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On the water, the figure in the pedalo is slowly getting closer to us. It’s a man, wearing a black baseball cap and a gray sweatshirt. I frown to myself, wondering who he reminds me of.
“Just a few more minutes,” pleads Rose, close to tears. I look at her, briefly distracted from my own woes.
What’s going on with her? What kind of “surprise” can she have that would be making her this upset at the prospect of not getting to pull it off?
“I said no,” snaps Jack, not sounding remotely like his usual self. “Look, there’s something I really have to deal with. Archie, can we please just go?”
“No’ until this numptie on the pedalo gets oot o’ the way,” says Dad mildly.
We all turn and look in the direction he’s pointing. Sure enough, the pedalo seems to be making a beeline right for us — which is pretty bizarre, really, given that he has a whole loch at his disposal.
“Give me strength,” mutters Jack under his breath.
“Just a few more minutes,” repeats Rose, wringing her hands nervously in her lap. Dad looks at me and shrugs. Out on the water, the man in the pedalo is making steady progress, his shoulders working rhythmically as he heads straight at us. I hold a hand over my eyes to shade them from the sun as I squint at him, still feeling like I know him from somewhere.
But where?
As he draws closer, the pedalo rider raises a hand and waves. It’s obvious now that his choice of direction isn’t purely random; he’s coming towards us for a reason, and my skin prickles with sudden fear as I remember that last message:
See you soon.
“Emerald,” says Dad, his tone suddenly concerned as he stares out from the boat. “Emerald, isn’t that—?”
I stand up, my hands suddenly slick with sweat as I hold onto the edge of the boat, leaning forward in a bid to get a closer look.
I don’t need to, though. Because as the giant white swan finally gets close enough for us to see who’s on board, the penny finally drops, taking my heart along with it.
Blonde hair.
Blue eyes.
A face I last saw closing the door of his flat on the day he left me.
It’s my ex-boyfriend, Ben.
Chapter 17
“Er, surprise,” says Rose weakly, sounding like she’s about to throw up.
“I don’t get it,” says Jack blankly. “What surprise? What are you talking about, Rose?”
On the other side of the boat, I sit down suddenly, my legs deciding they’re no longer up to the job of supporting me.
Ben.
Here, in Heather Bay.
On the back of a giant plastic swan.
To be fair to Rose, itisquite the surprise; and if the expression on her face is anything to go by, I’m pretty sure she knows it’s not a pleasant one.
“What have you done, Rose?” I ask, my voice shaking. “What onearthhave you done?”
“Emerald—” Dad starts to say, but I’m not listening. Because the ex-boyfriend who stole my money and then disappeared with it is currently just a few minutes away from this boat, and God knows, this is not the time for social niceties.
“What’s going on?” says Jack, confused. “Emerald? Rose?”
“I’d like to know that too,” I say, putting my hands on my knees to stop them shaking. “Was it you who sent the messages, Rose, or was it Ben? How do you know him, anyway?”
