Disgraced former footballer Adam Johnson has been making regular visits to his ex-girlfriend amid rumours they could get back together.
The 31-year-old was seen leaving her home in the north east last week, which he bought for her and their four-year-old daughter Ayla.
Sources claim they were initially remaining close for the sake of their daughter but are now 'spending quality time together'.
Miss Flounders, 29, had previously publicly stood by the former Manchester City and Sunderland star when he was accused of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl and grooming but left him when he admitted the charges in court.
He was jailed for six years in 2016 and released in March after serving half of his sentence.
Miss Flounders told the Mail on Sunday earlier this year the case 'made her realise who Adam really was' and described him as 'arrogant' and a liar.
She added she had no intention of taking him back, although she admitted she 'didn't hate him'.
But a source told the Sun his £60,000 Range Rover has been seen parked outside her home and the former midfielder is 'desperate' to get back together.
The source said: 'Stacey and Adam have been spending quality time together. He's driving things, but she's taking things slowly.
'Stacey publicly said their relationship was burned out, but the embers are still burning bright.'
Johnson is believed to have visited her up to five times in the past few weeks, with a local resident claiming he had stayed overnight on one occasion.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday in March, Miss Flounders said her life 'fell apart' after Johnson's conviction and admitted she had an abortion after discovering she was pregnant shortly before his trial was due to begin.
She said: 'All I'd ever wanted was a normal family, a couple of kids and a nice life. It all just fell apart.
'I watched the man I had been in love with – the man I wanted to marry – disappear.
'I knew then that Adam was an arrogant man who had lied and lied. He'd known this girl's age. He'd sent her hundreds of messages. It was horrific. The worst thing is this: one day we will have to tell our daughter what kind of man her father really is.'
On Johnson's release, she added: 'I am looking forward to Ayla getting her dad back and I will be friends with him for her sake, but I am nervous about it as well
'I was so in love with him before. Now I feel like I don't know him; like he's been dead for three years.
'If I didn't have Ayla I would say that I regret ever meeting Adam. He's ruined my life, but I don't want to call him a monster because my little girl will read this one day. I know he adores Ayla, and will come out and be a good dad.
'I'm not in love with him any more – I'm a lot stronger now. I won't take him back. You can forgive but I will never forget what he has done. I would struggle to trust any man now.
'He deserved to go to prison because he did something wrong. He needed to change from being an arrogant cheat, and I hope he has for Ayla's sake.
'Poor little thing, she never asked for any of this, did she? Now I just want to get on with my life.'
The pair met at a pub in 2011 when he was playing for Manchester City and had just won the FA Cup while she was working for her father's recruitment firm and living in Hartlepool.
A short time later they were living together in Manchester and enjoying lavish holidays to Dubai and Tenerife.
But she claimed his behaviour changed after his £10million move to Sunderland, after which they bought a £1.6million home in County Durham.
Johnson, who will be on the Sex Offenders Register for at least 15 years, has kept a low-profile since his release.
It is likely that Johnson will only be allowed supervised visits with his four-year-old until his sentence expires in 2022.
He was recently pictured celebrating his sister Faye's 27th birthday weeks after being released from HMP Moorland in Doncaster.
Last month Johnson issued a statement and said he ‘would like to take this opportunity to publicly express my remorse for my actions’ which ‘led to my conviction and imprisonment’.
He also apologised to friends and family and thanked any members of the public who supported him.