After Eden

Chapter 16

I woke early, the cheery sunshine bringing me back to the depressing reality of the rest of my life. I was sixteen. I wouldn’t live for another hundred and ten years, no matter how well I took care of myself. And if, by some miracle, I did live for a hundred and ten years, I would be the crinkliest, most wrinkled old woman on the planet. I would be one hundred and twenty-six. He would be seventeen.

I made another calculation. If I Iived until one hundred and nine, I would be around when he was born. I could see him as a baby. Of course the chances of living to a hundred and nine were not much better than living to one hundred and twenty-six. And the whole idea was, frankly, sick.

There would be no happy ending for Ryan and me.

Tears pricked the back of my eyes and I knew that if I didn’t take steps to pull myself together now, I would end up wallowing in a full-on pity-fest.

I heaved myself out of bed. My green dress was in a heap on the floor. I draped it on a hanger and hung it on my wardrobe door. At some point I would take it to the dry-cleaners.

I threw open my curtains. The rising sun was like a wound, staining the clouds a deep red and slowly spreading across the horizon. Red sky in the morning, shepherds’ warning. That meant bad weather would be arriving later. It didn’t look like bad weather. In fact, it looked sunny and hot – perfect beach weather. After breakfast I would call Connor and make plans for the day. Then with a shudder I remembered the night before. Perhaps he wouldn’t want to talk to me. I put on a short blue beach dress and then, as Cornish weather typically changes direction several times a day, tied a warm hoodie round my shoulders.

The smell of grilled bacon was drifting up the stairs, the only smell that could still tempt my vegetarian taste buds after six years of abstaining. Travis. He had started staying over at the weekends recently and he loved a full English on Sunday mornings.

I dragged myself downstairs into the kitchen. I wasn’t hungry. I wasn’t in the mood for Travis’s sarcasm and I didn’t think I could stomach Miranda’s cheery questions about the ball.

Miranda was standing at the stove, pushing food around a hot, oily frying pan. Travis was standing just outside the back door, a half-smoked cigarette dangling between his lips. He removed it when he saw me and smirked.

‘I’ve been led to understand that a greasy fry-up is the perfect hangover cure,’ he said.

‘That’s not funny, Travis,’ said Miranda. ‘You know she doesn’t drink.’

Travis winked at me, as if to suggest that he didn’t believe that for a second, but was willing to keep it just between the two of us.

He stubbed out his cigarette on the doorstep. ‘I was merely offering you a fried breakfast. Miranda’s cooked enough for a family of ten.’

I shook my head. ‘I’m sure it will involve too many slaughtered pigs for my taste.’

‘Why don’t you make an exception?’ he said. ‘You can’t deny that this smells good.’

‘I don’t want to feast on the misery of another being.’

‘You don’t know how to enjoy yourself,’ said Travis. ‘That’s your problem.’

I grabbed a cereal bowl and a box of muesli and plonked myself down at the table.

‘So tell us all about it,’ said Miranda. ‘Was it wonderful?’

‘It was a lovely evening,’ I said as I splashed milk into the bowl.

‘Did you take lots of photos?’

‘I didn’t take my phone, but Megan’s mum took some before we left her place and Connor took loads. I’ll get copies.’

Miranda served up two steaming plates of bacon, eggs, sausage, mushroom and fried bread. The smell of hot grease made me feel queasy.

‘Did your boyfriend leave last night?’ asked Travis. ‘He was due to leave after the ball, wasn’t he?’

‘Yes, he left,’ I said. ‘But he isn’t – wasn’t – my boyfriend.’

Miranda and Travis smiled at each other over the table.

‘You said you were in love with him.’ Travis dipped the end of a sausage into the runny yolk of his egg.

I groaned to myself. It was one thing to confess to being in love when it was dark and I was still a little drunk. It was quite another to talk about it now in front of Miranda and Travis. Especially when I was doing everything I could to not think about him.

‘Yes, I did. But that didn’t make him my boyfriend. We were just friends.’

Travis looked at me. I had the vague recollection of telling him that I had no plans to stay in touch with Ryan. That must have sounded weird.

‘We can keep in touch via email,’ I said. ‘But I doubt we will. You know what they say: out of sight, out of mind.’

Miranda laughed. ‘You have no heart.’

‘What are your plans today, Eden?’ asked Travis.

‘I’ll probably meet my friends at the beach. It looks like a hot one.’

‘There’s a storm coming in later,’ he said. ‘Late afternoon according to the forecast.’

‘We’ll probably spend a couple of hours at the beach and if it gets cold we’ll go to the arcade or somewhere like that.’

