My stomach starts to churn at the thought of what I’m going to have to do. Am I really going to break up a wedding? Both Verity and Joel are adamant they’re only marrying for the visa, but would Joel still be going through with it if he knew how I felt, both back then and right now? And even if I have got it all wrong, then at least I’d have tried and will have my answer.

It’s only eight o’clock. Soph mentioned the wedding was happening at eleven. I could still make it. I shut down my computer and I write a quick note and I prop it up against Claire’s PC. Skiving twice in two weeks; past Edie would be proud. I just hope that today doesn’t turn into such a disaster.

‘Woah, where’s the fire?’ asks Layla, walking out of the kitchen with her coffee.

‘I’m leaving. I’ve got to tell Joel I love him.’

‘What?’ Layla almost spills her coffee.

‘No time to explain but wish me luck!’

‘Good luck,’ she shouts, and I channel past Edie and her confidence as much as possible.

The traffic is going to be horrendous, so instead of heading to my car I run to the train station.

I arrive breathless, glance up at the screen and realise that I’ve got eleven minutes until the next train to Bournemouth. I queue for the self-service machine and I can almost feel the adrenaline coursing round my veins. I manage to buy my ticket and make it onto the platform with a few minutes to spare.

I head down the platform well away from anyone and when the train arrives I watch the carriages pass until the last one stops in front of me. Thankfully, it’s relatively empty.

It isn’t until the train pulls away that the magnitude of what I’m doing starts to hit me. I close my eyes and start taking deep breaths.

‘Edie?’ says a very distinctive Scottish voice.

My eyes spring open and Douglas is smiling brightly at me. His hair is as neat as he could probably make it and he’s freshly shaven.

‘I thought it was you. I saw you standing on the platform.’

‘Hello, what a surprise.’ I stand up and give him a big hug. ‘You look so well.’

‘Turns out being alcohol-free is a good look on me. Who knew?’ He sits down opposite me, resting his arms on the table between us. ‘So, what are you doing here?’

‘I …’ I suddenly don’t know what to say. It’s probably best not to mention that I’m about to tell Joel I love him. ‘I’m just taking a long weekend down in Westerly. Can’t get enough of the place.’

‘Oh,’ he says, looking up at the empty luggage rail above our heads. ‘Travelling light?’

‘Yes, very light. How about you?’