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sound of our breathing and the wind in the trees outside.
    I sighed. A deep, deep sigh, knowing that I would remember this moment for as long as I lived.
    This perfect moment.
    ‘River, Flynn, wake up.
Please
.’
    I swam up towards Grace’s voice through a deep sleep. Flynn and I were still lying where we’d fallen asleep, our arms wrapped around each other.
    I opened my eyes. Flynn was frowning, blearily, towards the end of the bed. I followed his gaze.
    Grace was standing just a metre away in one of James’s old T-shirts, her hair tousled and her hands clasped anxiously together.
    ‘James says you have to get up, Flynn. It’s nine-thirty and he’s worried you’ll—’
    ‘
What?
’ Flynn sat bolt upright. ‘I have to go right now or I’ll be late for Goldbar’s.’ He glared at Grace. ‘Why didn’t you wake us
earlier?’
    Grace’s lip trembled.
    ‘Hey.’ I put my hand on Flynn’s shoulder. ‘It’s not her fault.’
    ‘Right.’ Flynn scowled. ‘Sorry.’
    Grace nodded and scurried away.
    Flynn blew out his breath, then leaped out of bed, scrabbling on the floor for his shoes. He pulled them on, then crept back onto the bed beside me.
    He nuzzled my neck. ‘I wish I could stay,’ he murmured.
    I ran my hand down his back. ‘Can’t you be late for work?’
    He groaned. ‘Don’t tempt me.’ He scooped me up, wrapping the sheets round me. ‘I’ll call you later. Okay?’
    We lay there for a moment, just staring at each other.
    ‘It was awesome being with you all night,’ he said.
    ‘The best.’ I gazed up at him. ‘This is the happiest I’ve ever been.’
    ‘Say
what
, babe?’ Flynn grinned – all cocky and happy. ‘
This
is just the
beginning
.’
    He kissed me then pushed himself off the bed. I watched him lope away towards the door. He paused in the doorway, his hands on the door frame, as if he was going to turn round and say
something.
    I wanted to call him back. Back into bed. Back where I could run my hands down his smooth back and feel the muscles tensing under my fingers. I wanted to tell him how we couldn’t make
anything better. How I wanted to keep things exactly as they were right now. Perfect. Complete.
    But I said nothing. And he walked away.
    I had a shower in the sweet little bathroom, then got dressed and wandered downstairs. James made Grace and me some toast, then he drove us home in his brother’s
car.
    He dropped me first, a couple of streets away from my house in case Mum saw us. I wandered dreamily home, my mind still focused on last night. As I turned my key in the door I reminded myself
that I was supposed to have been at Emmi’s all evening.
    Mum’s scream pierced through my head like a knife.
    ‘Oh my goodness, River. Where have you been?’ She rushed towards me like a whirlwind. Her face was all pale and her eyes strained and red. As she reached me, the relief on her face
transformed into rage. ‘Emmi’s mum called here at one a.m., asking where Emmi was,’ Mum shrieked. ‘She thought Emmi was here. I thought you were with her. We’ve been
up all night trying to find you.’
    I stared at her, desperately trying to find a way of making out the whole thing had been a misunderstanding.
    ‘We changed our minds about staying in,’ I stammered. ‘We went to another friend’s house. It just got too late to call, so we crashed there, where . . .’
    ‘Don’t lie to me.’ Mum’s eyes were completely wild. She gripped my shoulders again. For a second I thought she was going to hit me. ‘Emmi’s mum called about
an hour ago. Emmi was out all night too, that’s why
she
didn’t answer her phone either.’ Mum sucked in her breath. Then she lowered her voice. ‘You were with
Flynn,’ she said. ‘Weren’t you?’
    I gulped.
    ‘We just went to James’s house . . .’ I said. ‘We didn’t do anything wrong.’
    Mum’s eyes widened. ‘Nothing wrong?’ She gritted her teeth. ‘What about lying to me yesterday? What about not