‘Was it sent from my phone?’ I scan the message details on her mobile and see that there’s a number attached to the text. But it’s not mine.

‘I tried calling the number,’ Emma says, ‘but it wouldn’t connect. So I called your other number, but that one just went straight through to voicemail.’

‘Sorry about that. I put my phone on silent so I could ignore all Joe’s messages and calls.’

‘And you’re absolutely sure this text isn’t from you?’

‘Nope, definitely not.’

‘So…’ She grimaces.

‘Yeah. It must be from the same person who’s sending the letters. I can’t think of anyone else who would do it.’

‘Check your phone,’ Emma says. ‘See if they’ve sent you anything.’

She follows me into the kitchen where I pull my phone out of my bag and start scrolling past all Joe’s texts, dreading spotting an anonymous number. But there are no unusual texts. ‘Nothing that I can see,’ I say, my heart rate slowing. ‘Why would they send you that message?’

‘To mess with us?’ Emma replies. ‘To make me worried about you? Who knows? It’s bloody annoying. I was looking forward to a relaxing night in front of the telly, not a mad dash down the motorway in Friday-night traffic.’

‘Sorry,’ I say.

‘You don’t need to say sorry. It wasn’t you who sent the message… was it?’

‘No! I already said it wasn’t.’

Emma gives a grim smile. ‘Just double-checking.’ She slips her phone back in her bag and drums her nails on the kitchen counter. ‘So, you and Joe… he finally admitted it, then?’

I nod, hardly daring to speak about it.

‘How did you get him to own up?’

‘I asked him outright. I knew straight away from the expression on his face. And he knew I knew. So there was no point him denying it any more.’

She sits down heavily on the kitchen stool, rests her elbows on the counter top.

‘Oh, Emma,’ I cry, ‘I am so sorry. I’m the worst sister in the world. I don’t know what I was thinking back then, and for all these years. Do you hate me? You must do.’

Emma fixes me with an unreadable stare. ‘Of course I don’t hate you. You’re my little sister. You’re bloody annoying, and stubborn, but even after all this time I still love you, Lizzy. Even if you have massively pissed me off.’

Her words warm me, but also fill me with shame. ‘How can you even look at me after I took Joe’s side against you? I basically cut you out of my life for no good reason.’

She shrugs. ‘He’s charming. You loved him. I guess he was easy to believe.’

I shake my head and stare at my feet.

‘Don’t get me wrong,’ Emma says, ‘for the first couple of years I hated your guts. I was furious with you and with Joe. Those bloody birthday lunches of Mum’s were torture. But then I met Mike, and one day I told him about everything that had happened between us, and he explained how we all make errors in judgement. How, if you truly believed Joe was telling the truth, then of course you would take his side. He made me see that this was Joe’s fault, not yours. You were just caught up in his lie. He told me that the truth would eventually come out.’ She gives a brittle laugh. ‘I didn’t believe him, but it turns out he was right.’

I’m now seeing Emma’s fiancé in a whole new light. ‘Sounds like you’ve got the perfect man there, Emma. What is he, a Christian, a Buddhist?’

Emma smiles. ‘No, he’s just kind. I actually tried to set up a meeting with Joe a couple of years ago, to try to talk him into owning up to what he’d done. To tell him I would forgive him. But he wouldn’t even meet with me. Wouldn’t return my calls. So I gave up, and just carried on living my life, without you in it.’

How could I have got things so wrong? Mum’s right about me, I’m not half the person Emma is. I need to sit down, to digest everything. But there’s only one stool in the kitchen and Emma is sitting on it. I lean back against the counter instead, trying to take it all in.

‘What are we going to do about this message?’ Emma asks.

‘What can we do?’ I say, crossing my arms. ‘Nothing. I guess we need to let the police know about it. But there’s no traceable number. We don’t know why they left the message in the first place. To get you here?’

‘Maybe.’

‘There’s something else…’

Emma raises an eyebrow and I tell her about the hoax call to British Gas.

‘Bloody hell,’ she says, her eyes filling with concern. ‘Are you okay?’

I shrug. ‘I guess I should be thankful there wasn’t an actual gas leak. But it makes me worried that it was some kind of threat. That they might actually act on it next time. Maybe even do something to the boiler.’

‘You should get an alarm system.’

