God, even the thoughts of Barbara sent a shiver through her. Liv knew with certainty, she’d had a very lucky escape – Barbara would always have made life difficult for her; she was just that sort of woman.

She wanted to slide down to the floor and sit there crying rather than sort this out. Then a text message pinged on her phone. She hadn’t checked it since this morning before she’d gone on shift. She pulled it out of her bag. Three missed calls from Pete and a message. She clicked into the message first.

Hi Liv, I tried ringing, you must be very busy ☺ (Oh no, so now he thought she was avoiding him?) I dropped over to the flat earlier and changed that dodgy lock on your door. I left the new keys where Rachel used to leave the spare. Talk soon, hopefully.

Liv felt overwhelmed. There was so much in just those few lines. She’d all but forgotten those days when Rachel used the spare key as often as her own. She walked across to the top of the stairs, felt about beneath the carpet runner and slipped two brand-new keys out. Pete. He was still like a friendly guardian angel who was happy to do the practical things to keep her on track. Once she was inside, she inspected the new lock. Pete was right: the old one had been dodgy for too long. Actually, when she and Rachel had moved in first, changing it had been one of those things they had agreed they’d get around to one of these days.

She called Pete to thank him.

‘I sometimes ask myself what I’ve done to deserve you,’ she said inadequately and she wondered if he felt this new unfamiliar awkwardness between them. Now that she was actually speaking to him, it felt as if she’d just imagined that kiss, but then, maybe there was a lot more to it in her imagination than there was in reality. She’d spent far too long worrying about it.

‘There was every need,’ Pete said. ‘It’s what friends do for each other – help each other out. Anyway, I figured it was killing two birds with one stone.’

‘Well, you didn’t need to worry about Eddie forcing his way back in. I’m not sure he’s bothered enough.’

‘Well, it goes to show, he’s a bigger fool than I thought if that’s the case.’

‘Oh.’ For a moment the silence that resonated between their connection seemed to resound with so much more than explanations or apologies. ‘Well, thank you. I suppose this means I owe you another dinner.’ She could have bitten her tongue off after she said it. After all, wasn’t it chicken curry and beer that had led to that moment that hung in the air between them now?