But the last couple of weeks he hadn’t been like that. He was irritable and difficult to deal with. Maybe the case had brought something back about his childhood. Maybe it was the incident with Reece Corrigan, or it could be what she had said about Adrian being responsible if Angela got hurt. Perhaps he was finding the case even harder than she’d realised. Maybe when the pain in his ribs passed completely, he would be more like himself; after all, pain could be very dispiriting.

She put her worries on hold for now. He had reassured her several times and she had no reason to think he was still holding what she had said against her.

That evening, when she went to his place, he answered the door with a smile. She smiled back, but she could feel him pull away before she even approached. Small things like that did little to quieten the doubting voices in her head.

‘I thought maybe we could do something tonight.’

‘I’m still not a hundred per cent. I can’t go rollerblading just yet,’ he said.

‘No, I thought maybe cinema. Or we could go out and eat.’

‘I’m not really hungry.’

‘You’ve lost a lot of weight, you know. I barely ever see you eating.’

‘Did you come here to lecture me? Because I’m not in the mood,’ he snapped.

‘No. No, of course I didn’t.’ She looked down at her hands.

‘I’m sorry. My ribs just hurt and I’m tired.’ He smiled again, forcing his pained face away.

‘Can we talk?’

‘Sure.’ He sighed heavily.

She noticed he didn’t wince as his lungs filled with air. Were his ribs even still hurting him? Why would he lie?

They sat at the dining table in the lounge. Imogen tried not to look hurt right off the bat. It was a strange feeling for her, being worried about another person like this, being worried whether or not they still liked her. The fact that she was feeling like this just proved to her how much she really did care for Adrian. If anyone else had behaved the way he was behaving in a relationship with her, she would have dropped them.

‘I think you’re lying to me,’ she said.

She noticed the faintest look of panic on his face as she spoke.

‘About what?’

‘I don’t think you’re OK with what I said to you at the Corrigan house.’

He let out a smile. ‘I can’t even remember what you said.’

‘Then why the frosty treatment, Miley?’

‘Miley, eh? Yikes. I must be in trouble.’

‘You’re not in trouble; don’t be silly. I just don’t understand what’s going on with you. It’s like an alien took over your body or something.’

‘I’m just in pain, that’s all. I’m not angry with you.’