‘Right,’ said Francesco. ‘Except. Well. These past few days. Not to mention everything before that.’

‘Francesco, let’s not do this now?’

Thomas piped up, ‘This is why I don’t put any rules on you, babe,’ he said.

‘Babe?!’ said Priyesh and Francesco in unison.

Francesco narrowed his eyes. ‘Penny – are you still seeing … all three of us?’

Penny looked from Francesco, with his earnestness and kind eyes, to Priyesh, with his chin held high, self-confident and certain, to Thomas, with his youthful charisma.

‘No,’ she began. ‘I mean. Not on purpose. I don’t know how this happened … you make it sound like I did something wrong, but …’

‘Wrong?’ said Priyesh. ‘I thought we were falling in love?’

‘In love?’ countered Penny, genuinely perplexed. They had hardly sat and had long, deep, meaningful chats over hours and hours. They’d been sleeping together with a little light pillow talk every now and again. Did Priyesh think it was more than that? Her stomach lurched at the thought of having accidentally led him on.

Thomas patted Priyesh’s back. ‘You make love sound finite, mate. She can love more than one person.’

‘Oh, do me a favour,’ said Priyesh. ‘That’s just something little boys say so they can sleep around.’

Thomas held up his hands in surrender. ‘Bit harsh,’ he said.

Francesco stepped forward. ‘Pen, come on. Us. Our history, and the kiss … the pasta … Don’t you want that?’

Penny looked at him, water settled in droplets on his thick hair, big brown eyes searching hers for reassurance and confirmation. She did want those things. Two minutes ago she was certain of it. Her and Francesco. But now, with him asking her to say it, it was a lot.

Penny didn’t know anything. She’d have to be so certain to make a choice, and before this moment she thought she had been, but now, confronted with a ticking clock and six eyes boring into her for her answer, she didn’t want to decide anything. She didn’t have it in her.

‘I don’t know what to say,’ she stated, simply. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t be with any of you. I don’t know. I’m scared.’

‘This is bullshit!’ cried Francesco. ‘I do not accept what you are saying. Don’t be so afraid, Penny. I just can’t get my head around this. It’s you and me. There isn’t anything else.’

The presumptuousness of him enraged her, flipping a switch in her brain that told her not to be pushed around.

‘You can’t tell me what I feel,’ she said. ‘You don’t understand. You think you do, but you don’t. And that’s just it, isn’t it? As long as you think you know what’s best for me, you will never be what’s best for me! Get your head around that!’