‘He did. He knew I was there,’ Simi said again.

Jemima checked her pockets for tissues in anticipation of the sorrow that threatened.

‘We had a connection,’ said Simi as a tear tumbled down her face.

‘Right, that’s it!’ Meagan said, skidding into a taxi rank and stopping inches from an idling cab.

Jemima and Simi lurched forward like crash test dummies as Meagan thumped the brake button and turned sharply to Simi. ‘Babe, you might have had a connection but it’s time to hang up.’

Jemima braced herself hoping that, for once, Meagan’s tough love might be administered kindly.

‘Wake up to yourself!’ Meagan barked in Simi’s face, flicking her forehead with a thock.

Nope, it was going to be angry drill sergeant all the way, sighed Jemima.

‘You weren’t living together. You were his lodger. Your stuff wasn’t even in the flat. It was in the boxes we dropped you off with A YEAR AGO!’

‘But—’ Simi started; however Meagan was on a roll.

‘No, Sim. If you’ve got this amazing connection and he knew you were there, why didn’t he fight for you? He was practically helping us pack. SCREW. THAT. GUY,’ she said punctuating each word with a handclap.

Behind them a black cab pulled into the rank, tooting at them. Meagan gave him a dismissive wave then turned back to Simi who sat in stupefied silence. Jemima looked at her and her heart lurched.

‘I’m sorry, darling. Meagan’s right. Screw him,’ she said.

‘Damn straight!’ Meagan boomed. ‘You HAVE TO TAKE CONTROL! You let every boyfriend set the pace of the relationship then you just dance to the beat of his drum! They decide when you get to see each other, when your first time is, when they meet your friends and family. It’s mental. Every guy you have EVER dated has made you into what they want and then they chuck you out when you ask for something. And it starts All. Over. Again.’

‘But I left him…’ Simi began.

‘Constructive dismissal, babes,’ Meagan snapped. ‘He creates the conditions to make it untenable but you have to do the deed. Full Metal Coward. Do you need Jemima to write it down in black and white so you can see how your history repeats again and again?! Change the backstory, Sim! Do a U-turn. Switch it up. Something. Please!’

Jemima watched Simi take it all in, her face unreadable. They’d both tried to say this to her for years but the message had never got through. Instead, they’d just taken their place on the sidelines ready to rush in the minute their player was down. But this time was different. The intent behind Meagan’s words shocked even Jemima. She held her breath watching Simi who was no longer crying. In fact, her face was… clear.

‘I am a disaster area,’ she whispered, as though seeing the whole picture for the first time.

‘You are not a disaster area. You just need to… love you,’ Jemima cooed trying to smooth over the crude, broad strokes of Meagan’s vitriol.