‘Who’s going to be there?’ he asked.

‘Why do you care?’

Miranda glared at me. ‘Don’t be rude.’

‘Just making conversation,’ said Travis.

‘Connor and Megan and probably Amy and Matt.’

‘Do you want a lift into Perran?’ asked Travis. ‘I need to pop home this morning.’

‘No thanks. I probably won’t go in until later.’ I pretended to be interested in Miranda’s fashion magazine and hoped they’d just leave me alone.

With some trepidation, I dialled Connor’s mobile. I knew he would still be cross with me, but Ryan was right. We’d been friends for too long for him to hate me for ever. It went straight to voicemail. He was probably still sleeping. While I’d gone to the farmhouse with Ryan, they had probably partied into the early hours. I would have to wait a couple of hours before I got to talk to anybody.

‘Hey, Connor, it’s me,’ I said to his mailbox. ‘Call me when you wake up. Please.’

I threw the phone on my bed and looked around my room. Miranda hadn’t picked up the Sunday papers yet so there was no crossword to do. But I could play Scrabble against the computer or do a jigsaw or read a book.

I went down to the living room and chose a jigsaw from the games box. I cleared the coffee table and began to sort through the box looking for corner pieces and edges. I heard Travis slam the front door and then the deep growl of his car engine rumbling to life. In the kitchen I could hear the crashing of plates as Miranda washed up the breakfast dishes.

At ten o’clock Miranda popped her head round the door to tell me she was going to Marks & Spencer.

‘Do you want to come along?’ she asked. ‘We could get elevenses.’

I shook my head. ‘I’ll just stay here. I’ll go to the beach later.’

Miranda shuffled around with her jacket and keys in the hall and then I heard the door slam.

Silence.

Our house in Penpol Cove was only a half mile from the sea, but it was just far enough inland not to be plagued with the shriek of seagulls. The only cars that ever drove past our house were our neighbours on their way to work on weekday mornings and on their way home on weekday afternoons. I hadn’t realised how quiet the days could be in Penpol Cove. Outside, just the hum of a distant lawnmower. Inside, just the quiet, rhythmic ticking of the clock.

I tried Connor again. Straight to voicemail. Surely he was awake by now. I left another message asking him to call.

I looked back at my half-completed jigsaw and with a sweep of my arm, flung the pieces to the floor. Why the hell was I doing a jigsaw?

Until Ryan came along, my life had been timid, like a mouse scurrying amid the long grass. I’d hidden safely in the quiet routines of school and home, filling the empty hours with jigsaws and chess and crossword puzzles. My dreams had been small – studying A levels at the local college, learning to drive – and my expectations low. Falling in love had changed everything. The ground had been torn up from under my feet and I felt like I had been grabbed from the sanctuary of a summer lawn and hurled into the jungle. My old life seemed like a whisper in the face of a roar.

I couldn’t live my old life any more. I picked up the pieces and shoved them back in the box.

I called Connor’s house phone. Mrs Penrose picked up.

‘Hello, Eden, did you have a lovely time at the ball?’ She didn’t give me a chance to answer. ‘What time did you get home? Connor rolled in around three in the morning.’

‘I was home just after midnight.’

‘Very sensible. I’m just taking the phone up to him now. Connor?’ I heard her knock on his door. ‘It’s Eden.’

I heard Connor grunt something at his mother. ‘What?’

‘Hey, Connor. I tried you on your mobile but I guess the battery’s dead.’

‘Hmm.’

‘Look, I’m sorry about last night. I don’t know why I behaved that way.’

‘Whatever.’

‘So, what’s the plan? Are we going to the beach?’

‘I dunno.’

‘Shall I come to yours? We can decide when I get there.’

Connor said nothing for a few seconds. I could hear him breathing down the phone.

‘Connor?’

‘Look, Eden. I’m busy today. I’ll call you later in the week, OK?’

‘Connor,’ I began, but he’d already hung up.

So he hadn’t forgiven me yet. I knew he’d be mad with me, but I’d expected him to give me the chance to explain. I called Megan.

‘Hi, Eden,’ she said wearily.

‘Did I wake you up?’

‘No, I’ve been awake for a while.’

I lay back on the living room carpet. ‘Did you have a good time last night?’

‘Brilliant. The best night of my life.’

I shut my eyes. At least Megan wasn’t holding a grudge. ‘I’m so glad. Look, I’m sorry about my meltdown last night.’

‘You were really strange,’ said Megan.

‘Too much vodka combined with a mixture of excitement and sadness,’ I said. ‘It’s well known to cause bizarre behaviour in susceptible individuals.’

