What was he doing here, anyway? Didn’t he think she took her work seriously? Didn’t he know how hard it was to study for a Ph.D. without dealing with this other crap? Already freaked out by Peter Hughes, she’d been crushed when she’d dug up the camera and found ripped wires and smashed glass. The fact Ben had caught her talking to her imaginary friends just made her mortification complete. The sabotage—and that had to be Peter, though he’d never given her any trouble before today—meant that when the puffins arrived for the breeding season, she’d have to stay on the island fulltime to guard her equipment. With Peter Hughes. Otherwise she’d never collect enough data to finish her thesis—she’d be stuck here year after year until she finally gave up. I will not give up. Remembering his touch, gooseflesh appeared on her arms. She felt dirty and was furious with herself for not kneeing him in the balls when she had the chance. Next time he pulled that crap, she’d shove his testicles into his eye sockets.
