Joel makes it to the beach first and he helps me pull my board onto the sand and I sit down on it. I try and catch my breath and retie my hair into what’s bound to be a really messy bun.

‘That was amazing,’ I say, looking back out at the water. ‘I can’t believe how peaceful it was.’

‘I know.’

‘I would have thought it was a bit tame for you. I thought you were all about adrenaline sports.’

He shrugs.

‘Perhaps that’s what happens when you get old. I still do kitesurf a lot, but Verity got me into paddle boarding last summer and it’s nice just chilling on the water.’

Verity and Miles are well and truly out of sight now and I wonder how far they’ve gone.

‘She seems really nice.’

‘Yeah, she is.’

‘Have you been together long?’

I dig my feet in the sand, enjoying the momentary feeling of having it between my toes.

‘On and off for a while,’ he says, sounding vague. ‘Although I’ve known her years. Some of the yachting circles are quite small. We both worked a season in the Turks and Caicos and then she ended up in Cannes at the same time as me last year.’

‘And now she’s heading back to the US?’

‘Yeah, she’s thinking about it. She’s got an interview for a job at a big resort in Florida. She thinks she might be able to get a job for me too, if I want it.’

‘And do you?’ My voice wobbles a bit saying it. I don’t know why it would bother me if he did go.

‘I don’t know. It’s hard to get a visa and if I did go, we’d have to live together and I’m not sure … but the job would be amazing.’ He shrugs.

He’s making it sound like his relationship with Verity is casual, but they’re always cosying up taking loved-up photos together and he’s considering moving to the US with her. Maybe Soph’s right; this is them stepping up and taking their relationship to the next level, without admitting it to themselves yet.

‘I bet it’ll be nice for you to get back on the yachts. You must have missed it being here.’

He picks up a bit of driftwood and starts to peel the strands back.

‘I miss bits of it. Being out on the water and the travel. But it was hard to have a life when you’re not in charge of your own schedule.’

‘I bet you saw some amazing places.’

‘I did. But there are beautiful places here too. I’ve always loved this beach.’

I look up around me for the first time since we arrive and it’s familiar.

‘Is this the beach we used to come, to watch the sunrise?’