‘I didn’t know you were drinking.’

‘Oh, yeah. I had quite a bit. I think I must have made a fool of myself.’

‘To be honest, I was worried that you didn’t like me and Connor hooking up. I thought perhaps it might be an issue?’

‘It’s not remotely an issue,’ I said. ‘I think it’s great the two of you got together.’

‘What time did Ryan leave?’

‘Midnight. They wanted to take advantage of the empty roads.’

‘Are they flying out of Heathrow?’

‘I think so.’

‘Has he called you today?’

‘No. We’re not going to stay in touch. Neither of us believes in long-distance relationships. They never work out.’

‘Really? Why? The world is getting smaller all the time, Eden.’

‘This is for the best.’

She sighed. ‘You’re probably right. You were never more than friends, were you?’

‘No,’ I said. There was no point in telling her we had kissed. She would probably try to persuade me that we must keep in touch.

‘I’d better go,’ said Megan. ‘I’ll call you tomorrow, OK?’

‘Don’t you want to do anything today?’

‘Well, the thing is,’ she said. ‘I’m kind of spending the day with Connor.’

‘Right. I see,’ I said. ‘I’ll call you tomorrow.’

I hit the end call button. So this was the way things were going to be now that Megan and Connor were a couple. I didn’t think I could stand it. Not only was Ryan gone, but I was stuck in a silent house on my own while my best friends hung out together without me.

Dusk was still several hours away, but the sky was already darkening. The wind blew wildly and the sun was obscured behind the low, glowering storm clouds gathering in the west. I pulled my hoodie over my dress, slipped the key to my car and the key to the farmhouse in my pocket, and headed down the lane.

I’d hoped being with Connor and Megan would help take my mind off Ryan; with neither of them available, Ryan was all I could think about. His name was like a charm. Ryan. Two syllables, like a heartbeat. Orion. Three syllables, like ‘I love you.’

I paused at the entrance to the farmhouse. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t come down here yet, but I needed to link with Ryan in some way. This was the only place I knew for sure he would visit, the only place where we might be separated, not by space, but just by time. I wanted to sit under our apple tree and feel him nearby, in the future.

My sandals crunched over the gravel. The lawn was still neatly cut. The silver car was parked in the driveway. Maybe I would give myself a driving lesson later. I walked across the lawn to the apple tree and sat beside it. We had planted it well. Although its trunk bent in the wind, it was going nowhere. I hugged myself. It was too cold to enjoy sitting outside.

It was strange, unlocking the door to the farmhouse and just going inside. Walking into the kitchen, I could still smell the coffee from the night before. The table and chair were just as I’d left them. The floor had been swept clean. I opened the cupboard where they kept the mugs. All of them were still there, stacked higgledy-piggledy on top of each other. I’m not sure what I expected. When Ryan said they’d cleaned out the farmhouse, I’d assumed they’d have got rid of everything. I checked the fridge. It had been cleaned out and turned off, but there were a few bottles of beer left inside.

I went across to the living room. All the books that had been on the bookshelf were gone. So was the television. The coffee table and the sofa remained. I tried the light switch. Nothing. So they’d had the electricity disconnected.

I ran up the stairs and into the bathroom. A small pile of towels was still neatly stacked inside and a half-used bar of soap sat by the basin. I checked the tap. Water flowed. It seemed they’d cleared out most of the furnishings and thrown away most of their personal stuff, but a few pieces remained behind.

I went into Ryan’s bedroom. The bed had been stripped and the bedding was neatly folded at the foot of the bed. There was nothing of his in the room. No sketch pad or book or dirty mug. No trace of him whatsoever. I was just about to head back downstairs when I heard a car approaching. I looked out of the window and saw a black car pulling into the drive. It hadn’t occurred to me that anyone else would visit the farmhouse. But it made perfect sense. The house was empty. Presumably, Ben would have arranged for it to be sold. My heart ached at the thought of another family moving in. Of not being able to visit our apple tree. How long would I have? Days? Weeks? Months?

I didn’t like the thought of an estate agent or solicitor finding me inside the house. The problem was, the back door just led into the back garden. There was no way back on to the lane without coming round to the front and heading down the driveway. There was nothing for it: I would have to face them.

I headed back down the stairs and up to the front door. A man was facing away from me. He was bent over, pulling hard at something in the ground. Our apple tree. Why anyone would wish to destroy a tree was completely mystifying. But what was even more confusing was the person pulling it out of the ground. Because even though he had his back to me, I could tell immediately who it was: Travis.

