“Okay, little sis,” she whispers. “It’ll be our secret.”

It’s been two days since that awful confrontation with Bella in the woods. I’ve been out looking for her because the thread of fear that she’ll say something keeps growing bigger.

Dad and Julia are in the kitchen, talking in low voices. They’re surrounded by stacks of plates and boxes of glasses, and Julia’s dress is hanging in a zipped-up carrier on the back of the door.

My heart flutters. “What’s up?” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. Maybe Bella has said something and that’s what Julia and Dad are talking about. I feel sick and wish I hadn’t come in and interrupted them.

I’m sorry, I’ll say. It’s not true, Bella got it wrong. She—

“It’s Greg,” Julia says. “He’s gone.”

“Gone? Gone where?”

“We don’t know. The boys have been away with friends and when they got back to the house, it was locked up and he was gone. Suitcase, passport…all gone.”

I sit down. Oh God, is this because of me? My stupid mistake trying to kiss him, the horrible things I said? Has Bella been round there, accusing him with all my lies?

“Did he leave a message?”

“Apparently he texted Jack to say he was going away for a while.” Julia glances at Dad. “He couldn’t cope with the wedding, he said.”

That isn’t right. He wasn’t bothered about the wedding, I could see that when I went round there.

“So Jack and Sean are…”

“They’re here,” Dad says. “We’ve told them they can stay as long as they like. Until Greg comes back.”

“But—”

“I don’t want them staying in that house alone, Tess. Jack might be over eighteen, but Sean isn’t. And it’s my wedding—I want them here, they should be here with me. With us.”

Julia frowns and squeezes Dad’s hand. “This will make it easier, Leo. If Greg stays away, there’s no risk of…”

“Risk of what?” I blurt out.

“Tension,” Julia says. “Greg’s been making things difficult.”

“Difficult how?” My mind is swirling. He told me he wasn’t bothered, he sounded so casual about it.

“Coming over, threatening Leo.”

“Threatening? When did this happen?”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Dad says, but he doesn’t look at me as he says it. “He’s gone—the wedding will be perfect now.” He leans over and kisses Julia and I turn away.