He could feel her nodding, before she pulled away from him. Her eyes were glassy with tears as she gazed up at him. ‘I feel so sad for you, Matt. I know how hurt you must be.’

Matt swallowed down the lump in his throat and nodded. ‘Part of me feels sorry for him. At least I’ve got you. He’s only got her and she’s just so … horrible.’

‘And the baby,’ Freya added. ‘He’s got Elodie, too, we need to remember that. Maybe having a child changes things and you just want to retreat into your own little family unit.’

‘Would we be like that, though? I don’t think so. We would want to share it all with our families, with our friends. She just seems to want to have him all to herself.’

Freya smiled. ‘I don’t think we’d be like that, either. But I suppose there’s only one way to find out?’

Matt frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

Freya swatted him playfully. ‘Don’t be so dim, Matt! I mean, why don’t we have a baby?’

Matt grinned as realization dawned. He hadn’t felt ready before. He’d been too preoccupied with his career, making money, enjoying himself. But looking down into Freya’s open, trusting face, he suddenly wanted nothing more than to see himself reflected back in their child’s eyes. ‘OK,’ he said. ‘Let’s get home and get started, shall we?’

Chapter Thirteen

Ben closed the door as Matt and Freya reached the end of the path. He paused for a split second, trying to collect his thoughts before turning around to face Bella, who he knew would be glowering at him. He could almost feel the steam coming off her in waves as her big, dark eyes blazed with fury.

‘So you had lunch with Freya, did you?’ She folded her arms. ‘You obviously forgot to mention it.’

‘I didn’t forget to mention it, Bella. It was just that I knew how you’d react, so I deliberately didn’t tell you. Anyway, it wasn’t arranged. I just bumped into her and we had a sandwich, that’s all. No big deal.’

Bella almost stamped her foot. ‘No bloody big deal? You having lunch with another woman behind my back and moaning about me?’

Ben closed his eyes momentarily, suddenly so weary of everything and still reeling from the look on Matt’s face as he sent him away. ‘For a start, Freya is not “another woman”. I have known her for so long that she’s more like a sister. And I wasn’t moaning about you.’

Bella stuck her bottom lip out. ‘Then what did she mean about your family and me not being fine with them?’

Ben hesitated. ‘It was just that she was a bit shocked that Mum and Dad hadn’t seen the baby at that point.’

Bella’s defiant expression faltered slightly. ‘Why did you tell her?’

Ben sighed. ‘Because she asked. Honestly, Bella, you’re making a mountain out of a molehill here.’

‘Well, I just don’t like the thought of you talking about me behind my back. Anyway,’ she continued, clearly keen to change the subject. ‘I was obviously right about Freya and Matt not liking me. You heard the way she spoke to me.’ The defiant expression was replaced by a triumphant one.