I shrugged, I wasn’t going to get drawn in to that conversation. My stomach sank as I thought about how I would pay the mortgage by myself. I’d have to get a lodger. I didn’t want Ben to move out; I didn’t want to be here without him and there was no way I could live alone.

A hush fell as we resumed eating until Amy piped up.

‘Are you seeing anyone, Eve?’ Her tone was sickly sweet, and it was my turn to bite.

‘Yes. Well, kind of.’

‘Who?’ Ben asked, and Amy glared at him.

A violent psychopath if tonight was anything to go by.

‘A guy I met at the gym, we’ve only been out twice. He’s taking me for dinner on Saturday.’

Ben lowered his eyes back to his bowl. Amy had won, she’d goaded me, and I’d taken the bait. Now he was hers and she knew it. Before long he would move out and I would be alone. My appetite left as soon as it had arrived, and I excused myself to use the bathroom.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t tell him what was going on. I couldn’t drag Ben into this thing with Ian. He was a decent guy, the best kind. He deserved to be happy. The timing for us was all wrong. But surely Amy wouldn’t last. Six weeks into dating and she was already trying to mastermind their future. Did Ben not remember what happened to the pet rabbit in Fatal Attraction?

When I returned to the table, they were holding hands and my dinner almost made a second appearance. We exchanged pleasant conversation for the rest of the night, but it was stiff and polite, missing the banter than Ben and I shared when we were alone. I continued to drink, the second bottle of wine consumed quickly between the three of us. Everyone using it as a crutch to get through an excruciatingly painful evening. Amy grew louder and more obnoxious with each glass and at times I had to bite my tongue, worried I would say something to upset the happy couple.

At around ten, I could stand it no more. I excused myself, feigning a headache from ‘too much wine’, thanking them for a lovely evening and returning to the sanctuary of my room. I lay in the dark for a while, my thoughts turning back to Ian. What on earth had possessed him to hit that guy? He was only having a laugh. Why did he not shrug it off, tell him to get stuffed and walk away? The abrupt attack came out of nowhere. Was the guy okay? His face was covered in blood. There was no need for that level of violence and it reminded me what he was capable of. And what I was getting myself into.