‘After what happened to Deano…’

Vince’s response was brisk. ‘I’ve got to go, I’ve a new client on the other line, she’s one of them vloggers. You take care, Abs.’

And then he was gone. Abs pressed his thumb against the cracked glass casing of his iPhone – it wasn’t the latest model; once upon a time he would have had one of those as soon as it was released – and was hit by a wave of nausea. His legs wobbled. The street seemed to spin, tumbling over and over in his vision. A kaleidoscope of images twisted in his head.

He was once again in the bedroom of that cottage in the wood, waking up drunk in the early morning. The bedroom churned, its contents tipping over and over in his mind. He saw the glass of water at his feet, the hot shaft of blinding light burning between the closed curtains, the damp-stain on the ceiling, the mattress on the floor. All sliding and swooping. His breathing quickened. He knew where it was leading. Whenever he thought about that room, that place, he felt a panic attack coming on.

‘What have I told you?’ He slapped his own cheek again and again, until the stinging blows took his mind off all the other thoughts and feelings. ‘No looking back,’ he told himself over and over. ‘Not now, not ever.’

Abs gave himself a moment to breathe deeply. It wasn’t in his nature to be overwhelmed, that’s not who he was, and he wasn’t a quitter. There was still every chance he could pull his career around, get back on the show – and back with Kelsey.

And he had a golden opportunity tonight. All he had to do was be himself, and there was nobody in the world who was better at being Abs than Abs was.

The club where they were holding the LIE! party was just around the corner, but he opened up the Uber app on his phone and called a cab, then stepped into a doorway to watch the tiny vehicle icon swivel and slide closer to his location on the screen. The car arrived minutes later, and he jumped in the back.

‘Where we going, mate?’ asked the driver, accelerating up the street.

‘Turn left here,’ said Abs, and the entrance to the club, with its small gaggle of paparazzi and reporters behind a barrier, appeared just ahead. ‘And you can pull over.’

‘Seriously?’ asked the driver. ‘You just got in.’

‘Thanks, mate.’ Abs climbed from the cab. This business was all about appearances and he didn’t want to be seen approaching the club on foot, as if he hadn’t been sent a complimentary cab by the production team. As soon as he stepped onto the pavement, the paps swung in his direction. Flashes went off, cameras whirred, they called his name. ‘Over here, Abs. Abs, mate!’

He grinned, he posed, he gave the thumbs up and held his arms above his head, forefingers pointing to the heavens in a cool rock-star pose. He soaked up all the attention – God, how he missed this life – and the moment was made all the sweeter for knowing that Kelsey was inside. In a few short minutes they would be reunited.