‘So you only stayed with me because I made you?’ he said, his voice low. ‘That’s good to know, Alice. Good to know how you truly feel.’

He turned away, and walked back into the room. Alice brushed her teeth. This was not going well. Their holiday was rapidly falling apart.

Their relationship was rapidly falling apart.

She rinsed her mouth and followed him into the room. He was lying on his back, his eyes closed.

‘Ned,’ she said. ‘We need to talk.’

He did not reply.

‘I know you’re awake,’ she said. ‘Stop playing games.’

‘What do you want to talk about?’

‘Us,’ she said. ‘Our relationship.’

‘What about it?’ he said.

‘I don’t think it’s working out that well.’

He paused, and she saw his mouth twitch.

‘What do you mean?’ he said, a quiver in his voice.

‘Things aren’t great between us.’

‘It’s fine,’ he said. ‘It’s all fine.’

‘Are you happy?’

‘Yes.’ He sniffed. ‘Perfectly happy.’

‘I don’t think I am,’ Alice said.

He sat upright. ‘Are you trying to break up with me, Alice? Is that what this is?’

She didn’t reply. She didn’t know how to. The only answer she could think of was Yes, I am, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to see his reaction, especially with nowhere to go.

His eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. ‘You’ll regret it,’ he said. ‘You think life is about having fun and doing what you want and being free’ – again, he put a word in air quotes – ‘but it isn’t.’

‘It is,’ she said. ‘That’s exactly what it is.’

He ignored her. ‘So dump me, Alice, but that’ll be it. Once you do, it’s over for good. Got that? For good. So go ahead, and say it’s over. I dare you.’

She saw, in that moment, who he would become. She saw the seeds of the sanctimonious, arrogant husband, the distant father, the man frustrated at the world and filled with self-hating anger.

And she wanted no part of it.

‘Go ahead,’ he said. There was a small smile of triumph dawning on his lips as he saw her hesitation. ‘Say it’s over.’

So she did. She surprised herself, but not as much as she surprised Ned. His mouth fell open.

‘No,’ he said. ‘Alice, please. Don’t do this.’

‘I’ll sleep in the bunk bed,’ she said, too tired to care any more. ‘Goodnight.’

Alice was woken by his warm breath on the back of her neck. Her head was throbbing and her mouth was dry, and the feeling of him breathing on her made her feel sick.