‘She might.’

I felt like shouting out, telling Ben that yes, I absolutely did mind him having a cigarette, but that I minded him making me out to be a complete control freak much more.

Matt lit a cigarette and I saw the swirls of smoke rising above his head as he puffed on it. ‘So, what do you reckon then? About the baby?’

I strained as hard as I could so that I could hear Ben’s answer.

‘I’m really happy about it,’ he fired back instantly, a note of defiance in his voice.

Good boy I thought, pleased with his decisive response.

‘That’s good,’ Matt replied.

‘I must admit it was a bit of a shock, though,’ Ben said, after a long pause.

Shut the hell up! I wanted to scream.

‘I bet.’ I could tell Matt was fishing by the long pauses he was leaving for Ben to fill.

Ben glanced back at me again, clearly unaware that I could hear every word, carried on the still night air. ‘I keep thinking about Charlotte and me.’

Again, my ears pricked up.

‘And?’ Matt prompted.

Ben sighed. ‘I think it must just not have been meant to be. All that time and we never had an accident. First night with Bella and …’

‘Bingo!’ Matt finished the sentence for him.

My heart began to pound. Surely he wasn’t suspicious?

Ben gave a dry laugh. ‘Yeah. Bingo.’

‘Well, as long as you’re happy about it, I’m pleased for you, mate.’

I held my breath but Ben didn’t reply. Matt blew out a long trail of smoke before stubbing out his cigarette on the pavement and together, they turned back towards me. I turned, too, and tried to look as nonchalant as possible as we walked back the way we had come, this time with me in front of them.

‘Does she always do that?’ I heard Matt say.

‘Do what?’ Ben replied.

‘Follow you everywhere you go.’

Ben laughed. ‘No! ’Course not. I think she genuinely did just want some air.’

As if! I thought. I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t saying anything he shouldn’t.

‘She’s an absolute stunner, mate,’ Matt said, loud enough for me to hear. I knew he fancied me. ‘You have definitely lucked out there.’

By now I was at the gate, waiting for them to reach me. Ben looked up and met my eye. ‘Yup,’ he said with a smile. ‘I certainly did.’

Poor Ben. He had no idea.

Chapter Twenty

I had thought that one evening with his friends would be enough to stop Ben going on about us ‘spending more time with Matt and Freya’ but I was wrong. It became obvious that he and Charlotte had got into the habit of seeing them most weeks for an impromptu dinner or drinks and he made it clear that he was keen for us to carry on where they left off.

I had no intention of spending any more time than was absolutely necessary with them, so I would ignore the phone whenever I saw their number flash up on the caller display. I knew Matt called Ben all the time on his mobile but I also hoped that he had learned by now not to make any arrangements without me giving the go-ahead, so I felt safe in the knowledge that I wouldn’t have to see them again for a while. But one Friday morning, as we were eating breakfast in the kitchen, Ben casually said, ‘Oh, by the way, Matt and Freya are coming round tonight. I thought we could get a takeaway.’