I take a deep breath, because I think I said all of that on an exhale.

I look at Freddie’s furrowed brow and realise I got too gloomy too quickly.

‘I understand why you feel so stressed,’ he replies.

‘Thanks,’ I say. ‘I think I just needed to spit that out.’

‘Well, my plan has completely backfired,’ he admits. ‘The idea wasn’t to get you thinking about work at all – this was just my convoluted way of getting you to look at the date.’

‘The date?’ I reply. It’s my turn to furrow my brow. I look at my watch. ‘It’s the 10th.’

Freddie stares at me blankly.

‘The 10th,’ I repeat. ‘The… oh, my God.’

Freddie just laughs.

‘Well, I feel like an idiot,’ I confess, feeling my cheeks start to flush with the fire of a million suns.

‘Don’t beat yourself up,’ he says. ‘We’ve all forgotten our own birthday at least once.’

‘Really?’ I ask.

‘Erm…’ Freddie laughs awkwardly. ‘Look, you’ve been through a lot and no one knows what date it is when they’re on holiday – no one even knows what day it is. Let alone whether it’s their birthday.’

I nod thoughtfully until something occurs to me.

‘Wait, how do you know it’s my birthday?’

‘I had a peep when I hid your passport,’ he jokes. ‘Or maybe Ali told me.’

I smile. The idea of celebrating my birthday here by myself was one of the main things that gave me pause when I decided to run away.

‘I see,’ I reply with a smile.

‘So, we’re going for brunch,’ he says. ‘You, me, Ali and Marty – it was Marty who organised it. We came up with a plan together. He made the arrangements last night.’

We might’ve got off on the wrong foot, but Marty doesn’t sound all that bad. I’m not sure how happy Ali will be – I hope she doesn’t think this is a double date that I’m sneaking on her. I am blown away though – brunch sounds amazing.

As I get ready, there’s a real spring in my step, which is surprising, given how much my thigh muscles are aching. It’s a good ache though, like the kind you get after you’ve been to the gym. It’s uncomfortable, sure, but I know that it’s because I’ve been having a great time.

I never really thought Daniel and I were boring in the bedroom but now that I’ve got this spark with Freddie, it’s easy to see what was missing between the sheets before.

I’m walking on air today. Just very carefully.

It isn’t just things with Freddie and my birthday plans that are making me giddy – today is also the final day of Mr & Mrs Valentine Island and I’ve got a good feeling about it. We’ve done so well so far, I think we might just be able to do this. I’ve never won anything before – not even one pound on a scratchcard – and, given that this is skill-based, I feel especially proud of myself for coming so close. Even if I go home a loser, telling myself it’s the taking part that counts, I know that I’ve done well. With a ‘winner takes all’ final round, if I do lose it will be both comforting and frustrating to know that Freddie and I won every other round.