‘Oh, come on.’ Drew’s voice is soft, his eyes imploring. ‘You always love the fete.’ The school fete has been going every year since she can remember, often falling on her birthday weekend. It was probably the biggest social event of the year in Gloucester.

She did always love the fete, but she was turning twenty-six and had been hoping they could have a grown-up celebration in the city. ‘I’ve already mentioned dinner and drinks to Ed and Sienna.’

‘They’ll understand.’

Of course they’d understand, but that isn’t the point.

He opens the fridge again, dropping the conversation for the time being. ‘Have we got any beers?’

‘They were taking up too much room in the fridge so I put them in the cupboard.’

He exhales loudly at this. ‘Taking up room? There’s nothing in here.’

Her eyes narrow, an icy expression attempting to freeze not only her face but the entire room.

Drew gauges her reaction and offers an olive branch. ‘You hungry?’

She doesn’t bother trying to hide her dampened mood. ‘I could eat.’

‘Come on.’ He tries to bolster her, finally moving to place his hands on her shoulders. ‘We’re going to have a good weekend together. Don’t crack it on me.’

Darcy feels her mouth twisting—plenty of choice words want to come out but she doesn’t let them. She doesn’t know if she’s got enough energy for a fight.

‘Let’s go grab some takeaway.’

So instead of saying anything she just gives a little nod. She can see he’s trying to make an effort. But these days it seems to be nothing but an effort. ‘I’ll get my bag.’

In the bedroom, she blows out the candles and dumps the rose petals she’d sprinkled on the bed into the bin. Romance is clearly not on the cards.

It’s late at night and Bonnie can’t sleep. Her days in the house are long and boring. Most afternoons they end up drinking around the pool. Today there had been a cat fight about Imogen interrupting Addison’s one-on-one time with Ty on the group date they’d been on earlier. It was like being back at high school again.

Bonnie had told herself not to get involved. For a long while she sat quietly as the bickering escalated between the two girls. But they were acting like toddlers fighting over a toy … and Bonnie simply couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. ‘There’s no point in arguing,’ Bonnie interrupted. ‘I’m sure everyone will get time with Ty.’

Both Imogen and Addison had stared at her with horrified expressions.

‘What’s it got to do with you?’ Imogen hissed, rearing up like a rattlesnake. ‘Sitting pretty over there on your pedestal after already having a one-on-one date with him?’