‘You give so much of yourself to everyone else that there’s rarely much left in the tank for you.’

‘I’m doing OK,’ I offer.

‘But making yourself available to your clients twenty-four-seven isn’t helping.’

He doesn’t know the half of it.

‘You go above and beyond,’ he continues. ‘You always have; it’s what got you in trouble last time.’

I throw him a warning glance.

‘But this is your own practice now,’ he goes on. ‘You have responsibilities. You can’t go making rash decisions any more.’

‘I get that it’s hard for you to understand how it feels to have no one to talk to. You’ve got me, your parents, the football team, the lads down the pub. We all serve a purpose and without you even realizing, we help you navigate your daily life. But imagine not having that support network and struggling with your mental health? If I’m the only person they can talk to honestly, what am I supposed to say? Sorry, but if you’re feeling low and suicidal outside office hours, don’t bother me?’

‘You know that’s not what I mean,’ he says, taking a sip of his beer. ‘I’m just saying—’

The doorbell rings and we both freeze momentarily, looking at one another as if to say, ‘Who’s that going to be?’

‘I’ll get it,’ says Leon, wiping his mouth on a napkin and standing up.

I watch him walk through to the hall and listen out for the intonation in his voice to give me a clue as to who it might be. It’s not yet late enough to rule out a delivery, but I can’t remember ordering anything. It’s also not too late for one of the site team to be needing Leon, but his curt and clipped voice doesn’t suggest either of those.

‘Wait here,’ I hear him say. ‘I’ll go and fetch her.’

It’s someone for me? Who’s being held at the door? So it’s not Shelley or anyone else who’d automatically be invited in.

My breath quickens as I dare to imagine it being Jacob. Not that that in itself would be a problem. But by being dishonest about last night, I’ve potentially opened a whole can of worms. Even if it’s Shelley, I’m aware of the myriad ways this could all go pear-shaped.

As Leon comes back into the dining room, with his mouth pulled tight and his nostrils flared, I know that whoever it is, he’s not happy.

‘Someone here to see you,’ he says without giving anything more away.