Page 16 of The Jealous Girl

‘Don’t worry so much,’ Ryan interrupted. ‘I’ll just sit on the beach and rest it a little, and it’ll be fine.’

I glanced down the remaining steps. There weren’t many. But too many for him to manage alone.

‘Come on, then,’ I said with a sigh. If he wouldn’t let me get someone to help, then I would have to do it myself.

I draped his left arm across my shoulders, and we moved down the steps slowly, as he clung to the rail on the other side.

Finally, the sand stretched out before us. We staggered forward a few steps and then I helped him lower himself. He exhaled slowly, stretching his leg out in front of him.

I hesitated for a moment. Then sat beside him.

He turned his head towards me, a questioning expression etched across his features.

‘It’s not like I can just ditch you on your own out here, is it?’ I said, turning away, so he couldn’t read my own expression and realise that might not be the only reason I’d stayed.

The sun was lower now, the sky streaked with deep orange. For a while neither of us spoke.

‘I didn’t expect to see you here,’ he said eventually.

I let out a slow breath. ‘I could say the same to you.’

He nodded slightly, his gaze drifting out across the horizon. ‘I felt like I needed to be here. Especially this week…’

I turned to him, stunned. ‘Why?’

His gaze met mine. ‘You can’t have forgotten⁠—’

I scoffed. ‘No, I haven’t forgotten. That’s why I come back at this time each year.’ The admission was out before I could stop it.

‘You came last year?’

I clenched my teeth and said nothing.

‘I wish I’d known.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I almost came then too, and if I’d known you would be here⁠—’

‘You’d have stayed away now too.’

‘I wouldn’t have hesitated to return,’ Ryan corrected.

I looked away, back out at the sea. ‘What for?’

‘To see you. To talk to you.’

I snorted. ‘You already said everything you had to say.’

‘No.’ Ryan’s voice was firm. ‘That was the problem. I never said what really mattered.’

7

NOW

Late August

Monday