I was just on the verge of running outside and yelling at him, when I stopped. Something wasn’t right. I backed away from the door and gently pushed it to. My blood had turned to ice. I went back into the kitchen and stood near the window. He tossed the sapling on to the ground and continued digging. If he went any deeper, he would find our time capsule. The tree and the time capsule were the only permanent reminders of me and Ryan, the only mark we had left on the Earth.

And that was when I realised what was happening.

Travis pulled the time capsule out of the ground and tossed it on to the lawn next to the tree. He dropped the shovel and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. He turned to face the house. His face was pink from exertion and mud was smeared across his arms. I stepped back from the window.

I wasn’t sure if he had seen me or not. I’d only been there for about a second and it was much harder to see in through a window than out. I could run to the car, but he would probably intercept me on the way. Run out of the back door. That could work, but there was nowhere to hide. Hide in one of the rooms upstairs. But then if he found me, I’d be trapped. I had to face him.

I went to the front door and opened it. Travis was standing right in front of me.

‘Hey, Travis!’ I said, as though there was nothing that could have pleased me more than to bump into Travis at the farmhouse. ‘Did Miranda send you here to fetch me?’

‘We need to talk,’ he said.

‘Can we talk at home? I was just leaving.’

Travis put one hand in the small of my back and pushed me gently, but firmly, inside.

‘What’s going on, Travis?’ I asked, trying to keep the fear out of my voice.

‘I’m cleaning up your mess.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘I think you do.’

‘Who are you?’ I whispered.

‘I’m sure you’ve worked that out by now. He told you everything else. He must have told you about the clean-up agents.’

I swallowed. Travis was Miranda’s boyfriend. They’d been together for months. He was a part of the family. When Ryan had mentioned cleaners, I’d imagined some sort of arch-villain from a James Bond movie. Not Travis.

‘We need to do some damage limitation,’ he said, steering me into the living room. ‘We can start with this.’

He held a piece of paper in front of my face. My letter to Ryan. I grabbed for it, but Travis held it out of reach.

‘Imagine if somebody else had found this. By the time you read this, I will be long dead. Although my life will be over, only a day or two will have passed for you. It’s strange to think of you out there, still young and pretty when I am dead and gone.’

‘Stop!’ I said, my face burning.

Travis flicked open his lighter and held the flame to the end of the letter. I watched the paper char and then burn. He dropped the paper in the fire grate.

‘How did you know about that?’

‘I didn’t till I dug it up. I had to check, to make sure the two of you hadn’t done something stupid. I can’t believe he let you put that in there.’

‘He didn’t know about it.’

‘Sit down, Eden,’ said Travis, gesturing towards the sofa.

‘I’d prefer to stand.’

‘Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you.’

I couldn’t imagine Travis hurting me. We’d shared so many meals together; we’d flaked out on the sofa with Miranda. He’d given me lifts into town. Maybe he wouldn’t hurt me. Perhaps he would trust me with their secrets, as Ben, Cassie and Ryan had chosen to do. Perhaps not.

I sat down. ‘How did you know?’

‘That you knew?’

I nodded.

‘It’s my job to know these things. But truthfully, you made it easy. You started asking questions about time travel around the same time you became friendly with Orion Westland. It was obvious you had sussed him out. And then, the other night, of all the stars in the night sky, you chose Algol. You wouldn’t know this, but Algol is still considered to be a binary star system in 2012. It’s not until 2045 that a third star was confirmed.’

‘Are you going to kill me?’

He laughed. ‘I’m not going to hurt you. Like I said, we need to talk. I need to know just how much Westland told you. Wait here. I’ll get us a drink.’

He left the room. I could make a run for it. Try to get to the car. But I wouldn’t have much time and he might cut me off at the front door. I decided to stay put and wait for a better opportunity. Travis didn’t know I had learnt to drive and he didn’t know I had the car key with me. I needed to sit tight and hope that he didn’t do something before I had the chance to put my plan into action.

‘They haven’t left much behind, have they?’ said Travis, coming back into the living room. ‘Very inconsiderate. But they left some beer.’

He twisted the tops off the bottles. ‘Where’s Connor?’ His voice was soft, kind, unthreatening. He pushed one of the bottles into my hand.

I put it on the coffee table.

‘I forgot,’ said Travis with a smirk. ‘You don’t drink. Perhaps you should start. You look like you need to relax.’

‘What do you want?’

‘To talk.’ He took a long swig from his bottle. ‘Where’s Connor?’

‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘We had an argument last night. He’s not speaking to me.’

‘What did you argue about?’

‘I broke his telescope.’

