The banging continues, and I’m forced to sit up on my bed, slowly.
“For fuck’s sake, I’m coming!” I snap, not caring if they can hear me or not.
The world feels slightly out of focus, and my tongue is as dry as the outback. I reach for my phone on the bedside table only to come up empty-handed. In its place sits an unopened bottle of water and a packet of Advil. I grab them instead, shoving two tablets down my throat, and draining the bottle in greedy swallows, hoping it will ease the sharp throbbing behind my eyes quick enough.
“Open up, Hope! I know you’re in there!” Adrian’s booming voice cuts through the door from outside.
“What the hell? He’s not supposed to be here until tonight,” I murmur as I spring out of bed, only to notice that I’m still wearing last night’s dress. I snatch my robe from the walk-in wardrobe and head for the front door.
I barely get the door open before Zac storms past me without so much as a hello, and heads straight for his room. Seconds later, his door slams shut.
“What on earth is going on?” I snap.
“I tried, Hope. I really tried. But he’s been whining all day yesterday and throughout this morning about wanting to come home. No matter what I said or did, he either ignored me or complained about wanting to leave.”
I let out a long, exasperated sigh, rubbing the space between my eyes as if that might ease the tension.
“I’ll speak to him once he’s calmed down, but you need to be patient with him, Adrian. He’s still upset with you,” I say, as I turn and move towards the kitchen.
He trails behind me, his footsteps heavy on the floorboards, and I silently pray he won’t stay for too long. I turn on the kettle and reach for my favourite mug, the one Zac gave me for my birthday three years ago.
If I’m going to have this conversation with my ex-husband, tired and hungover, no less, then I’ll need the strongest dose of caffeine first.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into him, Hope. He complains about me not spending much time with him, andwhen I do, he wants to leave and go home. I can’t win either way,” he growls from the other side of the island.
I draw in a sharp breath through my nose and let it out slowly through my mouth.
“It’s too fucking early for this,” I mutter.
“Too early?” He frowns. “Hope, it’s almost noon. Don’t tell me you’ve been sleeping this whole time.”
“Well, I didn’t think anyone was going to show up at my door at this hour.”
His gaze roams over me, his head tilting slightly to the side, appraising me.
“Why do you look like you’ve just come back from an all-night bender?”
I shrug. “I had a few glasses of wine last night. Is that a crime?”
“Why are you wearing your nice green dress?” he asks, his eyes dropping to the hint of pastel green fabric peeking out from beneath my robe. “You only ever wear that when you’re going out somewhere. Were you out partying last night?”
“That’s none of your business. And what’s with the interrogation?”
“So you were at a party? Who did you go with?”
“As I said—none of your business. Now, if there’s nothing else—”
“Since when do you go out drinking?”
“I didn’t just go out drinking. I was at a housewarming, if you must know.”
His frown deepens. “Whose housewarming? I didn’t think you knew enough people to get invited to a party.”
I narrow my eyes, irritation rising at the assumption that I can’t have a social life and still be a mum.
“They’re new friends of mine. None that you know of.”
“And where did you meet these...so called new friends?”
