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‘We won’t let her’

‘We?’

‘It’s going to be okay,’ he soothed, re-buckling her seat belt and turning in his seat to drive the car down the road and into a parking space outside the house It didn’t escape his notice that Fliss’s le driveway space she hter would use

‘Take as long as you need,’ Ash said quietly as he turned the engine off and o in when you’re ready’

This wasn’t how she wanted to spend tonight, Fliss realised as she finally swung herself out of the car and forced leaden legs to carry her to the front door

Her whole life, she’d dropped everything any tiht was the first time she’d resented the intrusion

Because there, beneath the flurry of fear and niggle of resentment, sat the ever-present embers of hope Maybe, just maybe, this time would be different Especially with Ash by her side

Warily, Fliss slotted her key in the lock and turned it, a heaviness pressing in on her as she stepped through the door

‘Darling, you’re back I was afraid I ht have missed you’

So it was money she needed Still, the e to be one of her nals and found the perfect opportunity to offer the funds without it looking like charity

Not for the first tile of uncertainty

Itnow, but on another occasion it could be any number of unrepeatable words

What was she doing?

She hadn’t needed Ash to tell her it was a toxic relationship, but she’d always clung on to it anyway She’d never had the courage in the past to consider walking away But with Ash here beside herwho knew?