Travis chortled. ‘Nice. Pass me your phone.’

‘I don’t have my phone with me.’

‘Stand up.’

‘Why?’

‘I’m going to pat you down and see whether you’re telling the truth.’

I didn’t want his hands anywhere near my body. I handed it over. Travis spent a couple of minutes looking at it and then dialled a number.

He passed it back to me. ‘Tell him to meet you here.’

I hung up. ‘No.’

I felt something hard hit the edge of my jaw with enough force to knock me sideways on the couch. A searing pain began to radiate along my face.

‘I need to talk to Connor,’ he said.

I sat up. My jaw ached and my mouth was dry. ‘Why? He doesn’t know anything.’

‘I’ll be the judge of that.’ He stormed out of the room.

I held my jaw. There was no blood and I could move my mouth, but the pain was intense.

‘I’m sorry I hit you,’ he said, coming back into the room. He placed a small wet hand towel against my jaw. He smelt like sweat and cigarettes, and the sour smell of beer lingered on his breath. ‘I don’t make a habit of hitting girls, but you were not being very cooperative.’

I took the towel from him and held it to the side of my face. He stared at me. For a few seconds I stared back. I’d never really looked at him before. He was Miranda’s smart-ass boyfriend. Not really worthy of my attention. Now I really saw him. His upper body was broad; his blue T-shirt tight against his body showing the outline of large biceps and pectorals. This was not the physique of a chef. He obviously worked out or did some sort of physical activity. He could overpower me with one arm.

A sneer made its way up one side of Travis’s face. ‘Like what you see?’

I felt the old flush start on my chest. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘You were checking me out.’

‘No, I wasn’t.’

‘Ryan’s only been gone a few hours and already you’re looking for fresh meat. Nice dress, by the way.’

I looked up and caught his leer. Self-consciously I pulled at the hem of my dress trying to make it longer. This was not the Travis I thought I knew. This was an entirely different person.

‘Pass me your phone,’ he said. ‘We’re going to do this again. And this time you’re going to tell Connor to haul ass over here.’

He dialled Connor’s number and passed me the phone.

‘What do you want?’ asked Connor.

The phone was on speaker.

‘I need to see you.’

‘I don’t want to see you.’

‘Tell him it’s important,’ Travis whispered in my ear.

‘Please, Connor,’ I said. ‘It’s important.’

‘I have plans with Megan. I’ll call you in a few days.’

Travis shook his head.

‘I really need to see you today. Please, Connor. You’re my best friend. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.’

Connor sighed down the phone. ‘We’re going to see a movie in a bit. It doesn’t finish till ten.’

Travis whispered in my ear again. ‘Tell him to take a taxi and you’ll pay the driver.’

‘Take a taxi,’ I said. ‘Meet me at Ryan’s farmhouse halfway down Trenoweth Lane. I’ll pay for the taxi.’

‘What’s going on, Eden?’

‘Just come here later, OK?’

I hung up.

‘Good girl,’ said Travis. He checked his watch. ‘We have a couple of hours to kill. I’m hungry. Are you hungry?’

‘No. And Miranda is going to wonder where I am.’

‘Let’s sort that out first then, shall we?’

He opened his own phone and dialled a number.

‘Hey, baby,’ he said. ‘I’m still working. I probably won’t get to see you until tomorrow.’

He was silent while Miranda said something on the other end of the line. For a second I considered shouting for help, but the pain in my jaw reminded me what could happen if I tried something on. I’d have to come up with a different strategy.

‘I just saw Eden. She’s going to the movies with Connor and some other friends.’

I stared at him. He winked at me.

‘She asked me to let you know she’ll be home late. I’ll see you tomorrow, baby. Love you.’ He pressed a button to end the call.

‘How could you pretend to like Miranda? How could you pretend to be our friend?’

Travis shrugged. ‘I arrived nine months before Ryan and the others. Nine months of just waiting around. That’s a long time to do nothing. I needed a friend.’

‘Did you choose Miranda because she was my aunt?’

‘Yes. She was my second choice. I briefly considered Connor’s mother, but she wasn’t my type.’

‘You’re horrible. How can you do that to someone?’

‘You’re just a kid,’ he said. ‘You still believe in true love. One day you’ll realise that we’re all just looking for someone to keep us warm at night. But let’s talk about food. I’m starving. The only place that’s willing to deliver to this godforsaken hellhole is Perran Pizza. Ben was thoughtful enough to leave their menu by the phone. Choose something.’

The pizza arrived at eight o’clock. Travis went to the door to pay for the food. Connor would be here in two hours. Maybe the two of us would have a chance against Travis, but I doubted that.

