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Jenny grinned. ‘Hopefully he’ll be gone by the weekend.’

‘Are you really all right?’

Jenny snorted. ‘I’llbe fine when he leaves. I now know that I am never meant to live with another human, and that includes Dylan. I want him out too. Go and talk to him.’

Lucy took a deep breath and knocked on the bedroom door again. ‘Dylan, no matter how much you push me away, I won’t ever stop trying to talk to you. I love you and I’m sorry that you’re angry, but you’re angry with the wrongperson. I didn’t sendthat photo. You have to stop this and go back to school.’

Silence.

‘Dylan, please don’t throw away this chance because you’re angry with me. Maybe one of your friends did it as a joke, or you pressed the button by mistake. Look, it doesn’t matter, you have to come out of there and come home, go back to school and stop this.’

Silence.

‘Please, Dylan, please,’ Lucy begged.

Jenny came out ofthe lounge. She led her sister away from the door and over to the couch. ‘Give it a break. Have a coffee.’ She handed her a mug.

Lucy held it between her hands. ‘I have to get Dylan to see sense. It wasn’t me, Jenny. I’d never humiliate a girl like that. I know how it feels to be shamed, and I would never do that to another person. How can Dylan think I’d do something so awful?’

Jenny lookedat her. ‘So you absolutely swear you didn’t do it?’

‘Yes,’ Lucy said. She looked at her sister. ‘My God, you actually think I’m capable of this, don’t you?’

Jenny shrugged. ‘You’ve been so obsessed with this whole scholarship thing, I just thought you might have had a moment of madness, yeah.’

Lucy was taken aback. ‘Jesus, Jenny, I’m not a lunatic. I mean, yes, I’m delighted they’ve brokenup, but this isn’t the way I wanted it to happen.’

Jenny tucked her long legs under her. ‘Look, he’s angry and heartbroken. Maybe he did it himself when he was drunk, although it doesn’t seem like him. He’s clearly mad about Taylor and he’s a gentleman. You brought him up to respect women, so I just don’t think he’d have done it. He isadamant that he didn’t send it. If it wasn’t you, it musthave been one of his mates. Whoever did it is a real scumbag. I feel very sorry for Taylor.’

Lucy sighed. How was she going to persuade Dylan to stop blaming her and go back to school? She’d had to call St Jude’s and pretend he was sick today, but this couldn’t go on. ‘Will you try talking to him again?’ Lucy pleaded. ‘He has to go back to school. If he keeps this up, he’ll be dropped from theteam and expelled. All because of a stupid girl. God, I wish he’d never met her. Why couldn’t he just focus on his football and schoolwork?’

‘Because he’s human, Lucy. He’s a handsome seventeen-year-old with hormones. You’re too hard on them sometimes.’

Lucy bristled. Yet again her sister was talking as if she knew something about raising children. The only person Jenny had ever had to lookafter was herself. After one measly week sharing the apartment with Frank, she wanted to kick him out. ‘I’m just protective, Jenny, there’s no crime in that. I screwed up my life and I don’t want them to do the same. Dylan is now behaving like an idiot because of that girl. I want him back in school and back on track. So do me a favour, spare me the lectures and help me get my son out of that room.’

Jenny put the cushion down and stood up. ‘You don’t have to go all gritted teeth on me. I know Dylan needs to go back to school. I’m doing my best. I’m not a total moron. Go home and I’ll call you later. I promise to do everything I can to persuade him to go.’

‘Thanks, sis,’ Lucy said, and left reluctantly.

She breathed deeply as she walked home, dragging the crisp, cold air deep into her lungs.A half-moon hung over the city. The Christmas trees twinkled in every window, andshe felt a lump in her throat. Christmas Day was just over a week away, and look at the mess they were in. It would be the first time her family had an unhappy Christmas. She couldn’t bear the idea of the decorations and the cooking, all the fuss. She wanted to bury her head in the sand and wait for it all to beover.

The sound of Justin Timberlake suddenly singing ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling’ made her jump. What the …? It was her phone. She smiled. Dylan was forever giving her new ringtones when she wasn’t looking – he thought it was hilarious.

‘Hello?’

‘Ms Murphy, it’s Mr Gough here. I’m sorry to ring after school hours, but I’m afraid we seem to have a bit of a situation regarding Dylan, Taylor Lyonsand a photograph.’

Lucy’s heart sank. ‘Yes, I know about it.’

‘Well, Mr Lyons is most concerned about the leaking of the private photograph and has requested a meeting with Dylan to get to the bottom of it. I think it’s important that you attend with your son. Perhaps we can clear this mess up quickly. We don’t want it getting out in the media. We must protect the school from any negative press.’

‘Yes, of course,’ Lucy said, her voice shaking.

Mr Gough cleared his throat. ‘I’m afraid Mr Lyons is most upset about the matter and he’s talking about taking legal action, which I’m doing my utmost to dissuade him from. It’s important that Dylan is prepared to give his side of the story. We’re proposing ten o’clock tomorrow morning in my office. Can you make that?’

‘Yes,’ Lucy said. ‘I’ll bethere.’

She hung up and began to cry. This was it: her worst nightmare was coming true. If Dylan couldn’t tell them who had sent the photo, he’d be sent away from St Jude’s in disgrace and possibly taken to court. Oh, God, Dylan. Lucy had tolean against a wall. She felt faint. Her entire life was coming apart at the seams. All her efforts, seventeen years of working hard, sacrificing – and onephoto, one stupid, stupid mistake, was going to take it all away from her. From them. And what would they have left? Nothing.