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“They scraped it all. Fucked the seabed, fucked our diving grounds. Went right through the creel pots too. Everything’s destroyed, and who has to pay for it? Us, that’s who. Now we have to spend the next few weeks finding a new diving ground, but how long before that gets fucked too?” he growls as he pulls the car over outside Isla’s home.

She looks at me, concern etched on her face. I give her an easy smile to let her know it’s alright. Da sounds really mad, but I know he just needs to let it all out. He’s never angry with me.

“Bye, Mr—ah. Bye, Nathan.” Isla hops out of the car and swings the door shut behind her.

Da turns around to look at me sitting in the back. “Whatever you do, Rob, don’t become a fisherman.”

I nod. I don’t plan to. I hate the sea.

“Hey, man.” A hand grabs my arm, startling me out of my memories.

I lift my head from where I was staring unfocused at my feet, coming face to face with one of my best friends, Richard.

“I said I’d meet you outside your lecture, but you weren’t there.”

I plaster on a fake grin. “Sorry, guess I forgot. I was heading home to pack.”

“You haven’t even packed yet?” he shouts as we walk to the car park.

“Define pack …”

Isla appears out of nowhere, bumping her shoulder against my arm. “Rob won’t pack until five minutes before we need to leave.”

True.

In the car park, I hop into my beat-up old Land Rover, leaving Richard and Isla to get into her little Mini. I start the engine, wiping away a stray tear that rolls down my cheek as I step on the accelerator.

The longer I drive, the clearer my mind becomes, until thoughts of my da fade to gentle background noise. I take a deep breath as our townhouse comes into view and pull onto the drive.

“Hurry up, I want to beat the half-term traffic,” Richard says as we get through the front door.

“I can keep you busy while he packs.” Isla presses herself against him, her fingers sliding into his black curls, tugging them until he lets out a little moan⁠—

Nope. Not again. I jog up the stairs, not wanting to hear any of that. I pack slowly, giving the lovebirds plenty of time to do whatever Isla’s planning. Interrupting them once was more than enough to scar me for life.

I’ve known Isla forever, but Richard I met when we came to Cumbria University three years ago. He was assigned the same dorm room as me, and when Isla knocked on the door to help me unpack on the first day of freshers, she zeroed in on him right away. Richard leant over his bed to reach for something, and both Isla and I checked out his arse. She whispered, “Dibs,” in my ear, and that was that. Love at first bottom, or whatever it is they say.

“Alright, I’m ready!” I shout so they have time to get decent. I have no idea if they’re in the bedroom or still in the living room, but I head straight for the front door. “I’ll be at the car!”

A couple of minutes go by before the two of them come out, Richard’s hair a mess and Isla’s lips pink and swollen. I roll my eyes, and as soon as Richard unlocks his car, I throw my bag in the boot and hop into the passenger seat, calling, “Shotgun!”

“Robbie, get out! I’m not sitting in the back,” Isla huffs.

I lock the door as she tries to pull it open. I get motion sickness sitting in the back, and she damn well knows it. It’s either this or I sit behind her and throw up in her hair. Pretty sure sitting next to her boyfriend for an hour’s drive isn’t worth that.

“Sorry, babe, he called shotgun,” Richard tells her, getting into the driver’s side.

“Why did I even ask you to come?” Isla grumbles as she gets in behind me.

“Because you’re a chicken. I only agreed so I can finally meet Daddy Blackwood.”

Richard takes his hand off the gear stick to thump me on the arm. “Never, ever call my dad that again.”

“Come in, come in. Hey, I’m Charlie.” Richard’s dad shakes my hand as we pile into his house.

For all my joking and winding Richard up, his dad is pretty handsome. I’m instantly drawn to his kind grey eyes, and the way they crinkle at the corners as he grins.

Richard’s last through the door, and we stand awkwardly in the hall as Charlie grabs him in a tight hug. Something pinches in my chest, and I look away, scanning the small hall for anything else to focus on.