“Don’t ask.” He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “She was drunk when I picked her up.”

“At eleven in the morning?”

“Tell me about it.”

It used to be indulgence I’d hear in his voice when he talked about Lena, an eye roll, a bit of exasperation, but more tolerance. The disapproval I hear now tells me more about how Max has grown up and maybe Lena hasn’t.

“She hasn’t changed, then.”

I look at him and he shakes his head. “She moves from job to job because she keeps getting fired and every job she takes is worse than the last. Mum and Dad put a brave face on it, calling her work PR, but basically she hands out club flyers in the city center. Then she goes to the club and drinks away her entire earnings.”

My smile fades.

“Where is she going to end up?” he says. I don’t think he expects me to answer.

“And you?” I say. “I can see you’ve grown up.”

Max touches my hand. He lifts it, traces circles on my palm with his other hand. “I’ve missed you, Tess.”

I pull my hand away and clench my fist. “Really?”

“I called you. Back then. You know I did. You never took my calls.”

“Because you left.” The words burst out. It’s stupid to still be angry, but I am.

“Tess…”

“I know you had to go when your parents did, of course I do. But before all those awful days leading up to the funeral, I never saw you, you avoided me. You were like a bloody stranger.”

“I’m sorry, but I was freaking out. I was seventeen—one minute we’re at a wedding and the next, Bella was dead. And you…I couldn’t cope with your pain. It was awful, you and Leo…I couldn’t handle it.”

“And you think I could? You didn’t even visit me in the hospital.”

“I’m sorry,” he says again. “I know it was wrong. If I could have the time again…”

I shudder. I don’t want to live that time again.

“It hasn’t felt like ten years,” he continues. “I haven’t seen Julia and Leo much, but every time they’ve told me all about you, shown me photos.”

They did the same with me—snapshots of Max and Lena, little snippets about their lives, news about Max I’d store up and daydream about, never quite brave enough to pick up the phone and call him, despite Julia’s encouragement.

“What about Jack and Sean? Have they shared lovely photos of them, too?”

He hesitates. “They’re actually…not too bad now. It’s been a long time for all of us, Tess.”

I flinch. “You’ve seen them?”

“Of course.”