‘I would have made sure they deleted them all.’ Henry blinked, furiously, and I noticed his ears had turned red. I sat back, surprised as I realised that he was annoyed that I’d felt pressured into having the photos, at a time when I was desperately upset.

‘Thank you. But I didn’t mind,’ I said, leaning closer to him. ‘If posing for a few photos helps distract them from a horrible evening, then I’m happy to do it. Being on television means all sorts of people want to tell me things or ask my advice, and while I rarely have the answers, I know that when someone they recognise takes the time to notice them or to listen, for some reason it helps. I love that my job means I can brighten someone’s day by saying hello. It’s ridiculous that it should matter, but I’ve accepted that it does, so I might as well do my best with it.’

Henry nodded, his forehead wrinkled in thought. ‘I guess that’s one good thing about not getting the BWM Today job. It would be impossible to manage this if you were famous everywhere.’

‘It would make it harder, yes.’

‘And I’m sure you’ll be grateful not to be moving away from your family now, too.’

‘Mm.’

I took a sip of my freezing-cold coffee. Now really wasn’t the time or the place to do it, but Baxter Bigwood needed an answer.

‘I take your point, though,’ Henry added. ‘You definitely seem calmer after chatting to those people.’

‘Ugh.’ I sank lower into the seat. ‘I’m sorry I lost it, back at the house. Being home does that to me,’ I carried on, feeling the need to explain such undignified outbursts to this man who never seemed to lose his composure. ‘Simply walking up the drive is enough to rouse all those unresolved emotions from my childhood. Add to all that being back in the Spectacular...’

‘Adam.’

I paused, closing my eyes as the conversation in the music room came flooding back. ‘Yes. We were in the middle of an… intense conversation when you called.’

‘He looked like a man on a mission.’

I really didn’t want to talk to Henry about Adam right then. Even thinking about Adam was too much to handle. Only, at that moment the doors to the waiting room opened and there he was, Mum right beside him.

After everyone had been updated and Jed had gone to fetch more coffee, they settled down to wait. Adam took a seat beside me, tucking a stray lock of hair away from my face before taking my hand.

‘How are you doing?’

‘I’m okay.’

I was doing okay, until he turned up. I didn’t have space in my head to deal with the Adam situation right now.

He bent closer, eyes intent on mine as if assessing whether I was telling the truth.