‘No, I’m fine. But thank you. I’ll call a taxi and get out of your hair.’

‘I’ll give you a lift home.’

‘You’re busy. I’ve already put you out enough.’

‘You’ve not. Have your coffee and then I’ll take you.’

Milk and two sugars. That was how she took it, he remembered, dumping both into the cup.

She was sat on the sofa when he brought the drink through, though didn’t seem comfortable. Her back was rigid and her hands folded in her lap. She looked more like she was waiting for a job interview than coffee.

‘Thank you,’ she said for the third time, not meeting his eyes as he handed it to her, and it occurred to him that the way she was acting, all overly polite and a little self-conscious, was how she might have done if they had slept together then woken to regret it.

Given that they definitely hadn’t done that, he suspected it was instead the shadow of the past and that she had started to open up to him last night about Eileen. Although she had been calm, almost detached, as she had talked, Liam knew it couldn’t have been easy for her

He would let her work through things at her own pace, but it wouldn’t stop him being direct with her when he felt it was necessary.

He sat down beside her, perhaps a little closer than was necessary, jolting her from her thoughts. ‘You’re acting weird.’

‘What? No I’m not.’ Her eyes widened as they met his, then she quickly looked away again.

‘Yes, you are. You’ve thanked me three times in the space of five minutes and now you’re worrying about putting me out and—’

‘That’s called being considerate.’

‘Usually you’re telling me to piss off.’

‘That’s a little hard for me to do when I’m in your house.’ She gave him a quick smile, her eyes flashing with humour, and he saw a spark of the Hannah he knew and preferred.

‘Ouch!’ he told her, playing along.

She plucked at a loose thread on the T-shirt with her mug-free hand. ‘Besides, you’re gradually becoming less irritating.’

‘I am?’

‘You are. Don’t push it though,’ she warned.

That was something, he guessed.

He decided to cut to the chase. ‘So how are you feeling about what you talked about last night?’

Hannah was silent as she considered the question and he mentally kicked himself for pushing, scared she was going to shut down again.

‘It was weird talking about it after all this time and because I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards, about her and where she is. I didn’t get much sleep,’ she admitted.

‘You said you slept okay?’

‘I was being polite.’

‘See. I told you! You were acting weird.’