‘Hey, Ivy!’

I turn and Tom is standing on the street, holding my bag. ‘You might need this.’

I run down and he throws my bag. Only it doesn’t reach me. It lands face down in the gutter – over a drain. I open it and look inside. Everything is there, apart from one thing.

‘My wallet!’

He walks over and laughs. ‘You’re not telling me …?’

I peer into the drain but there’s no sign of it. All I can see is darkness. Grabbing the drain cover, I pull with all my might but it doesn’t budge. This can’t be happening. Tom says something, but I don’t hear him. I stare in disbelief, unable to accept that my wallet has gone.

Fighting the urge to punch him, I stand up and shout, ‘Why did you have to throw it?’

‘Hey, I’m sorry, OK? It was an accident.’

I glare at him, rain pouring down my face. ‘I can’t get the train now.’

‘Where’s your bank? I’ll take you into town.’

‘What’s the point? They won’t let me withdraw cash without any ID. Everything I had just went down the drain.’

Tom leads me back to the car and I climb inside in a daze. A few seconds later, he slides in next to me. ‘So how much do you need?’ he asks.

I slump in my seat. ‘Eighty-two pounds.’

He gives a low whistle. ‘Where are you going, Paris by Eurostar?’

‘It doesn’t matter now.’

‘I wish I could help, but I’ve only got forty quid on me and they’ve cut me off again.’ Before I can wonder what he means, he adds, ‘But you know what? I have a full tank of petrol and my boss has just given me the day off.’

‘I can’t ask you, Tom, it’s too far.’

He takes out his phone. ‘Postcode.’

He says it like a surgeon demanding a scalpel and I watch him, not daring to hope.

‘I need to get to a town called Aberdaron.’

He taps at the screen and grins. ‘Found it.’ And then the smile slides right off his face. ‘Jesus, Ivy. That’s on the west coast of Wales. According to this, it’ll take four hours.’

He carries on talking but I’m only half listening. I gaze at the window, my eyes following a solitary raindrop as it glides helplessly down the glass.

‘We need the A49. It looks fairly straightforward, but I’ll need you to navigate once we get closer.’

‘What?’

‘I said I’ll need you to navi—’

I turn to him in disbelief. ‘Really? You’ll take me?’

‘Of course.’

He smiles and I feel my face flush. ‘Thanks.’ And then I remember I need money for the boat fare. ‘Is it OK if I borrow twenty quid? I’ll give it you back.’

‘Sure.’

‘And I’ll pay you for the petrol once I get my card sorted.’

‘If you like, but there’s no rush for it.’ He twists his body towards me, then puts his hand on my seat and leans in.