The time passes quickly, and I’m only about ten minutes out on my estimate when I hear the sound of Tom’s car parking up outside. I look out of the bedroom window and watch as he opens the driver’s door, walks round to unlock the boot and takes his suitcase out before walking towards the house.

At that moment, my phone rings. I look at the screen. It’s Cath.

‘Cath, sorry. Can I call you back?’

‘Uh, yeah. But listen. There’s something you need to know. It’s about Matt.’

I hear the thud of Tom resting his suitcase against the front door while he searches for his keys.

‘Cath, please. I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back.’

I hang up the phone, take a deep breath and walk downstairs. I’ve practiced what I’m going to say over and over in my head over the past few days, like an actor about to walk out on stage.

I hear him fumbling with his key in the lock, trying to figure out why it won’t work. It’s because I’ve had the locks changed, Thomas. I’ve been planning ahead. You might have thought you were the one in charge, but you’re not. Not any more.

I wait for him to knock on the door, then I insert my own key and unlock it, before opening the door to the man I’ve spent the last few months loving, but who now seems like a stranger to me.

‘My key doesn’t work for some reason,’ he says, looking at me.

‘I know,’ I reply. ‘There’s a reason for that. I think we need to talk.’

47

Tom steps inside the house with his suitcase, and I have to admit he’s doing a great job of looking confused.

‘What’s this all about?’ he asks, putting his case down in the hall. ‘What’s going on?’

‘I’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently, Tom. I don’t think we’re right for each other. I think we should go our separate ways.’

He looks at me for a few moments as this registers with him. ‘This is about the night of the wedding, isn’t it?’ he asks.

‘What about it?’ I say, remembering there are two recording devices that could pick up a confession here.

He ignores my question. ‘Did you get the locks changed?’

‘They’re my locks. I wasn’t feeling safe after I had my phone stolen, so I wanted to upgrade my security.’

‘You had them changed to keep me out, didn’t you?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ I tell him. ‘I just let you in, didn’t I?’

‘Why are you doing this, Grace?’

I avert my eyes to avoid meeting his gaze. ‘I just don’t think we’re best suited to each other. Not after what happened.’

‘After what happened?’

I look at him. ‘After you pinned me to that wall and tried to strangle me the night of Cath’s wedding, Tom. What did you think I meant?’

‘Are you serious? I’ve never laid a finger on you in my life! Not on anyone, in fact. Where on earth has all this come from? Are you okay?’