‘I probably should have talked to someone—talked to you—but …’ He shrugged. ‘Talking about stuff like that has never come easily to me, so instead, I think I started to resent you. I thought having sex with other people might numb the pain, the emptiness I feel, but it hasn’t. I’ve been drinking more as well, but that’s not working either. These months apart and then Payton frightening us today has made me realise how stupid I’ve been.’

I raised my eyebrows—he wasn’t going to get any arguments here.

‘I’m sorry for causing you and the kids such pain.’ Adrian paused, took my hands in his and held them as if they were the most precious things in the world. ‘I’d do anything to be able to take these last few months back, but do you think you could find it in your heart to forgive me?’

Forgiveness was one thing, but something in his voice told me that wasn’t all he wanted. ‘What exactly are you asking?’

‘I miss you, Ash. I want you back. I want to put our family back together.’

‘What?’ I tore my hands from his, unable to believe my ears and his about-face. ‘This is because of Dan, isn’t it? Now that somebody else is interested in me, you want me back?’

‘No.’ He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. ‘It’s not just because of that. I fucked up. Made the biggest mistake possible. And because of my mistake, our daughter almost died.’

Wow, I couldn’t believe him capable of making such a connection, never mind admitting it, but I wasn’t going to argue the point. If he hadn’t left me, I’d never have been in Ragged Point and our daughter would never have needed to even consider walking home alone.

Adrian went on. ‘The shock of getting that phone call and seeing Payton in emergency made me realise what’s really important in life. It’s the kids. It’s you and me. It’s family.’

‘What about what you said to Megan? You told her you weren’t sure if you ever really loved me. That if it weren’t for Leo—’

‘That was wrong of me. I can’t pretend to know what life might have been like if you didn’t get pregnant or Leo had lived, and I meant it when I said I wasn’t sure what love was back then, but I know now. It’s you and me and the kids. It’s us. I’m sorry I lost the plot for a while, but I promise you I’ll make it up to you.’