For Ed to admit it was getting bad makes Darcy wonder if something happened. ‘What day are you on?’

‘Six.’

Still weeks’ worth of conversations for them to have with no alcohol.

Ed hands her a glass of water and they perch at the bench on bar stools rather than sink into the lounge like they normally would have done.

‘How’s work?’

‘Fine.’ He gives no real indication of his enjoyment level. ‘I’m busy but Smith Street is a well-oiled machine, so now that I know what’s expected I’m managing to get through the footage and deliver to all the deadlines.’

Before the kiss, Darcy would have made a snide remark about Zoe being pleased, but their world has spun off its axis and now she isn’t sure how to make her way through normal conversation.

‘I usually spend a couple of hours each night putting together the wedding vids for Love Lens.’

‘You must be exhausted.’

A look confirms he is but he’s surviving. ‘I think all the work has been a good distraction.’

Darcy gulps. Is she one of the things he’s needed to keep himself distracted from? She finds herself pushing around the food in her bowl with her fork.

‘So, there’s been some pretty heavy stuff going down in lover’s paradise, huh?’ Ed comments.

Darcy loves that Ed somehow makes time to watch the show, but she shakes her head; that doesn’t even begin to cover it. ‘There was so much crap going on I thought I was going to lose my job.’ She’s tempted to fill the conversation with work talk. She could easily distract herself from awkwardness and dish out all the drama from the show, but she can’t keep the conversation going without telling him her biggest news. Rip it off like a bandaid! ‘I broke up with Drew.’

Ed has a forkful of food on its way to his mouth but his hand freezes midair, his mouth gaping wide. ‘What?’

She gives a little nod. ‘I drove to Gloucester on my way back from Bonnie’s hometown date.’

‘Things were that bad?’

‘I kissed you, Ed. I wouldn’t have done that if I was happy.’ It’s the first time either of them has mentioned the kiss. Part of her had wanted to pretend she’d been too drunk to remember it, but she can still feel the tingle on her lips when she thinks about it.

Ed swallows hard, his eyes casting down to his bowl for a moment. ‘How did it go?’ After all, Drew was his friend too.

Part of Darcy wants to tell him word for word what happened. She’d love to dissect it, analyse all the things that were said and all the things that weren’t. But instead she simply says, ‘Okay. I think deep down he knew it was the right thing to do.’