‘Just a little bit of touching … You’re too irresistible not to want to touch.’ It’s a wink, a return of playful, and yet my heart plummets.

Don’t go there, Alexi, please. I don’t want to fight again.

I mentally will him not to go down this route and push his hand away as he smiles my way.

‘Did you have some sort of personality transplant when I was gone?’ I scold him, half-serious and deflating inside, knowing that this was a dumb invitation to accept. ...