‘Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you heard me come in.’ Alexi is standing there looking at me like this is the most normal thing in the world, and all I can do is blink back at him, feeling underdressed and my heart hammering like a war drum as I try to calm my sudden breathless demeanour. He made me almost shit myself, and I’m not used to people creeping up on me like that.

‘I thought you said you would be gone all night?’ I snap at him accusingly, frowning, ...