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He falls quiet, and I wonder if he’s angry, although maybe he’s just taking this in. I’ve already made my point, so rather than jumping in to say even more, I give him some time. Eventually, he takes a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, I’ve messed up—and everything was going so well yesterday! Can we rewind, please? I’m rushing things, which is something I said I didn’t want to do. This was a stupid idea. Can you forget I took you here?”

Normally, Aidan looks so confident, so cocky. Now, though, he’s faltering, and I’m not used to seeing him like this. Any annoyance I felt about being brought to this creepy house evaporates, and instead my heart aches at this display of vulnerability.

I realise too I’ve maybe been a bit blunt with my opinions. I stand by them, but I could probably have found a more diplomatic way of expressing them. Perhaps I’m still a little annoyed about the photo album I saw earlier, but it’s not fair to get upset with Aidan about that. That chronicled a time in his life before we met, and it showed a side of him he’s never attempted to hide.

I place a hand on his knee and squeeze it. “Here’s the thing: you and I are unique individuals, and that’s okay. In any relationship, there are shared qualities, and there are differences. You’re an outdoorsman, and I understand why this property would appeal to you. But . . . imagine a Venn diagram.”

On his leg, I draw a circle with my finger. “This is you.” I draw a second circle. “And this is me. See this area where the two circles overlap? That’s the sweet spot. Honestly, I’m still not sure we’re ready to move in together, but if we did, it’d need to be somewhere in here—a place that appeals to both of us. Right now, you’ve instead taken me to a house that’s all the way over here.” I move my finger down his leg towards the far end of the zone I said represented him.

He smirks. “I may be new to relationships, but I get the concept that this property is more me than you. I could probably even have grasped it without a diagram.”

I slap his thigh. “Hey! I’m not trying to belittle your intelligence. I’m trying to help.”

“I know, and actually, it felt kind of nice when you were drawing on my leg. You got pretty high when you were doing your circle. I’m frantically thinking up other things I could ask you to explain to me. If you could go just a wee bit higher and a little to the side, that’d be perfect.”

I let out a sigh and shake my head. “A minute ago, when your eyes went wide and you realised you’d messed up, I felt bad for you. That didn’t last long.”

“I’m only kidding! Well . . . okay, if you did want to draw circles on my crotch, I wouldn’t stop you, but—”

“Aidan! You’ve just shown me around a freezing house that could be the setting for a horror film, and my jeggings are wet and cold from walking through the snow. Why are you under the impression you’ve earned some kind of sexual reward?”

He considers. “All right, maybe I picked the wrong place, but suggesting we move in together is quite romantic, isn’t it?” He squeezes my thigh and, in a low voice, adds, “We do have this house to ourselves for a while longer. Would it be crazy to have sex in a home that doesn’t belong to us and which is up for sale?”

“Yes, Aidan, that would be crazy. Even if I wasn’t shivering, there’s no way I’d do that. Unlike you, I have some self-respect.”

“Noted. Kind of a boring answer, but I see where you’re coming from. I suppose we’re still getting to know each other. Today I’ve learnt that, while you’re happy to suck me off in your brother’s living room, getting up to mischief in a house that’s for sale is a step too far.”

“That’s what you’ve learnt? Not that showing me a cold, lonely building in the middle of nowhere, and suggesting I move into it, was a terrible idea?”

“Oh, aye, I suppose I learnt that too. Wow, two things in one day—before you know it, we’ll be like those couples who finish each other’s sentences.”

That mischievous glint in his eye. That cheeky grin. Aidan wasn’t knocked down for long. He’s taking this in his stride, as he does most things. He’s not going to get upset over the minor fact I detest a property he’d set his heart on.

I sit up straighter. “Let’s see if you can finish this sentence. I want to go back to your mum’s and have a . . .”

“Shag in my bedroom?”

With a sigh, I slouch back into the sofa.

He winks and instead offers, “Cup of tea?”

“Bingo! And we can look through the rest of the baby things your mum wanted to show me.”

“All right, but before we go, can I just say . . . I really am sorry, you know, for bringing you here. Everyone thinks I’m this smooth guy who always knows what to say and do around women, and to be fair, I am great on a first date.” He grins cockily. “But this stuff? It’s all new to me. So, aye, maybe I’ve been a bit overeager, like some lovestruck teenager.”

“Lovestruck?” I repeat in a teasing tone. “Have you fallen in love with me, Aidan?”

He shrugs. “Well, I did just ask you to move in with me, so . . .”

“Wait, what?” I jerk up. “I was only kidding. It’s too early to talk about love—way too early.”

He winces. “Crap, have I messed up again? I really am bad at this. Maybe this isn’t love—I don’t know. What I do know is the way I feel about you is unlike anything I’ve experienced before, and it’s a nice feeling, one I’m keen to explore more. And it does seem a lot like the kind of thing soppy love songs go on about, so . . .”

He drums his fingers on his leg. “I like being around you, I want to spend as much time with you as possible, and the thought of you going back to London hurts. Does that mean I love you, or do I just really like you? Maybe it’s the latter, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that grows into love.”

This is too much to take in.