Simon’s chocolate goes soft in my mouth. It leaves a gooey layer on my teeth. I run my tongue around my gums to clean it out. But my mouth still feels clogged.
He’s staring at his gloved hands. ‘Your mother says you’re leaving.’
Above us, the rooks scrape out another call.
He pushes his glasses up his nose and moves closer along the bench, but doesn’t touch. ‘I think it’s a good thing. You know. You should be with your dad. I think it will be good. For all of us.’
I nod, stretching my legs out in front of me. I dig the heels of my ankle boots into the mud.
He fakes a cough. ‘We’ll miss you,’ he says. Then, ‘I’ll miss you.’
I look at his face. That withered cheek. That fringe frozen into place. He tries a small smile.
‘Give me some more,’ I say. We look at each other, and then he hands me the chocolate.
Together, we finish off the whole bar. We sit and look out at the bare trees and the still water and we eat and eat and eat as if we’re hungry. It makes my stomach feel twisted and sore, but I keep chewing and swallowing.
When we’ve finished, he says, very quietly, ‘The police asked me about Shane.’
I screw up the wrapper and throw it in the grass.
‘Joanna. They asked me about you and him.’
I don’t say anything.
‘They said Luke told them there was a fight. A fight with Shane.’
My mouth is dry and when I swallow it’s like it’s still clogged with chocolate.
‘I didn’t say anything,’ he says. He puts his head in his hands. Rubs at his temples. ‘I don’t know why. I said I didn’t know anything about him.’
‘You don’t know anything about him.’
He shakes his head. ‘No,’ he says. ‘I suppose not. But you should have told them about him, Joanna. Even if he didn’t do anything, even if it was an accident – ’
‘It was an accident. It said in the newspaper. Rob drowned.’
I stand up and realise my legs are shaking. But I keep my voice steady. ‘Shane wouldn’t have hurt him. Not like that.’
He looks at me for a long time, his eyes searching my face. My throat goes tight, but I will not cry.
‘I’m sorry,’ he says. Then he hangs his head again and rubs at his temples.
I turn from him but he grabs my sleeve and I let him hold it for a minute.
‘Wait,’ he says. He fishes in his pocket with his other hand. Then he dangles something long and shiny from one finger. ‘I’ve got you a present. Earrings. Your reward for our tutorials. And, you know, to say goodbye.’
I look back over the pool. ‘Thanks,’ I say.
But I walk away without taking them, and he doesn’t come after me.