I avoid Hugh at dinner and sit at the opposite end of the booth. When everyone takes a beer up to the captain’s room to celebrate our last full day of dives, I head to the cabin. I change and start to get ready for bed so I don’t have to wrangle into my pyjamas while he watches. I can’t face him. Especially not after he convinced Vanessa and Aaron to try Norman Reef, and even that didn’t work.

The butterfly wrasse doesn’t exist. I feel sure of it. I want to be angry at Millie for sending me on a wild goose chase, but I’m so worried about her well-being that it staves off my anger a little longer.

‘Ahem.’ Hugh clears his throat as he steps into our room. I jump, not prepared for anyone to come in. I had forgotten to lock the door.

‘Sorry,’ I say quickly, ‘I’m just finishing up in here. I’ll get out of your way.’ I duck by Hugh and step towards the door, but he steps to the side and blocks my way out.

‘Millie,’ he says, his voice low. ‘What are you doing?’

‘I’m going upstairs,’ I say weakly, nodding towards the door.

‘No, what are you doing to this?’ He gestures to himself and back to me again.

I look up at him. ‘What do you mean?’ I force out.

Hugh looks like he’s about to roll his beautiful eyes, and then he sighs and sits down on his bed.

Something about his weariness stills me, and I sit down across from him.

‘You know that we have something, the two of us. I know it’s only been three days . . . and, well, some Instagram conversations . . .’ He levels his gaze at me. ‘You know I’m not good at talking about stuff like this, so me addressing this is something.’ He laughs harshly. ‘My therapist would call it growth.’

I force myself not to react that Hugh just mentioned his therapist. There is nothing more attractive than a man taking care of his mental health. Why did I have to lie to him? I think.

‘But you’re pushing me away.’ He can’t sit up straight under the bunk beds, so he’s hunched over, looking at me.

‘You don’t understand.’ I fiddle with my hands.

‘I do,’ says Hugh. ‘I see what’s going on. You’re finding every reason to turn this down, to make me into a bad guy, because you aren’t ready to see yourself as worthy of someone good.’

My chest tightens. I don’t want to listen to Hugh telling me all the ways my confidence could be improved. I’ve been hearing that for my entire life.