Contraception was Harvey’s department. He’d read an article last year about how prolonged use of the birth control pill could have an adverse effect on a woman’s fertility rate. ‘I’m thinking of you, and the future,’ he’d said at the time. ‘Come off the pill; let’s use condoms, you can trust me. I don’t want to be a dad yet.’

It was thoughtful of him to care about my health and to volunteer to take on the responsibility; in the past, boyfriends had just left it up to me to take care of that side of things. He’d been so sweet about it that I’d happily complied.

Harvey glanced sideways at me now before tipping vegetables into the wok. It sizzled and a cloud of steam rose from the pan. ‘Yeah, but we’ve had the odd accident and you’ve never caught.’

Caught. An unbidden image of a mousetrap popped into my head.

‘Have we?’ This was news to me. ‘Why did you never say?’

‘Didn’t want to worry you,’ he said with a shrug. ‘And there was nothing to worry about; we’ve obviously dodged the bullet.’

‘So you shot, but didn’t score,’ I teased. ‘So maybe you’ve got a problem with your simple plumbing?’

‘No!’ He pointed his spatula at me, his jaw taut. ‘There’s nothing wrong with me.’

My heart thumped. This was what happened these days; one minute we were having a friendly chat, the next his temper flared and I had to talk him down.

‘I was only joking,’ I said, reaching out to stroke his bare arm. ‘Shall I put this shopping away?’

Harvey took a deep breath. ‘Yes please. I bought some more of that protein powder you like. Chocolate flavour this time. We can have it in our breakfast shakes tomorrow.’

‘Yum,’ I said, hoping I sounded convincing.

Every night he measured out our protein shakes ready for the morning. Fruit, kale and protein powder. All I had to do when I got up was add almond milk and blitz.

He thought I drank it on the way to work when what I actually did was pour it down the drain outside and then go to the Polish supermarket around the corner and buy myself a fresh pecan Danish pastry.

Five minutes later Harvey tipped our dinner on to the plates and pulled a stool out from the breakfast bar. He sat down and began to eat.