I called him while Travis paid for the pizza.

‘What now?’ he said.

‘Forget what I said earlier,’ I said.

‘Fine. You’re acting really weird.’

‘I know. I’m sorry. Just don’t come to the farmhouse, OK?’

‘Fine. I’ll call you in a few days.’

I hung up and slipped my phone back in my pocket, out of sight.

Travis carried two boxes of pizza into the living room. ‘Cheese for you and meat feast for me,’ he said, placing both boxes on the coffee table.

‘I’ll go and get us plates,’ I said.

He didn’t try to stop me. I went into the kitchen and took two plates from the cupboard. Then I quickly looked through the cupboards and drawers for something I could use as a weapon. There was nothing. No bread knives or meat knives. Just ordinary knives and forks. I was about to settle for a fork when I noticed a corkscrew with a sharp end. It might do a good job on a cork, but I wasn’t sure it could harm a strong man. It was all I had to work with so I put it in my pocket next to my keys.

Back in the living room, I handed one of the plates to Travis.

‘I’m going to get another beer,’ he said. ‘Sure I can’t tempt you?’

I shook my head. He returned with two more bottles. He’d already drunk the bottle from earlier as well as the bottle he’d brought for me. If he drank these, that would be four. Maybe he would drink too much and pass out. I looked at him again. He was big. Lots of muscle. The bigger you were, the more alcohol you could tolerate without becoming drunk. It would take a lot for Travis to pass out. But perhaps if he drank enough, he would get sloppy. And then I could stab him with the corkscrew. Would it do enough damage if I could? Maybe if I went for a soft place like the inside of his nose or his eye it would hurt him enough for me to make a run for it. What if he overpowered me and stabbed me instead?

‘You’re checking me out again,’ he said with a grin. ‘We have a couple of hours to kill. I wouldn’t say no if you’re interested.’

I ignored him. But his comment made something clear to me: if he was going to hurt me – or kill me – he wasn’t planning to do it until Connor was here. He must need me to lure Connor to the farmhouse. But Connor wasn’t coming. What would he do when he realised I’d called Connor back and told him not to come?

I picked at my pizza. Usually I love it, but there was no way I could swallow more than a few bits of stringy cheese.

Travis finished his pizza and lit a cigarette.

‘Smoke?’ he asked, offering the pack to me.

I shook my head.

‘You’re so uptight with your good-girl routine. But it’s starting to unravel, isn’t it? Getting drunk in the park, lying to Miranda, checking out older men.’

I picked my drink up off the floor and sniffed it. Perhaps if I played along, pretended to loosen up, I would be able to get him drunk and escape. I sipped at the liquid and swallowed. It tasted sour and I pulled a face.

‘You don’t like beer?’ he asked.

‘No. I prefer water.’

He took another drag on his cigarette and exhaled in my direction. ‘You’re no fun.’

But he fetched me a glass of water.

‘Let’s talk,’ he said, pushing the glass into my hand. He sat on the couch, close, so that our knees were nearly touching.

‘About what?’

‘First of all, when are you planning to attack me with the corkscrew? We can get that over with now if you like. I can put my hands in the air and let you try and stab me with it.’

I blushed. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

Travis laughed. ‘Go ahead. Stab me.’

‘I’m not going to stab you.’

‘In that case would you mind giving me the corkscrew?’

I pulled the corkscrew out of my hoodie. Travis removed his jacket. ‘Come on then,’ he said, winking at me. ‘I think I can handle a corkscrew.’

I put the corkscrew on the table and sat back down on the couch.

‘Like I said before, you’re no fun.’

He sat back on the sofa next to me. I could smell his deodorant or soap, the faintest hint of sweat.

‘What are you going to do to me, Travis?’

He put his hand on my bare knee and squeezed it in a gesture that he must have meant to be reassuring. I tensed. ‘I’m just going to talk to you, OK? I need to know how much Orion told you. And then we’re going to figure out how to keep the future safe. Does that sound OK to you?’

I nodded.

He stood up. ‘Right, I’m going to take a leak. And then we’ll talk. Don’t try anything stupid. I know you think you’re a good runner, but you can’t outrun a car. And there’s nothing to be afraid of. All we’re going to do is talk.’

He strode out of the room and I heard him thumping heavily up the stairs. A bolt of adrenalin surged through me. I clutched the car keys in my pocket and calculated the time it would take me to reach the front door. Perhaps ten seconds. To get to the car? Another ten. To fire up the ignition and drive away? Another ten. Thirty seconds.

