‘What has?’

‘The start date for the teaching job.’

She knows that this has been coming. She’s known all along that he’d be leaving, but she hadn’t expected it to hurt like this. ‘Wow, that’s great,’ she manages, but she feels tearful.

‘I know. But it’s going to be hard.’

She nods and swallows down her tears. It’s ridiculous to be upset when she should be pleased for him. This is what he wants. But even so, she knows that this is the start of the end of ‘them’.

She leans over and kisses him and it feels more bittersweet than any of the times she’s kissed him before. She feels him responding and she pulls away, knowing they must look like teenagers to everyone else with him almost on top of her.

‘Let’s go,’ he whispers, his eyes burning into hers and she nods, answering their question.

They both race up the stairs to their floor as they get back to the apartment building. Matteo lets Luna scamper ahead and stops at the top of the stairs, where he presses Maddy against the wall and kisses her and she wraps her leg around his. He’s already got his hand inside her T-shirt.

‘Wait,’ she giggles, running around the corner to their corridor.

But she stops, with a gasp.

Trent is standing by her door. He’s carrying a bouquet of pink roses. The same kind that she had in her wedding bouquet. How much has he seen? How much has he heard?

Matteo hasn’t got the message and Maddy yelps away from his next ticklish play. She pushes her hair behind her ear as she tries to walk calmly towards Trent, but her knees are shaking.

Trent is dressed in skinny jeans and a seersucker jacket, the sleeves rolled up, like he’s from that old show, Miami Vice. She knows this outfit has been chosen for him by Steve, who runs Paynes in town, the designer shop where Trent gets most of his outfits. He rarely wears the same thing twice. But here, next to Matteo in his leather sandals and faded cargo shorts and ancient T-shirt, he seems overdressed and squeaky clean. He stares at Maddy and then at Matteo, his mouth falling open with shock.

‘Trent,’ she says. ‘This is a surprise.’

‘I found out your address from the Amazon account.’ He says this as if he’s cleverly caught her out. She hears the questions in his tone. His eyes dart towards Matteo and she knows she needs to tread carefully. She can already see the colour rising in Trent’s cheeks.

She hasn’t exactly been keeping her location a secret from Trent, but she’s surprised he’s bothered to track her down.

‘This is Matteo,’ Maddy says, introducing Trent. She squirms inside with embarrassment as Trent stares at him with unfiltered fury.

‘I’ll see you later,’ Matteo says, his eyes locking with hers as he gets his key out and opens the door to his apartment, but she’s acutely aware that Trent is absorbing it all.