‘That’s your fault, not mine,’ Marie said huffily. ‘Every time I try to talk to you, you criticize me and put me down. It’s like I can’t do right for doing wrong, and I’m sick of it.’

Evan could have argued that it was the total opposite, in his opinion: he tried to talk, while she nagged and bitched. But that would go down like a lead balloon, and he didn’t want to argue, so he held up his hands.

‘OK, you’re right . . . it’s all me. I’m a selfish prick, and you deserve better.’

‘Yes, you are, and I do,’ Marie agreed. ‘So what do you want?’

‘To sort things out,’ said Evan. ‘I know I’ve treated you badly, but I love you, and I want to make it right.’

‘How do I know you’re not just saying that to worm your way back in here because you’ve got nowhere else to go?’ Marie asked. ‘You say you’ve been at your dad’s, but I’ve only got your word for that. You could have been with that tart, for all I know.’

‘Do you want me to ring him so you can ask him yourself?’ Evan slid his phone out of his pocket – praying that she wouldn’t make him go through with it.

Marie tutted and rolled her eyes.

‘You know damn well I wouldn’t make you disturb him at this time of night. Anyway, he’d only lie for you, so what’s the point?’

‘You’re wrong about that,’ Evan said. ‘If you’d heard the way he’s been going on at me this week, you’d know he’s on your side, not mine.’

Marie pursed her lips, but her expression had softened a little, and Evan could see that she wanted to believe him.

‘I shouldn’t have stayed away so long, and I totally get why you’re mad at me,’ he said. ‘But I’m home now, so can we sit down and talk?’

‘Fine, we’ll talk,’ she agreed. ‘But don’t make yourself too comfortable, ’cos I haven’t decided what I’m doing yet.’

She turned at that and stomped into the kitchen with the dog on her heels, and Evan shook his head as he looped his jacket over the newel post. This was as much his house as it was hers – more so, in fact, considering he’d paid all the bills since she packed her job in. But she had the moral high ground, so he was going to have to take whatever she threw at him and hope she’d agree to let him stay. He’d sleep in the spare room or on the sofa if he had to, he honestly didn’t care as long as he could get his head down for a few hours.