‘No, I’m not doing this,’ he sighed, going to turn over, but the sudden sound of water splashing and trickling as she stood up made him pause. Unable to stop himself, he looked back to see her standing silhouetted in the bath.

He didn’t move as she stepped out and towelled herself off.

‘My brother said this thing to me when I stayed with him this week,’ she said, taking her time, knowing she had his absolute attention. ‘He said people consider too much the good luck of the early bird – and not enough the bad luck of the early worm. I didn’t want to hear it at the time, but I think maybe he was right.’ She looked straight at him. ‘You’re the early worm and Amy’s lying about you. Tell me what happened.’

He shifted his weight onto his elbow as he looked back at her. ‘Clo . . . I can’t.’

‘You have to. Her lies will destroy you.’

‘Fine. That’s better than—’ He stopped himself but she could see he was struggling to maintain his reserve. She was getting to him.

‘Better than what?’ she frowned, taking a few steps closer. She was almost within touching distance. ‘Kit . . . Better than what? What could be worse than this?’

He didn’t reply.

‘Let me help you.’

‘No one can help.’ He turned away from her abruptly. ‘You need to get out of here. Right now.’

He wasn’t going to tell her. She could see he wanted to, that the words were on the tip of his tongue. Something was stopping him . . . She stared down at him, seeing how his body was tense with anger and frustration, filled with words he wouldn’t say, the duvet rising and falling with his laboured breaths. What motive could be so powerful that he would let his own ship sink and not reach for the life raft? Why wouldn’t he save himself?

She stepped closer and slipped under the sheet, pressing her body against his.

She felt his sharp intake of breath. ‘Clo . . .’

‘I don’t know why you’re doing this,’ she whispered. ‘But I wish you would trust me.’ She kissed his shoulder, once, twice, her arm caressing sadly down the length of his arm. ‘Tell me what happened.’

He turned suddenly and grabbed her, rolling her around him into the middle of the bed in a single fluid movement. He stared down at her angrily. ‘Why won’t you ever listen?’

She looked back up at him. ‘Because something . . . unjust is happening. You loved her once. And she loved you.’

‘Yeah . . .?’ He kissed her with an urgency and passion and sadness that took her breath away. She could feel he wanted to subsume her, possess her, lose himself in her. The desperation of the lost man. He looked back at her, his eyes burning with confusion. ‘. . . Then why does hating you feel better than loving her ever did?’