Chloe watched him as he concentrated on the road, and sighed inwardly. She couldn’t help but think that he was making it worse, for himself most of all. She was desperate to ease the atmosphere. ‘Mark, last weekend …’ ‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ he snapped. ‘But –’ ‘Chloe, DON’T.’ She almost jumped in her seat. ‘What makes you think I want to relive any part of it?’ ‘But it wasn’t that bad,’ she said meekly. ‘It was only –’ ‘Bloody hell, Chloe!’ Mark roared. ‘Just leave it, will you.’ ‘Okay, okay,’ Chloe capitulated. Then added snippily, ‘Just stop sulking then.’ But Mark didn’t respond to this, and the silence continued to pollute the car. By the time they arrived, Chloe didn’t know whether to fume or get upset. She was regretting inviting Mark now, seeing as he barely seemed able to hold a conversation with her. As they pulled into the driveway her mother came rushing out to the car. ‘My darling, it’s so great to see you.
