Between You and Me: The bestselling psychological thriller with a twist you won’t see coming. Lisa Hall

towards me. I brace myself but you just put your arms around me and squeeze me tightly, either not noticing or not caring that my swollen hand is also being squeezed painfully tight as it’s trapped between our bodies.

      ‘I’m sorry, Sal. I’m sorry for loving you so much and I’m sorry that you make me do these things. I would die if you left me. I mean it, Sal; if you leave I’ll kill myself. You know I mean it.’ I nod slowly and look into your eyes, trying surreptitiously to manoeuvre my hand to freedom.

      ‘OK, Charlie. It’s all right. I’m not leaving. I’m sorry – it won’t happen again, OK? Please, just help strap my fingers up.’ I’m tired and I don’t want to fight. I hold my hand out to you and you immediately turn away and busy yourself finding the end of the fabric strapping.

      ‘Hold still.’ You grab my hand, stuffing the cotton wadding between my fingers and pulling the tape tightly around, squeezing slightly to make sure the end is stuck. I hiss between my teeth as you squeeze and you look up.

      ‘Sorry, is it painful? I think you’ve learnt your lesson now, haven’t you, Sal? And I’m assuming that this now means we won’t have any more lying, or disrespecting my things. Just to make sure, I’m confiscating the car keys. You can have them back when you’ve earned them. It’s for your own good, OK?’

      You are still gripping my fingers and I have no choice but to nod miserably. For all your talk of how much you love me and how you would die if I left you, it all just boils down to how you can manipulate me into doing what you want. It’s all just another stage in the cycle – I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to realise it. It feels like I’m finally waking up to the fact that it doesn’t matter how many good moments, how many perfect afternoons we have together, the cycle is never going to end. You’re never going to change – and it’s up to me to decide what I’m going to do about it.