‘Suze!’ I call, and I hear her turn her footsteps towards the kitchen.

‘Oh, hi.’ She stands in the doorway, but doesn’t rush up or smile, or anything normal. She looks strained. She’s clutching on to the door frame and I can see the tendons in her hand standing out.

‘How was the TV?’ she says, as though she really couldn’t care less. ‘Are you even more famous now?’

‘It was fine. Suze, where on earth have you been? Were you out last night with Alicia?’

‘Yes I was – but why do you care?’ she says, with a taut little smile. ‘If you’re lonely, why not hang out with Sage? Or you must have some celebrity event you should be at, surely?’

‘Don’t be like that!’ I say, feeling hurt. ‘I need you. Guess what’s happened. Elinor’s arrived, and I’ve got to stage my intervention, and I’m not nearly ready, and—’

‘Bex, I really don’t care.’ Suze cuts me off roughly. ‘I have other things to worry about. In fact, I’m just here to pick up a couple of things and then I have to go.’ She turns on her heel and I hurry after her.

‘Where are you going?’ I demand, following her up the stairs.

‘To Golden Peace.’

‘Is that why you’re with Alicia?’ I try not to let myself sound resentful, but I can’t help it. ‘I saw you with her. I saw her hugging you.’

‘I expect you did.’

‘You were hugging Alicia Bitch Long-legs? On purpose?’

‘That’s right.’ Again, Suze couldn’t sound less interested. She grabs a jacket and puts it in her tote bag, followed by a set of notes that look like they’re in Tarquin’s handwriting. ‘OK, I’m off.’ She pushes past me and strides out of the room.

I stare after her, mortified. She’s behaving as though I don’t exist. What’s wrong?

‘Suze!’ I run down the stairs behind her. ‘Listen. What time will you be back? Because I’d really like to talk. Things haven’t been great with Luke, and now Elinor’s here, and it’s going to be really tricky, and I’m just feeling a bit—’

‘Things haven’t been great with Luke?’ She wheels round, her blue eyes suddenly blazing with anger, and I take a step back in alarm. ‘You know what, Bex? Things haven’t been great with Tarquin, either! But you weren’t interested in that, were you? So why should I be interested in your stupid problems?’

For a moment I’m too shocked to reply. She looks livid. In fact, she looks in a terrible state. Her eyes are bloodshot, I now notice. Has something happened that I don’t know about?

‘What are you talking about?’ I say anxiously.

‘I’m talking about the fact that he’s been taken away from me by that evil man,’ she says, trembling. ‘I’m talking about the fact that he’s been brainwashed.’

She’s not still on about that, is she?

‘Suze,’ I say as patiently as I can. ‘Bryce’s not evil—’

‘You don’t get it, Bex!’ Suze explodes. ‘They’ve fired him!’