I’m also trying to face things head on. Tempting though it was to pretend I wasn’t aware of Joel’s former feelings towards me, and to fight the urge to bury my head in the sand, this time I’ve realised that in order for me to move on, I have to acknowledge it all. To accept that he’s getting married to Verity in three days’ time. It’s shitty and it’s unfair but that’s how it is. When I picked my car up on Saturday, I wanted to read so much more into his loaded questions, but if our past is anything to go by, we’ve learned the hard way that we shouldn’t beat around the bush, and it’s quite clear he’s made his choice: he’s marrying Verity.

‘I know you’re thinking about him,’ says Layla.

‘I wasn’t.’ I’m such a bad liar and she knows it.

‘I still don’t get why you won’t find out how he feels about you. Don’t you want to know?’

I drove home from Westerly and went straight to her house on Saturday and told her everything that had happened. I spent the evening frustrated, angry and tearful, and she sat there like the good friend she is, listening to me whilst Tim kept us topped up with food and wine.

‘I think it’s obvious what he feels about us, as otherwise he wouldn’t be getting married. There’s no use clinging onto the past.’

Layla bites her lip.

‘It just seems such a shame. He’s said to you that he’s only marrying her for the ease of getting a visa, hardly romantic. It doesn’t sound like they’re madly in love to me.’

‘It’s not like the same thought hasn’t crossed my mind, but I can’t help but hear Soph’s voice in my head telling me this is Joel’s way of settling down. And if there’s a chance that he’d be happy with Verity and with their new life in the US then I can’t get in the way of that. It’s not fair on Joel or Verity.’

‘If there’s a possibility …’ begins Layla.

‘There isn’t. It’s just best for all of us if we move on.’

Claudia walks over to our table with drinks and Layla reaches out to help her put them on the table.

‘I’m so excited to see you in action,’ says Claudia, and I’m relieved to be talking about something else. The two of them have come to watch the improv final and we’ve got time for a quick drink before it starts. ‘I used to love watching Whose Line Is It Anyway? when I was a kid.’

‘Don’t be expecting anything as good as that.’