‘It’s a clump of cells, Jake. Get real.’ Neve’s face was set hard. ‘Ten minutes and it’ll be gone.’ She made a disgusting sucky, vacuuming noise.

‘You’ll regret it,’ Jake said softly. ‘Think about it very carefully or you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.’

‘I don’t think so,’ Neve said. ‘I can always get one out of a test tube if I want one.’

‘It doesn’t always work like that,’ Jake said sadly. If anyone knew that, he did. Life was so unfair. Lyssa’s struggle to become a mother. Neve casting it off as if it were an irritating insect. Something to be brushed off the skin. He felt stupid admitting it, even to himself, but he’d never realised how important this was. ‘There’s nothing I can say to change your mind?’

‘What can you say? That you want me to have a baby—which may or may not be yours—marry me and live happily ever after?’ Neve threw back her head and laughed at the very thought of it. ‘I’m young, single, loaded and loving it. I’ve got bags of time before I get tied down with babies. What I need now is freedom.’

‘I gave up everything that was dear to me to be here with you.’

‘I don’t think so. You were desperate for me, Jake. I hardly had to encourage you.’

‘I left Lyssa for you.’ Right when she needed me most.

‘And it was very sweet of you….’

‘Sweet?’ His façade of being reasonable suddenly split open. Jake was apoplectic with rage. ‘Sweet! I’ve ruined her life for you.’

Neve snorted. ‘I think that’s being a bit dramatic.’

‘Do you?’ He could feel anger boiling inside him. His fists were clenching against his will. ‘Well, I think this is being a bit dramatic.’

Systematically, one by one, he pulled open each cupboard door and swept all of Neve’s trendy, white crockery from the shelves and let it smash to smithereens on the wooden floor. The bits he missed, he picked out individually and hurled across the room to smash against the wall. There was a noise like someone howling like a wolf and Jake thought that it might well have been him.

Neve had curled into herself, sheltering from the shards of plates and cups and hideously expensive bowls against the fridge. When he’d finished, Jake stood, breathing heavily.

His girlfriend uncurled herself. When she spoke, her voice was heavy with sarcasm. ‘Feeling better now?’

Jake’s breath was refusing to return to normal. His lungs were painful and pounding against the inside of his chest. Blood was flooding his brain and he was absolutely sure there was a red mist in front of his eyes. He could barely make himself speak. ‘Yes.’

‘Fine,’ Neve said. ‘Now fuck off.’

Chapter forty-eight

Chapter forty-eight