‘So, what are you two up to?’ she asked as she took a clean glass out of the dishwasher.

‘Dad called round to see me, so I made us some dinner,’ Jake said. ‘I’m going to Philly’s tonight. It’s his brother’s birthday so we’re going for a few beers. He’s picking me up in a minute.’

‘Okay.’ She nodded, hopeful that Jake’s imminent departure would prompt Nathan’s too.

Jake’s mobile phone vibrated on the table. ‘Philly’s here. See you tomorrow, Dad. I’ll be late back, Mum,’ he said as he was disappearing out of the door.

Grace poured herself the remnants of last night’s Chardonnay. Swirling the pale liquid around her glass, she stared at her ex-husband. The intruder. Whenever she turned around it seemed he was there. Always two steps behind her. It infuriated her.

‘What do you want, Nathan?’ she asked as she took a sip of her wine.

He looked at her blankly. ‘I came to see Jake.’

‘Jake’s gone now. Yet you’re still sitting here as large as life?’

He shrugged. ‘Maybe I thought you might fancy catching up?’

‘Catching up? We’re not friends, Nathan. We don’t catch-up. You’re my son’s father and for that reason alone I tolerate you in my house. But I don’t buy this nice-guy act of yours for a minute. I think the incident last week proved that we really can’t be anything more than civil to each other.’

He glared at her, his eyes narrowed, jaw clenched shut.

She glared back, arms folded across her chest. ‘I’ll ask you again. What do you want?’

Rising from his chair at the kitchen table, he walked towards her until he was close enough that she could feel the heat from his breath. No doubt a tactic to intimidate her. But it didn’t work. Not anymore.

‘Maybe all I want is you,’ he growled.

She would have been less shocked if he’d slapped her across the face. ‘What?’ she laughed. ‘Me?’ Stepping away from him, she began to shake her head. ‘That ship has long since sailed, Nathan. You can’t have me. You never will. So please, do us both a favour and give it a rest.’

‘I always get what I want,’ he said. ‘You love me, Grace. You like to pretend that you don’t, but you can’t help it.’

She stared at him. He was as mad as a box of frogs. ‘Are you serious?’

‘One day soon, you’ll be begging me to give you another chance. Just you wait and see.’ He winked at her before grabbing his jacket and walking out of the kitchen.

‘You’re deluded, Nathan,’ she shouted after him.

The sound of the front door slamming behind him reverberated through the house.