Kate woke up alone in her hotel bed the next morning. She stretched and rolled over as she tried to wake herself up. Steve's cologne on the empty pillow assaulting her nostrils and the soreness between her thighs reminding her instantly about what she had done the night before. The sex had been amazing but all that had been forgotten with their post coital pillow talk. Steve had left her room rather deflated and Kate's immediate concern was over her friendship with Steve surviving after their intimate night together rather than any consequences to her marriage.

Getting up, Kate headed to the shower where she gently washed any evidence of Steve being with her off her body before getting dressed. She had a little talk to herself about what to do about breakfast before leaving her room. Miss it? Head down to the restaurant without Steve? Knock on Steve's door and go with him? It was pretty obvious what she had to do if she was being truthful about maintaining her friendship with Steve.

Summoning up her courage she chose the latter and knocked on the door next to hers. There was movement before the door opened. Steve was dressed and freshly out of the shower if his wet hair was anything to go by.

"Morning," Kate said shyly.

"Morning," Steve echoed.

"You coming for breakfast?" Kate asked timidly.

"I wasn't going to," Steve admitted, and Kate's smile fell. He was avoiding her. "But," he added as his stomach growled, "I appear to have worked up quite an appetite last night," he said bittersweetly. He'd had the best sex of his life but sadly it was going to be a one off. Kate wasn't going to risk her son for him and he would have to deal with that. It was just a shame that no woman was ever going to compare to Kate.

Kate smiled at his attempt to keep things light. She'd hurt him she could tell, but he was doing his best to move on. She would do the same.

It proved difficult to do. Breakfast was a bit stilted as for the first time in their friendship conversation proved difficult. It was so bad that they both were thankful for the lectures that morning. They were still as boring as hell but they wouldn't have to talk to each other.

The drive home was also peppered with large silences until eventually Steve was pulling up in front of Kate's house.

"Would you like to come in for a drink?" she offered in return for Steve driving her home.

"Probably shouldn't," Steve replied. He felt bad stepping into the family home when he had committed adultery with Kate.

"Ok," said Kate as she reached for her suitcase that was lying on the back seat and got out the car. "See you Monday," she said before she closed the car door.

Steve didn't hang around long and Kate stood at the end of the driveway until his car had disappeared from sight.

Turning, she went up to the front door and opened it. Silence greeted her as Mark and Josh were still away. Sighing deeply, Kate headed to the kitchen where she sorted through her washing before putting the machine on. She then headed upstairs to the bedroom to finish her unpacking.

Opening her wardrobe door Kate stopped dead. All her clothes had been removed. She went to her bedside drawer. Completely empty. Mark appeared to have removed all her belongings from their bedroom.

She entered the guest room and found them all heaped on the bed. Kate slumped on to the bed in resignation. What was she going to do? Mark was not going to give up until she quit the force. He was a bully.

She gave the idea of leaving the police only a seconds thought before she stopped herself. Fuck him! Kate thought defiantly. He could totally fuck right off! Her husband really didn't know her at all. She would never be bullied in to anything.

At least she wasn't going to have to share a bed with him she thought as she got up and started putting her clothes away in the wardrobe. She had her own space now.

She made the bed once the clothes and other belongings had been put away before she sat down on the bed and thought about her next steps.

Steve had asked her last night whether she loved her husband after she had dumped her problems on to him over their meal.

"I don't know," she had told him, but as she sat there now she realised that she did know. It wasn't good news for Mark.

Steve had suggested keeping a diary and recording arguments or other things that Mark did to her in case she ever took the big leap and proceeded with a divorce. It might help with custody of Josh he had suggested.

Opening up her phone diary, Kate wrote down details of things she could remember. It was actually quite cathartic documenting it all and by the time she had finished, Kate realised there was actually quite a lot that happened over a long time period. A slow disintegration of their marriage.

Having it all logged before her also helped Kate realise something else. Picking up her bag and coat she was soon headed out her empty house and in to her service car. She drove across the city and pulled up in front of a familiar block of flats.

Killing the engine, Kate hurried inside before knocking on the right door. She hoped someone was at home. Just when she thought there wasn't, the door opened.

"Hi," Kate said to Steve who looked surprised to see his partner.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I want you again as well,".