Eddie

I JOG QUICKLY TOWARD THE rear of The Manor. I've told Bella I'm going to grab an ice pack for her head. I've seen plenty of concussions playing rugby and hers looks pretty bad. I tried to get her to sit down but she was still on her feet when I left her. I really hope she isn't thinking of doing anything stupid.

I round the corner and run smack into Nathan Tate. His eyes are wild—he looks even more tapped than before.

Then there's a muffled boom and a window somewhere above explodes outwards, glass raining down around us. I look up and see flames leaping through the gap.

"Oh my God," I say. "Nathan, what have you done?"

"It wasn't me," he says. "It was that mad fucking witch. I swear." Then he lurches forward and grips me by my upper arms. "Eddie. I was coming to find you actually." He screws up his face. The next words tumble out in a rush. "So—here it is, right? I did supply Jake with the H all those years ago. I've... yeah, look, I've felt shitty about it ever since. It's eaten me up. And... I'm sorry, mate. But you should have seen him. Could tell he just needed it, for whatever reason. Something to make him feel better. He was just so fucking sad."

He looks down the drive. "Can't believe she just torched her own gaff. What a frigging psycho." His voice hardens, eyes feral, fists clenching at his sides. "She had to take that away from me too, didn't she? And now she's getting away with it. Nah. Fuck that." And then I turn and watch as he starts to run.