‘They are becoming good,’ Antoine said to me. ‘Like their sister.’
I almost smiled, despite everything. Even thoughhewasn’t smiling, it wasn’t conscious. Just this automatic smile reflex, a side effect of receiving a compliment from Antoine.
‘But I kept falling off,’ Wren cut in, upset.
Antoine crouched down in front of her. ‘The falling off is the most important. Because that is how you learn. And how many times did you get back up and do it again?’
Wren held up eight fingers and Antoine smiled, then winked at her, making her grin. He ruffled her hair and stood up, then walked over to the hut. To my left, Felix cleared his throat, jolting me out of my head.
‘Do you want to go back?’ I asked. ‘I can stay here, with the girls?’
He stared at me for a second, and I held out my hand to pull him up, but he didn’t take it. He just dragged himself to his feet and brushed the sand from his shorts as he looked at me.
‘You light up when you are near him,’ he said.
‘What? Who?’ I asked.
‘Antoine. You become more … vibrant. It is hard to explain.’
Felix’s brown eyes searched mine for their reaction.
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ I stuttered, hoping he couldn’t hear the thud of my heartbeat against my rib cage.
‘Yes, you do,’ he replied with a sad smile.
And just as he turned to walk away, we were distracted by Rue’s voice. ‘Did you really see me, Felix?’ she said. Then she came and wrapped her freezing, wet arms round him.
‘Of course I did. You were amazing. So was Wren.’
The girls and Felix found a spot on the sand to sit down. I watched them for a moment, before instinctively turning round to find Antoine watching me. Unsmiling.
I walked closer to him, conscious that Felix was still in earshot.
The tension was palpable. Vibrating angrily between us. I didn’tlight uparound him at all.
‘Thanks for the lesson, Antoine, they really enjoy them,’ I said, trying to take any emotion out of my voice.
‘They take instructions well …’ he said. An obvious dig. Wren and Rue were play-fighting with each other. Antoine took off his rash vest and I forced myself to look away, because I was seething and didn’t want to be distracted.
‘They’re children. They need instructions.’
Antoine laughed and walked towards the hut. But he turned back to say, ‘Are you going to South Cove tonight? I am sure that Delphine has told you? She tries to get everyone to go to South Cove parties.’
‘Maybe. Why?’ I shrugged, conscious of Felix nearby. His silence, awkward and loud all at the same time.
‘Because South Cove is not just a party. It is where competitions are discussed. Arrangements are made …’
‘Why are you telling me this? What does that even mean?’
‘I just mean that you should be careful if you come tonight. Be careful who you talk to. What you agree to.’
And that made me snap. ‘I don’t need you to protect me.’ I spat out the words.
‘I think, from seeing you a few days ago, youdoneed me to protect you.’ He said it seriously, making sure to find my eyes, with no hint of a smile.
‘That was a mistake. Have you never made a mistake before?’ I asked, trying to keep my voice down with Wren and Rue so close, but it was almost impossible. He was so exasperating. I pushed back hair that wasn’t even in my eyes.
‘Mistakes? Of course. But yours? It was avoidable.’
