On top of all this, I seemed to have messed up with Sam, despite thinking that I’d handled things maturely and sensibly enough to avoid this from happening. On the two occasions I hiked far enough around the forest to eventually bump into him, he was polite rather than friendly. He didn’t pick up on my hints to have a drink or a walk, and acted distracted – almost dismissive – as though he was far too busy to chat. This was so unexpected that on top of all my other jumbled emotions, I had no idea how to interpret it, despite analysing every comment and gesture for torturous hours on end.

‘He must have only been interested in a potential hook-up all along,’ I bemoaned to Steph, who was surely fed up with this topic of conversation by now, but was kind enough to act like this was the first time she’d heard me droning on about it. ‘Did he just want the challenge of getting me to crack? Like, as some sort of ego boost.’

‘What if that whole story about his ex, and how he’s a sworn singleton is all a line to reel you in?’ she suggested, causing my innards to shrivel like slugs in salt. ‘Maybe he didn’t leave the family firm because he hated it and had a nervous breakdown, he was just crap so they kicked him out. It’s all part of the sob-story to get you into bed.’

‘Ugh, don’t even say that!’ I cried. ‘Firstly, why would someone go to all that effort to get me of all people into bed? And secondly, if I’m still that vulnerable to being manipulated then all my fears about moving out have come true, and I might as well go back home where at least I know what’s happening.’

‘Alternatively, you chalk it up to experience, then congratulate yourself for communicating a clear boundary, meaning that whatever his reason for backing off, you’ve no horrible regrets. This proves that you are, in fact, the kick-ass woman I knew you were all along. Plus, you can breathe a big sigh of relief that he’s got the message and moved on.’ Steph huffed noisily down the phone. ‘This was a win, Ollie.’

‘Unless, of course, none of what he said was a lie. He is the loveliest man I’ve ever met, and once he got to know me he just realised that I’m a boring, pathetic person with a mountain of issues and he decided he doesn’t want to be friends with me after all.’