I’ve been holed up here since yesterday, opening the door just once, to let in my room service last night, and even then I only opened the door for a few seconds, and only wide enough to yank the poor guy delivering it through the door before closing it quickly behind him. I figured that might seem a little weird, so I had the foresight to hide (not) my dildo, but only thirty seconds before I answered the door, so it’s currently living under the sofa.

I haven’t ordered anything this morning though (not yet), and obviously I’m not expecting any visitors. I’m tempted to pretend I’m not in, but this isn’t actually my house.

As I open the door, the bright sunlight burns my eyes, causing me to squint. I’ve had the various curtains and blinds closed since yesterday, because I hated the idea of Daniel and Eva frolicking around out by the pool, looking inside and seeing me by myself or, worse, not even thinking to look in my direction because they’re way too wrapped up in themselves.

‘I didn’t realise you were a vampire,’ I hear Freddie say.

As I force my eyes open, I see him standing there in front of me, the sunlight causing a sort of angelic glow around his body.

‘I didn’t realise you were a movie star,’ I answer. ‘So we’ll call it a draw.’

‘I wasn’t keeping it from you,’ he tells me. ‘At first, I thought you knew, and then, when I realised you actually didn’t know who I was, it was kind of nice.’

I guess I can appreciate that, and I don’t feel as if he was trying to deceive me, I just feel embarrassed for not realising it was him.

‘Thanks for yesterday,’ I tell him. ‘You did me a huge favour. I had no idea they were going to show up. It was so embarrassing.’

‘I feel like there’s a conversation in that,’ he says.’

‘There is,’ I reply. I don’t suppose he wants to hear it. ‘Well, thanks. It’s no fun being single on this island, but it’s even less fun when your ex turns up.’

‘That’s why I’m here, actually,’ he says.

‘Oh?’

‘Can I come in?’

‘Yeah, sorry,’ I say, stepping aside. ‘Come in.’

‘I did try the terrace door first,’ he says as he passes me.

‘Yeah, I’m hiding,’ I confess. ‘And, after yesterday, having it open feels like I'm inviting trouble.’

Freddie takes a seat at the dining table, so I sit opposite him.

‘Well, how would you feel about coming out of hiding?’ he asks.

‘Not warmly.’

‘You know how I did you that big favour yesterday,’ he starts.

‘Yes…’

‘Well – and this isn’t why I did it – but I’ve been thinking: we can help each other.’

‘You got any exes turning up, who you want me to make jealous? Because you’re not going to do that with me.’

I laugh awkwardly at my self-deprecating jokes. Ali always tells me off for making fun of myself. She says that women have enough to contend with, and enough people making fun of them, so we shouldn’t be doing it with each other. I think she’s onto something. Ali is unapologetically herself, and she’s one of the happiest people I know. She doesn’t care what people think of her, and she definitely doesn’t need the validation of any man. If any man dared to dump her, it’s not even like they’d need to be scared (even though she can be pretty scary) because she just wouldn’t care. Ali doesn’t want to be around people who don’t want to be around her. I’ve always wished I were more like Ali, but I just don’t have the balls. Perhaps now that I’m single again, and I’m going to have to thicken up my skin, I should try a little harder to be more like her – at the very least with matters of the heart.