Then I frown. It’s alright me thinking it’s okay to stay here, but is it with Zeb? Is he just being polite and unable to hurt my feelings enough to demand that I fuck off back to my own house? I look down at my supper and smile and shake my head. He knew I was coming back here.

When I’ve finished my food and put the pots away, I wander into the bedroom. It’s lit by the light of the moon and the streetlights outside, and the huge window is open, letting in the sounds of people moving through the yard outside.

I smile at the sight of Zeb. He’s asleep, which is hardly surprising as he’s been working all hours himself. He bought a house a few months ago with the aim of flipping it. I’d been surprised because as much as he loved his dad, he always seemed to shy away from any hint that he’s anything like him. I’d also been amazed by the fact that he was doing most of the work himself.

But he’s his father’s son, and he knew a lot more about it than I’d realised, and he’s thrived these last few months. He sends me off with a kiss to work before he zips off to the house, accompanied by Clarence with his head out of the truck window. Yes, Zeb now drives a dusty old truck and he dresses in disreputable old jeans and T-shirts as he goes to spend his day pulling up floors and demolishing walls. He comes home dirty and happy and it bloody suits him so much.

He promoted Felix to manager and hired someone to help him out when he bought the house, and the agency is thriving. Felix says he misses taking the piss out of him, but Zeb told me that Felix was always better at the job than him. I sometimes miss seeing Zeb in those sexy suits, but I like even more the lack of stress in his face and the way he glows these days.

Clarence huffs and jumps up onto the bed, curling into the corner of Zeb’s legs and settling down happily. I smirk. When we first got him, Zeb had sternly laid down the law on where the dog could go, which didn’t seem to be many places apart from his basket. However, Clarence is cunning and gradually circumvented Zeb’s rules until there weren’t many left.

I’d known that the dog had won when I came home and found him sitting by the side of the bath barking so that Zeb would throw water at him. The mess in the room clearly indicated a power shift that abides to this day.