I knew how hard it would have been for him to put himself out there because I felt the fear too. I needed to understand what he wanted from me. He didn’t strike me as the sort who’d rush into a rebound relationship but, after Scott, I was hardly an expert on how men behaved.

‘Why me?’ I asked, stalling for time. ‘We’re just friends.’

‘Why?’ He looked amused. ‘Do you want me to list the reasons?’

Yes! Convince me you’re not going to break my heart too! But then I thought about Scott turning up at the flat after ghosting me and everything he said and did to convince me to try again. I pictured him telling me how I’d mesmerised him and he simply had to be with me but it had just been a line. One last line for one last shag before he went back to his cosy family life and left me alone and broken once more.

Panic rushed through me. I couldn’t let Sam do that to me. I didn’t want to hear it. Picking up my drink, I glugged on it, just like Sam had done with his moments before.

‘It’s not real,’ I said eventually. ‘You only think we’re more than friends because I’ve helped you with Nikki. You’re grateful. That’s all. You’ve come out of the dark and you’re confusing gratitude for something else.’ I have no idea how I managed to sound so convincing. Maybe because I was trying to convince me as much as him.

‘It’s not that.’

‘It is.’

‘I promise you it isn’t. I wondered that myself at first. I’ve spent all week thinking about you and the possibility of us. I am grateful for everything you’ve done to help me move on, but somewhere in the midst of that, the truth is I started to fall for you.’

‘Shit!’ Falling for me? Falling in love? This was serious. This was way beyond a few tentative feelings.

He wrinkled his nose. ‘Am I that repulsive?’

I gaped at him and clapped my hand across my mouth as I realised I hadn’t sworn in my head. ‘No! Sorry. I didn’t mean to say that aloud. I’m… I don’t… Oh my God, Sam. Falling for me? I completely didn’t see this coming. I really didn’t. I don’t know what to say.’

‘That somewhere in the midst of it all, you’ve fallen for me too?’ He shook his head. ‘I’m joking. Bad joke, obviously. Never was my strong point. Look, Jem, you don’t have to say anything. I’m not expecting any declarations of undying devotion. I’m not even expecting you to say that you maybe could see me as something more than a friend in the future, but I promised you an explanation as to why I ran off on—’