‘I’ll probably be moving out soon, so there’s no point.’

‘Why don’t I stay and keep you company?’ she says.

‘That’s okay. You should probably just go back home and enjoy your evening.’ But I realise I don’t want her to go.

‘I can’t leave you here on your own. Not while there’s a crazy person out there. You could come back to Bristol with me. Our flat’s pretty big, and we’ve got a lovely spare room that hardly ever gets used. Come on, pack a bag, let’s go.’ She springs to her feet.

‘I can’t, Emma. I’ve got work tomorrow.’

‘You can still go to work. Plenty of people commute that distance. Traffic won’t be too bad on a Saturday morning.’

‘Honestly, Emma, thank you, but I can’t.’

‘You can.’

‘I’d feel weird with Mike there. He knows everything about us, about me not believing you, my own sister. I feel crap about it. Ashamed.’

‘Mike’s not like that. He’s a good guy. You’ll see once you get to know him properly.’

‘I’m sure I will. Just… just not yet, okay?’

‘Fine. I’ll stay here with you then. Have you got a spare room? Or I can sleep on the sofa.’

‘I can’t ask you to do that.’

‘You’re not asking, I’m offering. And anyway, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.’ Emma takes my hand in both of hers and squeezes it. ‘I’ve got you back in my life again, Lizzy. I’m not letting you stay here on your own where some psycho stalker can get to you. We can order in a takeaway and talk about old times, before our misunderstanding.’

But even with my sister in the cottage with me, I realise I don’t want to stay here. Not with the memories of Joe all around me and the distinct possibility of him turning up unannounced. Plus, it will be awful if Emma’s here when Joe shows up – and I know he will, it’s only a matter of time. Joe turning up is almost as bad as the threat of our stalker leaving another letter… or worse.

Something suddenly occurs to me. Something that would be perfect. ‘Emma, I’ve got an idea. Wait here a minute.’ Infused with a sudden burst of energy, I leave the kitchen.

‘Where are you going?’ my sister calls after me.

‘I’ll be two minutes!’ I snatch up my keys and leave the house, heading next door to Ian and Ruby’s. While I’m outside a streak of lightning flashes above me, splitting the sky in two.

Ian answers the door. ‘All right, Lizzy,’ he says, scratching the side of his groin and staring up at the sky. ‘Looks like it’s about to piss down.’

‘Ian, hi. Yes, must be a summer shower on its way. Is Ruby in?’

‘Hang on, I’ll get her.’ He disappears into the lounge and Ruby comes out.

‘Hiya.’ Her hair is pulled up in a high ponytail, and her shorts are so short I’m almost embarrassed to look at her. ‘You okay?’ she asks. ‘Wanna come in for a drink?’

‘No, I won’t stop, but thank you. I was wondering… is that offer of the minibreak still available? No worries if not, I just thought—’

‘Yeah, ’course it is. You wanna go?’

‘If that’s okay?’

She gives me a huge grin. ‘Honestly, Lizzy, you’re gonna love it. I am well jel. Although it looks like there’s a massive storm on the way…’

‘Doesn’t bother me. We could do with a storm to cool things down a bit.’

We both give a start as a crack of thunder shakes the air.

‘Fuck!’ Ruby cries. ‘’Scuse my French.’

I laugh at her expression. ‘There’s just one other thing…’

‘Oh yeah?’

‘Would you mind if my sister came with me on the minibreak?’

‘Your sister? I thought you two weren’t speaking. What about that thing with Joe?’

‘Long story, but we’ve sort of made up. So I thought the holiday home thing could be a nice break, a chance to reconnect.’

‘Sounds good,’ she says with a smile.

I’m actually starting to get excited about this trip. It could be a really good way to spend time with my sister. A really positive start to the rest of my life. ‘Thank you, Ruby.’ I kiss her cheek and she turns bright red.

‘No worries,’ she chirps. ‘I’ll text you the details and the key code, okay?’

‘Brilliant. Thank you so much. Have a good time at Ian’s dad’s do. I bet it will be great.’

Ruby rolls her eyes.

I head home, looking forward to telling my sister the news that we’re about to have a night away in a five-star holiday home. Away from bad boyfriends. Away from untrustworthy friends. Away from scary stalkers. I can’t wait.