It calms my internal chaos for a fraction of a moment. Enough that he manages to put space between us while I’m stunned at the tenderness of his action. Then fear grips me as he turns and walks away quickly, knowing he needs to go before I grab him again. He moves fast and doesn’t look back.

‘Alexi, don’t ….’ I croak, voice cracking as I impulsively run after him into the hall. He walks right into the open lift before turning and stopping me from following him with a raised ...