Something was buzzing. Allie screwed her eyes tight, the light painful and unwelcome. All she wanted was the soothing darkness of sleep again. But that buzzing… what was it?

Gradually, the answer crept into her consciousness, forcing her eyes open. Her phone was ringing. She rolled over in bed and a rush of memories barrelled into her sluggish brain. Shay was next to her, his legs tangled in the sheets, his naked torso rising and falling as he snored lightly.

They’d come back to his place in a taxi last night, hadn’t they? She vaguely remembered opening a bottle of wine and putting on a DVD – she had no idea what. Neither of them had paid it much attention as they shared the things that ailed them. It had been good at first – nice, cathartic. But then he’d opened the second bottle, and maybe even a third. It was hazy after that, only the vague recollections of his lips on her neck, hands on her breasts, tongue in her mouth.

She shot up in bed and grabbed for the phone, sending it skittering across the wooden floor. Greg’s name flashed on the display. Raking her teeth over her bottom lip, she watched and waited until the screen went black again. She couldn’t talk to him – not now.

Dropping out of bed, she hunted for her clothes: shoes on the steps, dress on the landing, bra hanging from the balustrade like in some cheesy porno movie. God she’d been pissed. Had they even used a condom? She couldn’t remember. How much of the wine had she drunk? The way her head was thumping, most of it.

‘Allie?’ Shay’s voice came from the bedroom.

Yanking her dress over her head, she went back and stood in the doorway, arms wrapped around herself as she clung to her underwear.

‘We shouldn’t have done that,’ she said.

He patted the bed. Against her better judgement, she went over and perched on the mattress next to him.

‘I know,’ he said. ‘But was it that bad? Two lonely people finding comfort for a few hours?’

‘You’re hardly lonely,’ she said.

Something in her brain was moving, clicking into place, and she was beginning to feel as if she’d been had. When they’d slept together the first time, she’d been lonely and vulnerable that night too, and he’d been there – a shoulder to cry on, a friendly ear, someone who made all the right noises, someone who made himself look like a man you could trust. And then it had been easy to seduce her, make her feel like the most special and loved woman in the world. She’d fallen for it once, and now he’d done it again. She looked at him; so relaxed, so amiable, so handsome in the early morning light. She wanted so desperately to believe that her hunch wasn’t true, that he really did feel something for her.

‘We were both lonely last night,’ he said, reaching for her hand to pull her back into bed. She pulled it from his grip and moved down the mattress and out of his reach.

‘Shay… do you think I’m pretty?’

‘I think you’re gorgeous.’

‘And you like me?’

‘You know I do. We have a good laugh, you and me; we’re mates.’

‘But do you like me?’

He propped himself up on an elbow and held her gaze. ‘What is this? Last night was good for what it was – why complicate it?’

She shook her head. ‘I have to go.’

‘Right now? It’s early and we still have time to snuggle.’

‘Snuggle?’ Allie let out a snort. ‘I don’t think so. I have to pick up Josh from my mum’s.’

‘He won’t be up yet.’

‘He will; it’s a school day.’

‘Can’t you call your mum, make some excuse, ask her to take him? Greg won’t be back till later, will he?’

‘What about Harper?’

There was no reply. Instead, he fell back onto the pillow and stared up at the ceiling.

‘I thought so,’ Allie said. ‘Not feeling quite so guilt free when she’s mentioned.’

‘It’s complicated,’ he said, rubbing a hand through his hair.

Pulling her knickers on, Allie reached for her phone to check how many times Greg had called. She needed to phone back and give a plausible story for ignoring him, but then she noticed the other missed calls and her insides turned to ice. A dozen over the course of the night: from her mum and her dad, as well as more from Greg.

‘Something’s happened,’ she said, dialling her mum’s number.

Shay offered no reply. Not that Allie wanted or needed one. Her insides churning, she waited for her mum to answer.

A thudding on the front door had her twisting to look at Shay, panic in her eyes. Seemingly unconcerned, he pushed himself from the bed and pulled on a pair of jeans as the door went again.

‘Alright…’ he muttered.

‘What if it’s Harper?’ Allie whispered, covering the phone with her hand.

‘I’ll get rid of her,’ he said. ‘Don’t stress – find out what your mum wants.’

The phone rang out, and Allie was about to dial her dad’s number when she heard shouting from downstairs and she froze.

Greg.

What was he doing here? Had someone seen them come back to Shay’s and told him? But who would do that? And wasn’t he supposed to have been in London last night? Had he really gone to London, or had it been an elaborate ruse to catch her out? And she’d been stupid enough to walk right into it.

‘She’s not here!’ Allie heard Shay shout.

But then there was another series of thuds and unintelligible shouts, and Allie was rooted to the bed as she listened, waiting, dreading that Greg might appear at the doorway. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and what would be the point? Perhaps it would be a relief for the boil to finally burst, to get everything out in the open and slug it out once and for all. She’d slept with Shay, but Greg had to understand there was a reason she kept coming back here. God knew she’d tried to make her marriage work over the past year but there was only so much even the strongest of women could take.

Greg appeared at the top of the stairs, staring at Allie with enough hatred to shrivel her up. Shay followed, yanking Greg from the doorway by his shirt, but Greg turned and shoved him so hard that Shay reeled back, grasping for the banister to stop himself falling down the stairs as Greg marched over to Allie and grabbed her by the wrist.

‘I might have known I’d find you here.’

‘Greg, I—’

‘Get up!’ he growled. ‘We need to go to the hospital.’

Allie’s legs refused to work. She sat and stared at him, her head swimming and her pulse roaring in her ears.

‘Are you listening? Get up!’ His voice rose, his tone one of utter contempt.

‘Greg, calm down—’ Shay began, making a move towards them but Greg rounded on him.

‘How dare you! How dare you interfere! Don’t you think you’ve done enough?’ He turned to Allie and pulled her to her feet. ‘We can discuss divorce later, but now you need to come with me. Josh is in hospital and, for some unfathomable reason, he wants his useless whore of a mother.’

‘In hospital,’ Allie repeated, blinking, dazed. ‘What…’

‘He had an asthma attack overnight, and despite his grandparents’ best efforts to locate the inhaler that you obviously forgot to pack, they couldn’t find it. Then they couldn’t find you. They had no choice but to call me, and when he got worse they had to call the emergency services.’

Shoving her towards the doorway, he continued, ‘I hope you’re proud of yourself. I hope you’ve enjoyed the last nine years of Josh living with you, because I intend to make damn sure you don’t get custody when we’re divorced. You’re not fit to be a mother,’ he spat. ‘What kind of mother leaves her son without his medication and sneaks off for a shag? What kind of mother would be uncontactable? I thought you couldn’t sink any lower, but you’ve done it in spectacular fashion.’

Allie looked hopelessly at Shay, who simply turned away. What else could he do? He was involved in the affair, yes, but Josh was nothing to do with him, and whatever else this was about, Josh was the number one priority here. Her darling son. She was about to lose him, and it was her own stupid, stupid fault.