Just over a week ago, she moved out of Lily’s and into her new place just around the corner. It’s small, with a private balcony and a communal garden. She has started swimming at the local pool again; she does fewer laps than she used to, but enjoys the meditative effect. It feels like a small part of her former self reclaimed, and she likes the numbing effect it has on her brain. Her mother and Max are coming to her place for dinner tomorrow night, along with Shaun and Lily, to celebrate the launch of the business. Oli has decided to make an effort with Sally—to try, anyway.

‘All you can do is try,’ Lily said, blinking back tears, when Oli spoke to her about it late one night after Shaun went to bed. ‘It was horrible for you, unforgiveable, Oli, but she’s a victim too. We all are.’

Oli doesn’t react to Lily’s well-meaning words. Her sister will never really understand what she went through but that’s not her fault and she’s just trying to help.

A trio of teenage girls walk past, giggling at something on a phone. One says, ‘I cannot believe you wrote that! You’re the worst.’ The tallest girl smacks her friend’s arm playfully then grabs her, pulling her into a hug. An electronic beep is followed by a shriek, hands clapped over mouths in exaggerated shock.

Oli glances at her watch, brushes invisible lint from her coat. Licks her finger and bends to wipe dirt from her boot. She knows she looks perfectly fine on the outside, but on the inside she’s a mess. She thinks about all the times she waited for Dean, tarted up like a doll, her face painted in the way she thought he would like. Perched in tiny wine bars she’d never heard of, hidden in dark corners of expensive restaurants. Instructed to wait in hotel bars, something she’d endlessly misread as an entrée to a main meal that never came. Or didn’t come for a long time, anyway.

She sits on the edge of the fountain. Moss is embedded in the concrete surface, giving it a marbled appearance. She dips her hand in the freezing water and plucks a few leaves out one by one, arranging them in a row.

‘Hey.’ Rusty sits next to her.

‘Hi.’

He squints into the sun. ‘Weather’s still a bit all over the place isn’t it.’

‘Rusty.’

‘It’s okay, Ol, I get it.’

She turns to look at him.

He smiles. ‘I sort of figured when you wanted to meet outside in the middle of the day that you were doing everything possible to avoid giving me the wrong impression.’

‘Well, I guess I just feel a bit confused right now.’

‘That’s understandable.’

She bats him with her fist. ‘Stop being so nice.’

‘Okay, fine. I don’t think you’re confused.’