‘No, it’s probably better if you continue this conversation without me,’ Nick replied. ‘I’ll come back if you’ll have me, but I’ll understand if you won’t. And, April, I’m sorry.’

As April watched Nick head out of the room, she was happy to see him go, but her feelings were mixed when Faith followed. She tried to tell herself that if her friend was leaving for good, the group would carry on regardless, but it wasn’t the group that had seen April through the last few difficult months: it was Tara and Faith, especially Faith. Before she could stop herself, April leapt up from her seat.

‘Stop, please,’ she called out when she reached the foyer.

Nick was handing Faith her coat and they both froze. Faith’s mouth cut a thin line across her face and her eyes were blazing. ‘In case you didn’t notice, I stood up for you in there, April. It’s a shame you didn’t extend the same courtesy to me.’

‘This isn’t about you.’

‘But it is,’ Faith replied while Nick stood mutely beside her. ‘You’re not simply challenging him, you’re challenging me and the choices I’ve made.’

April was at a loss for words. She couldn’t and wouldn’t row back on what she had said in the meeting. Faith shook her head in disappointment and was turning to leave when Tara appeared.

‘Please Faith,’ she said. ‘Justine has a point. We shouldn’t let our feelings fester. If you leave now, we all know there’s a good chance you won’t come back.’

‘Then you don’t know me at all,’ Faith said. ‘I don’t back down from a fight.’

‘This was never meant to be a fight,’ Tara replied.

‘So it’s my fault?’

‘No, it isn’t,’ April said, deliberately choosing not to look at Nick as she spoke. She inched closer to Faith. ‘If I’ve upset you, I’m sorry.’

‘It’s not me you should be saying sorry to.’

April knew an apology to Nick was beyond her. He was a charmer and, unlike Faith, April didn’t like that in a man. He had spun his stories from that first group session and his omissions were as good as lies. She wasn’t going to apologise for calling him out.

‘April doesn’t need to apologise,’ Nick said. ‘I deserved it.’

‘I can’t condone what you did … but perhaps I could have handled it better in there. I’m sorry for that,’ April conceded through gritted teeth.

It was enough to appease Faith and she relaxed as Nick helped her into her coat. ‘The last few months have been a testing time for all of us,’ she said, ‘but at least that disaster of a group session has allowed us to vent our anger.’