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‘Yes, which is obviously where I met your dad. But only for the first couple of years. Then I moved back to London, and Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte’s.’

‘So obstetrics was one of your specialisms?’ Callum instantly recognised the hospital name.

‘And gynae.’ Liv nodded. ‘But my passion was for A&E — I loved the bustle and challenge of constantly changing cases.’ She swallowed hard, her enthusiasm waning. ‘And that’s where I met Mike.’

‘Mike?’

‘My fiancé.’ She looked down, and rubbed the spot where her ring had been, all signs of it faded beyond visibility now. ‘My ex-fiancé.’

If Callum had any strong feelings on this, he hid them well.

‘Mike was a trauma surgeon. He was young, attractive, really popular and funny. All us juniors, and the nurses loved him. They either wanted to be his best mate, or his date. So when he was interested in me, I couldn’t believe my luck. He was more worldly than me, focussed, driven. I loved him like crazy.’

‘Should I ask what happened?’ Callum’s question was tentative.

‘It’s OK.’ Liv nodded. ‘You have to understand, the person he was in private was different to the person he was in public.’

‘Did he hurt you?’ Callum’s anger startled her.

‘No. Not at all. At least not in the way you mean.’ She sighed. ‘He was precise, pedantic, good traits for surgery, but sometimes less so for someone to live with. Everything had its place, and it would be in that place. The coffee machine clicked on at the same time every morning — even when we were off shift — and dinner was at the same time every night — precisely one hour after he’d finished his shift. His whole apartment was modern and clean and perfectly styled. Everything was perfect, like living in a glossy magazine feature. And if something got scratched, or marked with even the slightest chip, it would be thrown away.’

She paused to wipe more tears from her eyes. ‘And what happened to me, it was a lot, lot more than a scratch.’ She rubbed at her ring finger again. ‘He asked for his ring back.’

‘What a bastard!’

Liv shrugged. It had hurt at the time, but she’d endured worse. ‘It was his grandmother’s. He’d promised her he’d give it to the woman he was going to marry, and that wasn’t me anymore. I couldn’t give him his perfect two point four children in his perfect two point four years, because I wasn’t perfect anymore. I’m scarred and battered and broken, and a screwed-up mess. Everyone who’s ever gotten to know me sees it sooner or later, and they leave me.’ She stopped fighting the tears, and let them come as she stared into the flames — anything was better than meeting Callum’s gaze and seeing disgust, or maybe worse, sympathy in his eyes.

* * *

Callum stared at Liv in outright admiration. She was such a kind, generous and warm person; he’d never have guessed she had been so badly hurt and let down over the years. He was shocked that anyone could treat another person so badly, let alone one as kind and open as Liv. And he was truly amazed that she could take such hurt, and still be the wonderful person who was so quickly becoming a central feature in his life.

Liv finally looked up, and even blotchy with tears and crying she was still beautiful to him. Callum had to remind himself — yet again — that she would be leaving all too soon.

‘You’re being unfair on yourself, Liv.’

‘Am I really? Everyone I ever cared about has left me, or hurt me, or both.’

‘Yes.’ He told her honestly. ‘I think you’re being incredibly harsh on yourself. You’ve been through hell and back, and you have been treated horribly by some of the people who should have loved you the best and had your back every single second of your life.’

‘You think I don’t know this?’ Liv wiped her eyes on the edge of the blanket. ‘I don’t need you to tell me what I’ve been told my whole life.’

‘You going to let me finish?’ He gave her a crooked smile, half-frustrated, and half-praying that he had the right words to say.

She nodded slowly, but looked at him with scepticism written across her face. She didn’t believe he had anything worth listening to, but was too polite to tell him to shut up.

‘Liv, you’re missing the point of what I’m trying to say. You are amazing.’

‘I’m really not.’ She shook her head sadly.

‘Yes, you are. You’re kind, intelligent and beautiful — inside and out — and despite everything you’ve been through, you’re one of the most giving, caring people I know. In spite of all the pain you’ve been through, you are someone truly special, Liv.’

Liv hung her head, shielding herself from Callum’s intense gaze.

‘Please don’t do that, Liv.’ Callum leaned forward and tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear. ‘Please don’t hide from me, and put yourself down. Because you are truly special.’

When she didn’t respond, he continued. ‘If someone you cared about, like Millie or Sarah, told you they were broken, and that no one would ever love them. What would you say?’

‘I’d tell her she was talking nonsense, that she’s wonderful, and that the people who didn’t see how amazing she was were the ones being stupid, and they didn’t deserve to have anyone as wonderful as her in their lives.’