloody hell are they doing here? I expected Sean, it’s the Easter holidays, after all, but Jack should be away working, not here to torture us.

“Well, looky what we’ve got here,” Jack says, his eyes alight with glee. “Two little piggies ripe for hunting.”

Bella rolls her eyes. She folds her arms and glares at both of them but I can see she’s trying not to smile. “Why don’t you fuck off, Jack Lewis?”

He steps closer to her, an eyebrow raised. “That’s not what you said last night.”

I look at Bella, startled. She was with Jack last night?

He leans toward her like he’s going to kiss her, but she pushes him away. He staggers back a step and laughs again. Bella turns to me. “Go on home, Tess,” she says, like I’m a toddler.

Jack looks at me. “Yeah—run, little piggy.”

I turn away and start walking, determined not to give in to the urge to run. I hear Bella say something, then her laugh turning into a scream. I hear a crashing sound—someone running through the trees toward me.

“Run, little piggy. Run before we eat you all up.”

I want to go back to Bella, I really do, but in the woods, in the dark, I’m finding it hard not to panic as the rustle of leaves and crunching of feet on broken twigs tell me someone is getting closer.

I speed up, breaking into a run.

“You go that way,” I hear Jack’s voice call. “Cut her off.”

I don’t know if they’re talking about me or Bella, but I run faster, fumbling in the messenger bag until I find the clippers, and run on, clutching them in my hand. I’m getting scratched in the face by low-hanging branches, my chest burns and my legs ache, and the footsteps behind me are getting closer.

I scream when a hand grabs my arm, pulling me back. I whirl round, get slammed against a tree.

“Shh,” he says, putting a hand over my mouth. “Calm down, it’s only me.”

Sean. Standing right in front of me, breathing as fast as I am, his hand over my mouth, smelling of cigarettes and chocolate.

I struggle away from him, shaking and nearly crying. “Get off me,” I say, wanting to punch him. He likes you, Bella said. Well, that’s bollocks. Total bullshit. I hate him. I didn’t want Sean liking me. I wanted Max.

“Wait, Tess,” he says, reaching out to grab my arm again. “Don’t run. I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to—”