This was my chance. He was upstairs. He could probably zip his fly and run down the stairs in ten seconds, but he would only do that if he knew I was trying to escape. And he didn’t know about the car. I tiptoed into the hall and quietly opened the front door.

I bolted. I pressed the unlock mechanism on the car as I ran. The lights of the car flashed like an erratic heartbeat and I heard the locks unclick.

‘Eden! Wait!’

I pulled open the driver’s side door and threw myself inside, banging the door shut behind me. I pressed down on the central locking just as Travis reached the door of the car. He pulled at the door handle.

‘There’s no need for this!’ he yelled. ‘You’re overreacting. Open the door!’

Trembling, I pushed the key into the ignition. Travis banged so hard on the window that I was afraid it would shatter. The engine shuddered to life. Clutch. First gear. Gas. Release brake and clutch. I slowly released the clutch and the car crept along the gravel driveway.

Travis walked alongside the car, continuing to bang on the window.

‘You can’t drive. This is ridiculous. Stop the car! I won’t hurt you. We need to discuss how to deal with this.’

I dipped the clutch and moved into second. Travis began running. Once I reached the lane I could shift into a higher gear and there was no way he could outrun me.

My instinct was to go home to Miranda. Lock the doors and tell her everything. She had always kept me safe. She would know what to do. But what if she wasn’t home? What if she’d given Travis a key? And if I told her everything, she would just become part of the ‘mess’ Travis wanted to clean up.

At the top of the lane, I stopped. Miranda’s car was in the driveway. Decision time. I checked my rear-view mirror. A black car with tinted windows was approaching at speed. I put the car in gear. And stalled. Travis approached from behind. He had slowed down, but not enough to stop. I was thrown forward with a jerk as he rammed into the rear bumper.

Shaking, I turned the key in the ignition again, and the engine roared to life. A red light flashed on the dashboard but I didn’t know what it was. I ignored it and pulled on to the coastal road. He followed. I had no idea where I was going or what I would do. The coast road led to Perran and stopped. There was nowhere else to go in this direction. My only option would be to stop in Perran or turn around and head back out of town on the bypass. There wasn’t even a police station in Perran.

I checked my mirror. He was matching my speed, not attempting to ram me again. He must have realised I had nowhere to go.

It began to rain. Great sheets of water fell from the sky and my windscreen was awash. Frantically, I pushed buttons and hit the sticks either side of the steering wheel. My indicators came on. Then my headlights. I kept the headlights on. It hadn’t occurred to me that I needed my lights. Finally, I found the wipers.

As I shifted down and took the corner above Lucky Cove, the car shuddered. We were passing Perran golf course now. Rain glistened on the road. My wipers raced frantically from side to side. The engine roared, and then shuddered again. I was losing power. I shifted down to first gear and the engine screamed. And then stopped.

I turned the ignition, but it sputtered and refused to come to life. The red light on the dashboard was still flashing. Taking a closer look at it, I realised it was the low-fuel light. I was out of petrol.

Checking my mirror, I could see Travis undoing his seat belt. He would be on me in seconds.

I unclicked my seat belt, flung open the car door and hurled myself across the road towards the golf course. Without looking back to see if he was behind me, I launched myself over the low fence. He couldn’t follow me over the golf course in his car.

‘Eden!’

I could tell from his voice that he was close. I was not a sprinter; I was an endurance runner. If he was faster than me, I was done for. I pushed myself harder, not saving any of my energy for the long haul. My chest ached and the rain slashed my skin.

‘Eden!’

He sounded a little further away. Resisting the temptation to turn around and check his position, I pushed myself on. The rain was in my eyes and the footpath above the cliff top had turned to mud. One slip and I would either be over the edge or flat on my face.

If I could just get to Perran, if I was among people, he wouldn’t be able to hurt me. I could see the streetlights bright in front of me. It was nine o’clock in the evening and raining, but it was June. In June there were always tourists. Even in the rain, there had to be tourists. But what if there weren’t any? Then what? I would go to Connor’s.

I passed the end of the golf course and the path narrowed. I was running alongside fields of potatoes. I couldn’t hear Travis so I risked a glance backwards. He was a couple of hundred metres behind me, running slowly and panting. Too many cigarettes.

I had found my rhythm and if I had been in my running shoes, I could have kept this up for miles. But I was wearing sandals that were soaked and muddy. I could feel my feet slipping inside them with every stride. I wouldn’t be able to keep this up for long.

Travis was probably three minutes behind me. The field petered out and I was on the seafront road. The street was deserted. Where were all the tourists? I blinked hard to squeeze the rainwater out of my eyes and aimed for Connor’s house at the other end of the seafront road.

