‘What is it?’ I asked, surprised.
‘I was just thinking about the end of Friday the 13th. You know, the first one? When Jason comes looming out of the water and grabs the woman in the boat?’
‘Um . . . Is that your way of saying I should row faster?’
‘Yep,’ she said.
We reached the dock and got out of the boat. It took me a minute to get my land legs back, then we got an ice cream from the kiosk, using the coupons Greg had given me. I was surprised he hadn’t offered me more today.
‘What do you want to do now?’ I asked.
‘Hey. Frankie.’
The voice came from behind us. We both turned. It was Ryan.
I stepped in front of Frankie. ‘She doesn’t want to see you. Not after what happened last night. You left her on her own!’
‘Dad . . .’ said Frankie. But seeing Ryan had reminded me how I’d felt when Nikki had brought Frankie back.
Ryan hung his head. ‘My folks ripped me a new one over it.’
‘I’m glad to hear it,’ I said.
‘I came to apologise. Frankie, I’m really sorry. I just . . . You went off so quickly and I couldn’t catch you. And then I didn’t think you wanted to talk to me. Plus I was angry too.’ He flicked a glance at me.
‘I’ve told him everything that happened,’ Frankie said.
‘Ah. Cool.’
‘That’s right,’ I said. ‘And I understand you were both angry and upset but you should never leave a girl to walk home on her own in the dark.’
‘I think that’s slightly sexist,’ he said. ‘With all due respect.’
‘Let me rephrase, then. You should never leave my daughter to walk home on her own in the dark. Come on, Frankie. Let’s go.’
I took a couple of steps before realising Frankie wasn’t following.
‘Frankie?’
‘He’s right. I did sprint off.’
‘She’s way faster than me,’ said Ryan.
That was easy to believe. Frankie had always been a fast runner. She had the medals in her bedroom to prove it.
‘Let me just have a quick chat with him,’ she said.
‘But . . . Are you sure?
‘Yeah. I want to talk to him. I want to hear him grovel.’
I wasn’t sure. But then I didn’t want to stand in the way of this friendship; and, of course, I wanted her to be happy. It would be better if they did make up.
‘All right.’ I spoke to Ryan. ‘But do not leave her on her own. When you’ve finished talking, come back to the cabin together. All right?’
‘I think he wants you to salute and say, “Yes sir”，’ said Frankie.
I walked back to the cabin, hoping I was doing the right thing.
To my surprise, there was someone outside the cabin, their back to me. It was a woman, peering through the front window.
She turned, her mouth forming an O of surprise – and guilt? – when she saw me.
‘Nikki?’ I said. ‘What’s going on?’
For a moment, I thought she was going to run away. Her body was tense, poised. But then she appeared to relax, and smiled.
‘You want to come in?’ I asked.
‘I don’t know.’ Her eyes darted around nervously, like she was afraid of someone seeing her. ‘I ought to . . .’
But I wasn’t going to let her get away without telling me why she was here.
‘Come on,’ I said, and I steered her inside.
Chapter 25
‘Do you want to go for a walk?’ Ryan said, after her dad had gone.
‘Sure. I guess.’
They walked along the lake’s shore. Neither of them spoke at first. It was around six thirty in the evening but the sun was still high and strong, and Frankie took some sunscreen out of her bag and rubbed it on her arms.
‘Do you want some?’ she asked.
‘I’m good.’ An awkward pause. ‘Are you going to the barbecue later?’
‘Barbecue?’
‘Yeah, the big campfire thing. Pretty much everyone here is going, I think. Mom and Dad have some mysterious surprise lined up for it.’
‘What is it?’
‘They won’t tell me. They said they can’t risk it leaking. Like I’m gonna run around talking to all their weirdo fans as if I actually give a shit. I think it’s something to do with that bald dude they’ve been hanging with.’
They had entered a lightly wooded area. A path continued to follow the perimeter of the lake.
‘About yesterday,’ Ryan said. ‘I really am sorry.’