‘Dino offered me a job in his bar. Said he’d promote me to manager as soon as I’m up for it. I thought if you were working the early evening slot in London it’d be perfect; our hours would line up. But then you didn’t get the job, so I turned him down. I’ve not got anything sorted in Nottingham yet, but if this is where you’ll be then I’ll be here, too. I’m done with being so far away from you.’

My phone rang, interrupting my freewheeling thoughts again. I opened my bag and rejected the call without bothering to check who it was.

‘Saying you’ll move up to Nottingham, leave all “your pals” behind for me, get some random job that feels crap compared to doing what you love, it won’t be long before you start resenting me for it. I wouldn’t give up my career, my life, for you. You can’t do that for me.’

He shrugged. ‘I’ve already decided. This is what I want. And I’m not being stupid about it, I’ll get whatever job I can to pay my share of the bills, but I’m going to take some time and figure out what I really want to do, something that I actually stand a chance of doing.’ His mouth twitched. ‘I had wondered about teaching music.’

I took a moment to try to absorb some of this, but it felt too big to even know where to start.

‘I got the job.’

Adam sat back in surprise. ‘The London one?’

I nodded.

‘Then I can work for Dino. That’s amazing, Bea. It couldn’t be more perfect. This is…’ He stopped to top up our glasses again. I’d drunk the last one without even noticing. ‘To us.’

Before I could decide whether I agreed that there’d be an ‘us’, my phone rang for the third time. Disconcerted, I checked to see who was calling. Henry. And from a quick glance he’d called the first two times as well.

‘Hello?’

‘Joy’s collapsed.’

‘What?’ It felt as though every organ in my body stopped dead.

‘Ambulance should be here in a few minutes. She hit her head on the kitchen worktop.’

‘Is she awake?’ I was already scrabbling to my feet, ignoring Adam’s questioning look.

‘No. But she’s breathing.’

‘Mum and Dad?’

‘I can’t get through to them. They probably put their phones on silent for the show. I didn’t want to leave her to come and find them.’

‘No, of course not.’

‘If you’re still with Adam, can he let them know while you can come straight over? I don’t mind going with her in the ambulance, but I thought that—’

‘I’m coming now.’