‘Good to see you, Adam.’ She stood up from a plump sofa and pecked him on both cheeks. He breathed in her perfume; the same one she always wore. She was older, of course, but well, the same only more grown up. Dressed casually in a denim skirt, ankle boots, and ruffle blouse. Sexier than ever.

‘You too.’

She’d called him a week after his accident but had been undecided about meeting up after all this time. In the end she probably felt sorry for him, especially when he’d told her what had happened to his face.

‘Can I get you anything?’ He took a handful of coins out of his jeans pocket.

‘I’m fine, thanks.’ She sat down again while he went to join the queue.

He fingered his wedding ring at the bottom of his pocket. What was he doing? Maddy would be in the garden with the girls and here he was, watching Ali peer at herself in a mirror, touching up her make-up. He’d had to change his whole life because of her and here she was, as if it was nothing. He needed to find out what had really happened but that was it, he couldn’t jeopardise the life he had built up with Maddy and the girls.

He carried his coffee to the table.

‘So how have you been?’ She sipped her drink, leaving red lipstick around the rim.

He leaned across the table and opened his mouth to speak, but she continued.

‘Jaz says you’re a painter and decorator. That’s nice.’

‘Yeah, papering over the cracks.’ He sat back. ‘You look like you’re doing all right.’

‘I’m manager of a charity shop.’

‘How respectable. Didn’t join the family business then?’ He blew on his coffee before taking a sip.

‘It’s a job.’ She shrugged. ‘I like it.’

‘Didn’t think to contact me at all?’ He stretched his arm across the back of the chair next to him.

‘How could I?’

‘I stuck around for you, why didn’t you tell me what you were going to do?’ He jabbed a finger at her.

‘Dad made me. He sent me away. It would have been too dangerous to come back.’

‘Yeah, well they beat the living shit out of me.’

‘I didn’t know, I’m sorry.’ She moved back in her seat.

‘Do me a favour.’ He rubbed his forehead.

‘Honestly. They told me you’d done a runner. I had no choice once he found out we were seeing each other, that I was pregnant.’ Her hand spread open on the table. Each of her delicate fingers full of gold rings.

‘Ah, dear old Dad lied to both of us, eh?’ Max gave a half-laugh. ‘To think I looked up to him once, thought he was like a dad to me.’

‘I’d never seen him so angry.’ Her face was suddenly flushed and shining.