Charlotte nodded. ‘Good. Really good. I’ve just moved, actually. Lucy got so fed up with me kipping in her spare room, she was very helpful in finding me somewhere!’

Ben laughed. ‘And are you living alone?’ He faltered slightly before adding, ‘Or are you sharing?’

Charlotte’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. ‘I’m, er … sharing. We’ve found a nice house that’s a bit further out on the Surrey border but it’s worth the extra travel to get more space.’

‘Oh yes? And who are you sharing with?’

She sighed. ‘With a guy called Luke. I work with him.’

Ben nodded slowly, wondering why he felt so shaken by her words. He had always wondered about Luke, but hearing her actually admit that they had moved in together still gave him a pang of longing. ‘And work’s going well?’

‘Yes, it is. I’ve been, well, since you and I, er, well, since I’ve been single, I’ve kind of thrown myself into it and it’s paid off. I’ve been promoted and I’m looking after lots of different shows now.’

Ben smiled. ‘That’s great, Charlie, I’m pleased for you.’

‘Thanks. And what about you? How are you finding married life and being a dad? Congratulations, by the way!’ There was a forced jollity to Charlotte’s words that made Ben cringe inwardly.

‘It’s great. Actually, it’s a good job I ran into you, as I was going to get in touch, anyway. We’re on the move too. We’ll be selling the flat, so obviously I’ll be making sure you get what’s rightfully yours from the proceeds.’

The flat had soared in value since his mum and dad had bought it for him ten years previously and Bella was adamant that they would be able to afford something amazing if they moved out of London. She also seemed certain that his mum and dad would make up any shortfall, which he really didn’t want. They had already been incredibly generous in buying him the flat in the first place and he wanted to show them that he could stand on his own two feet now that he was a husband and father. But Bella was also agitating for him to give up work to look after Elodie, as she wanted to throw herself into her career on her return from maternity leave, so maybe they would need some more help from his parents.

He hadn’t yet dared broach the idea with Bella that Charlotte would be entitled to half of the money from the flat, having lived with him for ten years and contributed to the upkeep and decoration.

Charlotte looked aghast. ‘I don’t want anything, Ben. It’s your flat, not mine.’

Ben tried not to compare Bella’s attitude that she was fully entitled to everything and more, when they had only lived together for a short time, to Charlotte’s. ‘It’s only fair. You contributed plenty over the years.’

Charlotte’s face softened. ‘But I also walked away from it. That was my own stupid choice.’

Ben looked up sharply, his heart flipping at her words. ‘Stupid?’