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Davina’s jaw fell open slowly. She saw the instant Jack realised he’d said something wrong. He held up a hand, a warning that he was going to back-track. It was too late.

Too late for everything.

Davina picked up his clothes and threw them at him.

“Get dressed,” she snapped.

“Come on, Davy.” He caught his jeans.

Davina picked up his trainers and lobbed them, one at a time, at his head. She felt a mirthless stab of satisfaction when one of them thumped him on the forehead.

“Get dressed and get out.”

“Look, I tried to tell you earlier, but you went to answer the door.”

He pulled on his jeans. Davina couldn’t speak. Her life was falling apart and Jack had known all along.

“How long?’ she said at last.

Jack shrugged into his sweatshirt. He didn’t answer.

“How long?” Davina said between clenched teeth. “Tell me how long you’ve known what I was doing.”

“About a week.”

Her mind flew over the events of the past week. They landed on the day where everything had gone wrong. The day he’d killed her car.

“You sabotaged me,” she said coldly.

Jack pulled on his shoes.

“It wasn’t like that,” he said. “I was just having some fun.”

“It wasn’t fun for me.”

He rushed down the stairs to stand in front of her.

“Come on, Davy, it’s only a movie.”

It was like a stab to the heart. He didn’t know her. He didn’t care about her. And he sure as hell hadn’t helped her any.

“The fact you can say that shows how little you know me.”

“Davy.” He reached for her.

She batted his hand away.

“You’ve made it clear what you think,” she told him. “I’m a joke to you. A diversion. Something to occupy your time while you wait to get your job back. Well, you’ve had your fun. It’s time to leave.”

“Davy.” He reached for her again.

“You heard her,” Marianne said from the kitchen door.

Behind Marianne stood Davina’s four ad

ult students and the three teenage boys. They all looked like they wanted to thump Jack.

“I need to talk to her,” he told them.