We spent a good couple of hours with Ellie that day, walking her around the extensive grounds, letting her off the lead, and playing with her. She'd taken to Harvey like a duck to water. After completing all the paperwork, arranging a home visit, and visiting the centre every day for the following week, Ellie finally came home.

She'd been with us for two weeks now and had settled in brilliantly. When Harvey was home, she followed him everywhere. If it was just me and her, she replaced Marco by being my new shadow.

A delivery driver knocked at the door after she'd been with us three days. Marco, intrigued by Ellie, observed her from a distance and let her take the lead. She pushed her way in front of me, barking before I'd even opened the door. The delivery driver eyed her with caution before looking up at me.

"She's fine," I said, smiling. "Don't worry."

I patted her on the head and to my surprise, she sat down and remained quiet whilst I signed the paperwork and took my parcel. Marco explained the natural instincts of a dog to put itself in between the possible threat and its owner, or rather, leader. With each day that passed, she proved more and more that she was exactly what I'd been looking for. I couldn't remember life without her.

Jake had gone to France on the Monday morning after we'd met Ellie. We'd spoken every morning and evening, but it was hard not having him here after he'd been glued to my side for three weeks. I felt like a part of me was missing. He still had another four weeks to go, which included trips to Belgium and Switzerland. With my dreaded thirtieth birthday tomorrow, I was trying my hardest to look on the bright side.

A silver lining to my cloud though was that since Jake had left, Adam had quietened to an extent which made me wonder if I'd hallucinated the past few weeks. Even though Marco was still around, and Jonny still at Charlie's, Adam seemed to think that Jake had abandoned me in favour of other women.

Work had become a welcome distraction and a surprising piece of normality to getting myself back on track and in a normal routine again. Marco kept Ellie with him during the day so she wasn't home alone, but I knew at some point she'd have to be home alone for a period of time, and I wasn't too sure how I was going to handle that yet.

Tonight, I was going to my favourite Mexican restaurant with Charlie, accompanied by Johnny who agreed to sit at the bar. Tyson was home, and much better, although not quite fully recovered. I'd been hesitant about letting him and Ellie meet whilst he was still feeling vulnerable, but at Charlie's insistence, I brought Ellie to the barn after a week. After a few tense minutes of watching them sniff each other and follow each other around, Tyson curled up in his fluffy bed, and Ellie cuddled up next to him. My dog was turning into a healing angel for everyone she came across.

After picking Charlie up, we made our way over to my mums. Harvey was staying with her for the night, but Adam had asked at the last minute to take him ice skating after tea, throwing me off course with my plans. This meant I had to take Harvey's clothes and things to mum's house before heading off for my delicious fajitas. With Adam taking Harvey back to mums, I knew he'd be there when I dropped off Harvey's overnight bag. But that still didn't stop the lurch of fear in my chest when I saw his car parked outside her house.

Jonny offered to take Harvey's things in for me, but I refused. I couldn't afford to show any kind of weakness after everything so far. I took a deep breath as I walked towards the front door, not expecting Adam to come waltzing out before I got there.

"Hi," he said, his brown eyes lighting up with hope.

"Hi."

A broad smile slid across his face. "You look lovely. Are you going out?"

"How's Harvey?" I changed the subject on purpose. I had to control the situation as best I could before my adrenaline pumping heart gave away my nerves.

"We had a great time. He's a little tired." He stopped for a second, shuffling from foot to foot. "I...um, got you a birthday present. I left it with your mum."

I couldn't hide the shock registering on my face. I couldn't remember the last time he'd bought me a present. "You really didn't need to."

"Well, I just thought after everything we've been through and all...I thought it would be a nice gesture. I'm trying my best to prove that I'm changing for you. For us."

My heart stopped dead as my palms broke out in a cold sweat. "Adam, there is no us."

Like a child being told no sweets, the twinkle in his eyes dulled. "Well, not at the minute, no, but in time..."

I shook my head. "No, Adam. This is it. We're over. I'm with someone else now."

"But...but he's gone to France...,"

"For a few weeks, not for good."

"But I'd never leave you?" There was something in his voice that resembled an innocent child; someone who couldn't quite grasp the understanding behind it all.

"It's his job, Adam." I made a conscious effort not to cross my arms over my chest and appear defensive.

"But you come before a job. I know that." He stepped forwards, invading my personal space just a little too much for my liking. "I don't understand what's so great about him, Lou. We're not that different, him and me."

"Are you ok, Miss Simmons?" Johnny asked. He'd jumped out of the car the second Adam moved towards me.

"I'm ok, thank you, Jonny. We're just discussing Harvey."

Adam inclined his head towards Jonny. "I don't get it, Lou. You accuse me of being controlling and all that, but you accept having some randomer follow you around everywhere like it's normal. How is that not controlling?"

"It's for my safety, Adam. Because of you."

"Have you got plans tomorrow night?"

I tried not to react to his sudden change of subject, but the direction this question may take us in was not one I wanted either. "I really don't think that's any of your business, Adam."

"I wanted to take you out for dinner. Thirty is a big one after all."

My mouth fell open at his statement; I couldn't believe this was happening. It was like we were having two different conversations and had lived in two different worlds for the past ten years.

"Are you joking?"

"No, not at all. Is that a yes?"

"Adam, I'm with Jake now. Me and you are over. We're not getting back together. Ever. This is it. Finito. Finished. I don't know how else to get this across to you. I don't love you anymore. I don't want to be with you."

He stared at me with a blank expression for a couple of seconds before his face clouded over with the familiar darkness I knew too well. "So you would prefer to spend your big birthday on your own, in the company of your boyfriend's bodyguards than with a guy who has devoted ten years of his life to you and had a child with you?"

"The same guy who beat me to a pulp countless times and almost killed me? Yes, I would rather be on my own and with them." In fact, I had plans with my mum tomorrow, but he didn't need to know that.

"Is that your final answer? This is definitively it? Think carefully before you answer." His eyes glazed over with a flat hardness that I recognised as his flip switch. I didn't care about upsetting him; Johnny was feet away with a gun on him.

"I don't need to think carefully. Goodbye, Adam."

I pushed past him and walked in Mum's house, trying to ignore my shaking body. I had held my own though and couldn't wipe the proud smile off my face as I handed over Harvey's things.

I glanced at the neatly wrapped silver present with a big silver bow on top of it. "Can you open that for me, please?"

Mum raised her eyebrows at me. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "I know you'll get much more enjoyment out of opening that than me."

She laughed and nodded. When it came to presents, Mum was like a big kid. She loved opening them, and if the wrapping paper was nice enough, she would unwrap it carefully so she could reuse the paper herself. Apparently, it was 'recycling'.

Once back in the car, I repeated mine and Adam's conversation to Charlie and Jonny. Jonny said nothing, which didn't surprise me. Charlie, on the other hand, called him all the names under the sun and begged for someone or something to kill him.

Just as we walked in to the restaurant, my phone beeped with a message. Expecting it to be from Jake, I grinned and fumbled around inside my bag to find it. My smile soon fell however when I saw it was from Adam. Five simple words stared at me, but those same five words sent my blood ice cold.

You're going to regret this.