Back in the present day, Kate continued thinking about the rest of her time at the pub after Steve had gone. Greg had pulled out all the stops to try and impress her after discovering she was single. They'd chatted away over their drinks at a small table and he'd even succeeded in getting her to dance with him when a local band began playing a set.

She knew what he wanted, and although initially tempted to give in to try and improve the night after the fight with Steve, she knew that she would bitterly regret it. So she declined all his advances. Unfortunately however, Greg was not to be easily dissuaded.

"C'mon, Kate," Greg had said as he got closer and tried to kiss her.

"No. I don't think so, Greg," said Kate as she moved her head to avoid his advancing lips.

"Playing hard to get?" Greg asked as he tried again.

"I'm really not," Kate said, acutely aware she was trapped between him and a wall.

"I think you are, but luckily I'm up to the challenge," he whispered, emphasising the word 'up' with a thrust of his hips against Kate so she could feel he was aroused.

That was too much for Kate and although Greg was taller and heavier than her, in one swift motion she employed the self defence training she had received as a police officer and had Greg pinned against the wall with an arm behind his back. "I said no!" she reminded him forcefully. "Twat!" she said before releasing him and walking out the pub alone.

All in all it had been a pretty shit night she thought to herself as she made her way home. A fight with her best friend and hit on by a slimy pervert. Once she got home she quickly went to bed and it wasn't until she was safe under the covers that she let the tears start to fall and cried herself to sleep.

The knocking on her door not all that later disturbed her. She really hoped that it wasn't Greg. She wouldn't put it past him to have followed her home. Rolling over in bed, Kate refused to answer the door hoping that her late night caller would get the message and bugger off. Her visitor however was quite persistent. A few door bell rings were added to the knocks.

"Kate!" she heard in a familiar south London accent as Steve resorted to shouting through her letterbox in an effort to get her to answer the door. She could tell he was slightly inebriated but at least it wasn't Greg. She really hoped Steve was here to clear the air from earlier, but judging from the tone of his voice, it didn't sound like an apology would be forth coming. She really could do without this sort of interruption to her sleep after the crap evening she'd had. "Kate!" Steve tried again. He was not going to go until she answered the door.

Huffing, she angrily got out of bed and prepared herself for another round of arguing with Steve. The male of the species were really succeeding in pissing her off this evening. "Do you mind?" she asked annoyed as she opened the front door. "I'm trying to sleep. As are my neighbours," she warned him.

Kate saw Steve look her up and down and she realised in her haste to answer the door, she had forgotten to put her dressing gown on. She now felt quite exposed, standing there in a tight fitting spaghetti strap top and a very small pair of shorts. She crossed her arms defensively in front of her. "Steve, why are you here? I thought you decided we were done," She started as he still hadn't said anything since she had answered the door.

"You're the one leaving. Not me," he said accusingly.

"What?".

"Earlier in the car park. You said I was leaving you without a goodbye. I think it's actually the other way round,".

"You came all the way over here to tell me that? You're being pathetic," Kate retorted.

"Pathetic?" Steve repeated. "I suppose it's better than dumping your best friend to further your career!".

The sharp, stinging sound of a slap was heard as Kate's palm met Steve's face. Kate saw Steve hold his cheek in surprise as she stood rooted to the spot in shock. She had never been violent with anyone before, not even Mark during one of their really bad arguments, but then again he had never got under her skin like Steve had managed to do that night.

Should she apologise? She wasn't sure as he had made her do it with his last spiteful comment. She didn't get much further in her deliberation as Steve had suddenly wrapped her in an embrace, kissing her passionately as he guided her back into her hallway and closed the door behind him with his foot.


Sitting on her bed, Kate finally let her mind wander over the events of that night that previously she hadn't wanted to remember as it had been too painful. When Steve had kissed her, she hadn't resisted him, instead found herself returning it with as much passion as him. She had wanted to kiss him for a while and was going to make the most of it.

It had been the most awkward journey down the hallway to her bedroom. Entwined around the other, trying to remove clothing whilst navigating the narrow hallway had led to several collisions with pieces or furniture or walls. By the time they had made it to Kate's bed, both were only in their pants which soon were together in a little pile on the floor. They collapsed on to the bed in a tangle of arms and legs as eight years of foreplay finally came to fruition. There was no nice way of describing what they did. They had fucked. Hard. Their arguing had already led them to be quite aroused and it hadn't taken much for their anger to be replaced by passion.

Kate remembered how it had felt to have Steve moving in her. Her hands on his firm buttocks, keeping him deep inside her. He had caressed her body so tenderly that even now, ten weeks later in the cold light of day, she felt a hot flush spread to her cheeks as she recalled how wonderful it had felt.

He was a generous lover, unlike Mark who was only really concerned about reaching his own peak before rolling over and going to sleep. Steve had managed to bring her to orgasm twice- the second time he had managed to join her before they collapsed into a sated, breathless, sweaty heap. It had been the most intense and enjoyable experience of her life and she had been fairly sure that Steve had felt the same way.

"That has been brewing for a little while now," she said once her breathing had calmed. Steve had smiled and gathered her into his embrace, kissing the top of her head as she settled herself against him. After what had just unfolded, their argument was forgotten and they were friends again. She could still remember listening to the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat as she drifted off into a contented sleep, happy that the night had taken a turn for the better.

She was devastated to discover that in fact Steve didn't share her joy at all in their union because when she awoke she was alone. At some point in the night, he had got up and left, ripping her heart out in the process. She hadn't seen or spoken to him since. Having sworn to herself when they had first been partnered together that she would never let herself become another notch on his substantial bedpost, it looked as if she had failed rather spectacularly, right at the last possible moment.

Which brought her to the situation she now found herself in. Single and alone and fairly sure she was pregnant with her ex best friend's baby. All in all, a bit of a shit fest.

Refusing to be beaten, Kate got up planning her next move. First things first. She had to know for sure if she was pregnant. She would deal with the rest later.

One quick trip to purchase a test kit and a large glass of water later, Kate was sat on the side of the bath waiting for the result. Summoning up her courage she reached over and grabbed the test which had been resting on the toilet cistern. With a sinking feeling she read the word 'Pregnant'. Her worst fear spelled out clearly- none of this one or two lines rubbish that she had had to decipher when she fell pregnant with Josh.

What the hell was she going to do now? She had never thought she would ever contemplate a termination, but right now she didn't really see any other option. She was single and not in contact with the child's father. There was no way she could raise a child by herself with her job and even if she tried, she had already mucked up being a mother with Josh. She was too scared of failing and making the same mistake again. Instinctively her hand went to rest on her lower abdomen. "I'm so so sorry," she apologised to her unborn child for what she was going to have to do.