I slammed into his door and pounded on it.

‘Connor!’ I shouted.

I banged my fists against the door.

‘Connor! Open up!’

Nothing.

I looked behind me. Travis was halfway along the seafront road. He would be on me in a minute.

‘Open up!’ I screamed. God, he must still be at the cinema. He couldn’t help me.

I looked back again. Travis was close. Desperate, I turned towards the beach. It was deserted; the boats bobbed and dipped on the high water, their masts clanging together eerily. In seconds I would be out of options. I got myself ready to run again.

Tears joined the rain in my eyes. I ran. I ran back down to the seafront road, which was towards Travis. We passed within a couple of metres of each other before I hit the sand and headed towards the harbour wall. The sea was high and I had one chance. One slender thread of hope. That I could jump off the harbour wall and avoid the deadly rocks. That Travis would follow me in without knowing where to jump.

The wall was slick with rain. I paused to kick off my sandals and took a quick look over my shoulder. Travis was about ten seconds behind me. He was walking. As if he knew I had nowhere to go.

I reached the end of the harbour wall and looked down. When the sea was flat calm, you could just about make out where the rocks were under the water. But now, with the sea sucking and surging below, I couldn’t tell with any certainty where they were.

‘Eden! Don’t jump!’ Travis yelled. ‘No one’s going to hurt you!’

He was only a metre away from me. I looked down at the sea again, trying desperately to find that safe place between the two groups of rocks. I felt his hand grab for my hood and then I hurled myself towards the place where I had seen my friends jump so many times before.

The cold water opened up to swallow me. I sank deep, down beneath the seething surface. My eyelids closed and then reopened. A pearly brightness high above me suggested twilight. I kicked hard and aimed upwards. By the time I broke the surface, my lungs were exploding with pain. I gasped.

I squinted up to the top of the wall. Travis was there, watching. I swam towards the opposite headland, the way I had seen my friends do countless times before. Glancing back, I saw Travis shrug off his jacket. Someone else was approaching him. I swam hard. I’d never been a strong swimmer. I’d always been terrified of deep water, intimidated by large waves.

There was a deep splash behind me. Travis presumably. I didn’t waste time looking behind me; I swam harder.

‘Eden,’ I heard Travis yell hoarsely.

My arms ached as I parted the water, my mind focused on one thing: reaching the opposite headland. Waves lifted me up and threw me down. I tried not to panic.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. It touched, barely, and slid off. I swallowed a scream and a mouthful of water. When I caught my breath again, Travis was swimming alongside me, a bloody gash to the side of his head. His eyes were wild with panic. He reached out to grab me. One of his hands grasped my shoulder and pushed. My head sank beneath the surface. I struggled, but he had a tight grip on my hoodie. I hit upwards towards his face but the water stopped me from getting any power behind my punch. I tried to swim away. His hand held tight to my hoodie. Bubbles escaped from my mouth and drifted upwards. Above me, red radiated around his head like a bleeding poppy. I panicked and dug my fingernails into Travis’s hand. He gripped my shoulder tighter. My chest was tight with pain. I needed oxygen. My legs began to kick randomly as I used my arms to push for the surface. Travis continued to push me down.

I closed my eyes. My lungs were empty. I felt a heavy movement in the water nearby, but couldn’t register what or where. Saltwater was in my nose and mouth. In my ears. I thought of Ryan. I pictured the sticky pink of blood above me. I saw a blue planet spiralling away from me.

This was the end. I knew it. I had been under too long. The light was too far away. But Connor was safe. The future was safe. The planet would continue to thrive. Ryan. His face swam into my mind. I wanted it to be the last thing I thought about, but a jumble of images floated through my consciousness: my mother’s windblown red hair; the photograph of Connor on the last day of school, a seagull gliding through the air.

And then I felt pain on my arm. A dragging. Brightness in my eyes and cool salty air. Still in darkness, I sensed cold water in my hair. My lungs aching. A tugging that hurt the socket where my arm met my shoulder. And then darkness.

I don’t know how long the darkness lasted for.

The next thing I was aware of was a sharp pain between my shoulder blades and then saltwater again, warmer now, leaving my mouth instead of entering it. My lungs burned. I tried to breathe but couldn’t. A sharp strike to the back was followed by more water. My eyes were streaming, my nose bled saltwater and I couldn’t breathe in because water was still coming out.

I heard voices in the distance, was vaguely aware of people around me. And then I was lifted on to something soft and carried away and I drifted out of consciousness.