‘Are we?’ He looks into my eyes and it only confirms in my gut what I know already: we’re not meant to be.

‘I think we both know we are.’

A cool breeze whips through the balcony and it makes me shiver.

‘Can we stay in touch at least?’

A tear rolls down my cheek and I wipe it away with my fingers.

‘I’d like that.’

‘Good.’

We sit in silence for a few minutes, trying to digest what’s happened. I look out over the houses in the town that are lit up in the distance; it looks like strands of fairy lights across the hill. In any other moment this could be so romantic.

‘Now that I guess we’re technically broken up, I’m just going to come right out and ask: did something happen between you and Joel when you were at the holiday park?’

My body goes rigid even though nothing happened.

‘No,’ I say, but it sounds unconvincing and even I wouldn’t believe me. ‘Honestly. There’s never been anything between Joel and me; we’ve only ever been friends.’

It’s the painful truth that I wish wasn’t true, but it is.

‘You just seemed so … cosy.’

‘We’ve always been like that.’

‘Did you want there to be anything else?’ He looks me straight in the eye and I can’t hide it. This time I can tell he can see it in my eyes.

I slowly nod.

‘And now?’

‘And now, what?’ I gulp down a large sip of my rosé.

‘Do you want something to happen?’

‘He’s with Verity.’

Miles shrugs. ‘That’s not really an answer.’

I think about the conversations with Joel and how he’s being so wishy-washy about going to the US with Verity. Even if Joel did like me and he wasn’t with Verity, he’s never going to commit or settle down. It’s best I let any thought of us two together go.

‘No, I don’t want anything to happen.’

I know that no matter what connection we have, he’s not the man I’d need him to be.

Miles finishes his drink and puts his glass on the table. ‘You know, it might have made it a little easier if something did happen a couple of weeks ago.’

‘Really?’

‘Yep, because then I could have made you out to be some kind of monster and sometimes it’s easier to get over someone if you don’t like them.’

Now it’s my turn to lean over and take his hand.

‘Sorry I didn’t cheat on you,’ I say as sincerely as I can.

‘That’s OK.’

He squeezes my hand before he takes his back.

‘OK, I think it was time that I got going,’ he says, standing up.