After unlocking the phone, she immediately looked at his contacts list and his recent calls. Mostly Tom and her, but there was also another name that kept popping up: Dr Zoe Hadley. Why had they been talking? Every couple of days, according to his phone. And not just for a minute or so. Occasionally, closer to ten minutes, which is a long time for a casual acquaintance. He had been on a date with her months ago, but nothing ever came of it. Had he changed his mind?

He stirred and she quickly closed the screen and put the phone back into sleep mode.

In the kitchen, she wiped down the units that were already spotless and washed the plates that were in the sink. She opened the fridge and noticed that the contents were exactly the same as yesterday – he hadn’t eaten anything or got any more food in.

‘What are you doing?’ Adrian said, standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

‘I was hungry,’ Imogen said, not wanting to let him know she was checking up on him, terrified he knew she had looked at his phone.

‘There’s still some Chinese on the table.’

‘I’ll clear it up,’ Imogen said.

As she went to push past him into the lounge, he grabbed her arm. She looked up at him, trying to hide the concern. He kissed her. The first real kiss in weeks. She breathed him in as he pushed her back against the doorframe. It felt so good to have his body pressing against her. She could hear his short, sharp gasps of breath as he pushed past his rib pain.

For the first time in a long time he was there with her. They were in this moment together. For so long now he had been elsewhere, preoccupied with his pain or maybe even his past. She stroked his arm and he pulled away.

‘Sorry if I’ve been neglecting you,’ he said.

‘Sorry if I’m being needy. I don’t know what’s up with me. I just can’t stop worrying about you, about us. Since that argument …’ Imogen started but couldn’t finish.

‘I love you, Imogen,’ Adrian said. ‘I don’t want you to doubt that at all.’

It was the first time he had said it and she didn’t know how to respond. Though now she had been presented with the option, there was really only one thing to say.

‘I love you, too.’

He kissed her again and she put her arms around his waist, gently, careful not to hurt his rib. Adrian squeezed her breast and kissed her neck, slowly at first but then biting her, drawing her skin into his mouth. She had to push him away before he left a mark on her, not willing to lie to the DCI about what it was.