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‘Hey,’ he says with a smile.

‘Hello,’ I reply. ‘I thought I was late.’

I didn’t get much sleep last night, so I probably look as rough as I feel.

‘You’re in luck, Kerry is showing a sponsor around the station,’ he tells me. ‘Technically you’re early.’

‘Well, there’s a first time for everything,’ I say as I plonk myself down next to him, letting out a huge sigh as I rest my head in my hands.

‘Rough night?’ Adam asks, resting his own head on his hands so that we’re at eye level.

‘Something like that,’ I reply, allowing myself a little smile.

I need to tell him what I’m feeling, what has been going around and around in my head – that I can’t see him, or Si, any more, and that I’m moving my things out asap.

I feel a tear escape my eye before I can do anything to stop it.

‘Come here,’ Adam says as he grabs me for a hug. ‘It’s all going to be okay.’

I hug him tightly. Now I’ve got him I don’t want to let him go, but I know that I have to.

‘Listen, don’t make any plans for tonight, okay? Because I’m taking you on a proper date,’ Adam tells me as we hug.

‘You are so amazing,’ I tell him honestly.

‘Don’t you forget it,’ he replies.

How have things gone so wrong? Because not only is there no way for Adam and me to be together, but, in true Lia style, it’s going to have a knock-on effect for me here at work too.

I really have been loving working here, getting back to doing what I do best, but how is that going to work moving forwards? Seeing Adam every day?

Even if I worked remotely, I’d still have to see him sometimes; plus, working for him only actually works if you are the sort of person who can be trusted at home.

I am not that sort of person – especially not if I’m living with my parents. I can just imagine my mum popping in for chats while I’m trying to work, my dad’s radio playing loudly enough to penetrate the walls, my brother’s kids downstairs screaming.

I really don’t want to lose this job though. There’s something about the chaos of it all that settles me. You can’t beat the thrill of planning a live event because, after you put in all that hard work, feel all that stress, the event comes along and you get to see it go off without a hitch – and it’s because of everything you did.

This is what I’m good at. I’m great in the chaos – well, professional chaos, at least. Romantic chaos isn’t my strong suit, it turns out.

I make my excuses, leave the meeting room, and go to find somewhere quiet to feel sorry for myself. The toilet feels like too much of a cliché, so I head to the kitchen. There are people in there, but not in the pantry, so I head in to grab an emotional support biscuit.

I’m four custard creams deep when the door opens.

‘Lia?’

‘Hi, Kerry,’ I mumble through a mouthful.

‘Someone said they’d seen you come in here,’ she replies. ‘Is everything okay?’

‘Just fancied a few biscuits,’ I lie.

‘Oh, good, because for a second I thought you might be hiding in here,’ she replies.

‘Haha… haha… no,’ I say, styling it out. I hold the packet out to her. ‘Custard cream?’

She takes one, which I wasn’t expecting.

For a moment, we stand there in silence, both eating biscuits. It’s strangely peaceful.