She nodded. ‘I’m aware of my rights. Don’t think it hasn’t crossed my mind, especially since I’ve been back here and had to watch your bloody brother living a lovely life. The temptation to take revenge has been immense, starting with leaving him at the side of the road in his boxers that night. Most of the time I tell myself that revenge would make me a worse person, but I’ve been unable to resist saying a couple of things to make him uncomfortable.’ Her shoulders rose and fell on a sigh. ‘I was doing a pretty good job of leaving the past behind until I had to come back here.’

His thumb stroked the back of her hand. ‘I’m not excusing him, but he seems genuinely horrified. He says he was half-drunk. He hated himself after. He ditched Amie. He never gets the worse for drink now. He wants to apologise.’

‘I expect that’s why he asked to speak to me alone,’ she put in, her words almost running together in sudden fury. ‘Apologising might make Mac feel better. He’ll be able to feel he’s made reparation, got rid of guilt. But, me? I’d have to face him. Relive it. Unpack it. Listen to him trying to defend the indefensible. He might even expect forgiveness. Well, tough shit. I don’t forgive him.’ She made herself breathe more slowly. ‘Are you working up to coaxing me to let him apologise? Don’t bother. Let him live with the guilt like I’ve had to live with the trauma.’

He had both her hands now, stroking, soothing. He didn’t answer her question but said, ‘Now that I know what happened, everything’s fallen into place. Why Mac gave in to Dad’s nagging and went to uni. Why you stopped speaking to me and didn’t hang out in the village anymore. Why you left and hardly ever came back.’ He edged his chair a little closer so his arms could encircle her. ‘I’ve no idea if this is an appropriate thing to say but Amie was jealous of you. Don’t believe her body shaming. You’re lush and gorgeous.’ It was a sweet, comforting, non-sexual hug, an invitation to rest her head on his shoulder and share her sorrow.

Until Grady had kissed her when he’d walked her home in the early hours of Friday, it had been ages since she’d been in a man’s arms. Alex had treated her as out of bounds the second they made the decision to part not quite two years ago. The two men she’d dated since had stayed at arm’s length because she’d kept them there. Fliss and other friends had hugged her, and so did Rea and Daisy, but it wasn’t the same as being touched by a man.