I’m waiting for the scenes to begin when Liam’s body falls to the couch behind him. The sound of him hitting the surface seems to echo through the space around us. After that, all I can hear is my heartbeat thumping. He touches a hand to his temple.

“You mean it? You’re pregnant? Have you spoken to a doctor?” His eyes are filled with bewilderment as he stares at my body stuck in place. From his position, his eyes are level with my belly button.

“Liam,” I begin, but I don’t know how to follow it up. There should be yelling and panic, but instead there is steady silence filled only with heavy breathing. When I don’t answer his questions, he looks up to my eyes again.

“I have an appointment in a few days, but I’m sure. I haven’t slept with anyone else, I swear to you,” I explain. Liam nods, allowing his gaze to drop back to my stomach.

“We’re going to have a baby, El?” His tone is serious as his eyes flick up to mine before he rises from the sofa, striding back to where I stand. “Thank you… for trusting me with this,” he says softly, pulling me into his arms. He buries his head in the crook of my neck.

I’m almost paralysed with shock. There should be some kind of fight. I expected at least some more questions, definitely not thanks. Why is he thanking me? You don’t thank a decade-old flame for a one-night stand.

“Why do you seem… happy?” The words feel heavy on my tongue, and even heavier once they are in the air.

“Are you not? If you don’t want his baby I–I’ll understand. It’s your choice. I should have asked first.” He pulls back, shaking his head. “Fuck. I’m doing this all wrong.”

“I don’t know exactly how to feel, I guess I just expected something different,” I reply. Liam’s eyes have a glow that I hadn’t noticed until now. Have I been wrong about him? Maybe he isn’t the aloof womaniser I worried he would be now that he’s famous. Even when he had a bad boy attitude back in the day he was still a great guy. Sometimes he was too scared to show it.

I wanted Liam to stay the same when we broke up. But maybe this version, matured and experienced, is something better than I imagined.