‘That’s it then, isn’t it,’ she said flatly. ‘It’s all over, isn’t it? There’s no way any music executives will listen to him now. And he told me to give up my course! Told me it was a waste of time and money when he had so many connections.’ She swallowed. It was a relief to close her eyes and allow her head to collapse into her arms, the image of Teddy and Alice wrapped up in bed together lining her eyelids like a projector screen.

‘Can you go back and finish it?’ Jules asked.

Nina shook her head. ‘I couldn’t take out another student loan. It’s hard enough paying off the amount I had for the first year.’ She couldn’t help the loaded emphasis to her words, knowing concerns about fees and money were something her friends had no experience of. She felt angry, bitter. Life was easy for some and it wasn’t fair. She couldn’t ask Sylvie for the money, couldn’t admit how wrong she’d been.

‘So, you and Teddy then?’ Jules said amiably to Alice, directing the focus away from Nina but still stealing glances in her direction to check she was okay.

‘There you are! We were just talking about you!’ Despite the circumstances, Alice’s face split into a grin as Teddy appeared.

Great, thought Nina. Just great.

*

Nina couldn’t tell if she was imagining it or if Teddy was avoiding her gaze, as he sat beside Alice, his lean body angled forward, his hair tipped over his face, his hands clasped between his knees, saying ‘I need water’ as Alice reached over and squeezed his knee. The vision seared against her eyeballs. They were acting like a couple. They were even dressed similarly, both in loose grey hoodies, but for Alice’s pink pashmina scarf, worn loosely round her neck.

‘I saw the headlines about your father,’ Teddy said, looking at her now. ‘Are you okay?’

Nina nodded, her sunglasses still fixed firmly on her face, a welcome barrier. Did she come on to Teddy last night? She wished she could remember.

They walked back to Alice’s flat after lunch, Nina and Teddy drifting behind Alice and Jules. Nina was going to pick up her stuff and head over to see Sylvie again before she left. She supposed she’d have to break the news about Samir, but didn’t expect it to come as a big surprise.

Her grandmother was the only person who knew about her true feelings for Teddy. She looked forward to curling up on her chaise longue under a blanket and telling her everything. She hoped Sylvie had picked up some cakes on her morning constitutional to La Grande Épicerie, ideally a large tarte aux pommes. Only apples cooked in butter and brown sugar could help right now.

‘It’s been so good to see you.’ Teddy smiled slowly, sunlight fanning through his hair, highlighting the lightened tips. The Aix effect, she thought. ‘In person. Not just over email.’

She had half expected him to avoid or deny their correspondence, it seemed so incongruous to the situation, but now she wanted to ask, What’s going on? A jangling sense of shame was building, embarrassment that she had got things so wrong. She had been at home, or trimming stems in Joanie’s floristry, pining for him. Pining for a man who was now shagging one of her closest friends. She may have loved him first, but he was Alice’s now. And they could never be. Not now. Not ever. The finality of it was gutting.