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She scoffs, looking away. ‘You don’t know anything about me.’

‘I’m not pretending to know you.’

‘You really don’t know anything at all,’ she growls, fury flashing in her eyes. They are so similar to Bryn’s.

I hesitate. Maybe I shouldn’t say it. I know the second the words leave my mouth, there’ll be no taking them back, but I have to try to help.

‘I saw him,’ I say.

She freezes. The colour drains from her face.

‘Saw who?’

‘Your stepdad,’ I murmur. ‘Going into your room.’

Isla lifts her chin, the mask she wears snapping back into place.

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she says, her voice betraying her with a slight tremble. ‘You shouldn’t lie about something like that.’

I don’t miss the way her eyes dart toward the house.

‘I’m not,’ I say flatly. ‘It was late. Everyone else was asleep. I suspect it wasn’t the first time it happened. Look, here’s my number. I want you to call me if anything like that happens. Okay?’

I planned to do this, scrawling my number onto a scrunched-up train ticket while on the train. I pass it to her, and she snatches it out of my hand. Her cheeks grow more red with each passing moment. Another cigarette shakes slightly as she brings it up to her lips. She doesn’t meet my eyes.

‘You’re fucking delusional.’

‘Nobody should experience something like that. I’m sorry.’

Isla pushes to her feet and jabs her finger in my direction.

‘You keep your mouth shut,’ she bites out. ‘You say a word to Bryn, I’ll fucking kill you. Stop making shit up.’

‘I’m not making anything up,’ I reply smoothly, not letting her anger deter me. ‘I can help you.’

Her jaw flexes. For a second, she looks scared, but it’s only a second before the walls slam back into place and she is glowering at me like I’m a stain she can’t get rid of.

‘You can help?’ she sputters. ‘You can fuck right off, that’s what you can do.’

‘I’m serious.’

She takes a step closer, and her tone grows threatening. ‘You think you’re helping? You think you can be some kind of hero? You don’t know how things work in this house.’

‘You deserve to be safe. You both do.’

Something flashes across her face then. I can’t quite tell if it’s anger or fear, but it’s something raw and vulnerable. I’ve exposed her in ways she isn’t ready to face yet.

‘Stay out of it, Ash,’ she snarls. ‘If you care about her at all, stay out of it.’

Silence stretches between us and I glance up to Bryn’s window, where a warm light has been turned on. I exhale, combing my fingers through my hair, feeling drained and exhausted from this conversation. This girl is impossible.

‘I can’t,’ I say quietly. ‘It’s not right. I can help.’

Isla exhales a shaky breath, crushing her cigarette into the dirt with more force than necessary.

‘Then you’re an idiot,’ she mutters. ‘And this is going to end badly.’

‘I’m much more capable than you think.’