For the first part of today's trip, we're visiting the city of Rethymno. It's about a 90-minute drive west from Hersonissos, and I'm already worrying that it's going to be the longest and most awkward hour and a half of my life.

"It'll be okay," Lewis whispers in my ear as we make our way towards Milos' immaculate car, as if he's read my mind. "We just need to keep up the happy couple act when we're around him."

"That's what I'm worried about," I mumble back.

"Come on, we're friends now, right?" he chides me. "Just pretend you like me every once in a while, and it'll all work out." His accompanying chuckle is grim with an edge of bitterness. Nevertheless, I'm shocked when he slides a surprisingly cool hand into mine. "All part of the show," he explains, his lips quirking upwards in a sly smile as I shoot him a quick questioning look.

And I'm actually a little sad when I have to let the hand go in order to climb into the back of the car.

"You are both ready to go?" Milos asks us, bright green eyes holding mine briefly in the rear view mirror. I nod and quickly look away; I was flirting with him on Friday without a care in the world, but now - after the events of the weekend - I'm feeling what I can only describe as a reluctant loyalty to my fake boyfriend. Despite the fact that I still find the hotel manager ridiculously attractive.

"Yes, we're good," Lewis says aloud, and I can't miss the slightly possessive emphasis he places around the word "we're". A not-so-subtle reminder that we're a couple . . . Even though we're not. Jeez, this is the ultimate head-fuck.

We're not in a real relationship . . . But we did have sex less than 12 hours ago. And then we agreed to try to be friends. But I don't really know how to be friends with him. The only time we were ever even close to that particular status was those few hours back when we were teenagers. And he doesn't even remember that!

Milos thankfully puts the radio on as he pulls out of the driveway and navigates downhill to the main road. At least this means he won't be able to hear any of our (likely to be stilted) conversation. Despite the fact that it's barely ten in the morning, the strip is already bustling with activity, many people sitting outside cafes with a coffee or - if you're looking for an easy way to identify the British tourists! - a full English breakfast. My stomach churns at the very idea of so much food so early in the day.

That being said, the pizza place on the right looks nice. I point it out to Lewis. "We could go there one night, if you like?" he suggests hesitantly, and I find myself nodding eagerly. Only because I really really like pizza, you understand.

Maybe this friends thing will work out after all, though?

We're soon on the road to Rethymno, the sea a glittering blue diamond on one side and mountains rising up dramatically in the distance on the other. It's a beautiful day, and I'm already feeling lighter somehow, despite the seemingly impossible situation we're in. "Did you know that the tallest mountain in Crete is nearly twice the height of Ben Nevis?" I say out loud, then groan inwardly. Why did I feel the need to share one of my "not-so-fun" facts? Lewis is going to think I'm such a nerd! Wait, since when do I care what he thinks?

Surprisingly, though, his face lights up at my words. "No way, really? I've been to Crete so many times, driven through the mountains and everything, and I had no idea!"

"I didn't know you'd been here a lot; you've never mentioned it."

A shadow passes over his face. "You never asked," he counters, but before I can enter another shame spiral, he returns to the original topic. "That's crazy though. Do you think you would ever climb it?"

I shake my head. "Not a chance. I don't really have a head for heights. I have a recurring nightmare where I decide to hike up Mount Everest, and I plunge right off at the top."

He laughs, but it's sympathetic. "Not one of your better dreams, I imagine."

"Definitely not." Our eyes meet for a moment, and I know we're both thinking about my sex dream. Which, by the way, had nothing on the real thing. I shake my head once again, this time to clear any connection between us and blurt out the next thing that comes into my head. "People have to walk past the bodies, you know!"

"Um . . . What?" Lewis seems confused now. Understandable. I'm just babbling, apparently. But I've started so I'm going to finish.

"On Mount Everest, I mean. All of the people who die on the journey to the summit, they're just left there. So other people climbing it are essentially walking through a graveyard . . . Except the bodies aren't actually buried!"

I really need to work on my small talk, don't I?

Lewis frowns. "That's pretty grim. How do you even know that?"

"Wikipedia is my best friend," I reply, slightly embarrassed to admit it. "It sounds stupid, but some evenings I'm at a loose end, and suddenly, it's like I just want to have all of the knowledge! And next thing I've fallen down a wiki wormhole. It's a curse!"

"I actually understand that," he nods, grinning. "One night when I was a little bit . . . under the influence, shall we say, I decided I wanted to know everything. The next morning, I woke up to a massive Amazon delivery - I'd decided in my inebriated state to order a load of educational books!"

"No!" It's my turn to laugh now. It seems Lewis is as big a nerd as I am!

"Seriously. There was this box just full of books on things like religion, Greek mythology, conspiracy theories, the Bermuda Triangle. . . You name a topic, and it was probably there! The package had burst a little in transit, so the contents were starting to spill out, and the delivery guy was looking at me like I was insane. I lied and told him I was a teacher!"

"That has to be the strangest thing anyone has done while drunk," I giggle.

"I dunno . . . Lauren and Drew might disagree with that," he says softly. "We wouldn't be here otherwise."

"True." At some point during our conversation, we've turned to face each other, heads bending intimately towards one another. I feel safe in the knowledge that Milos won't be able to hear us. "Why do you think our friends chose us?" I ask, suddenly eager to hear his thoughts on that topic. "Out of all the people they could have picked to enter?"

He shrugs, teeth sinking into his bottom lip. "I'm really not sure," he tells me, but his eyes flicker away from me uneasily. "Maybe they really did just think it would be funny?"

"Perhaps." I find myself wanting to push it further, however. "So what did you really think when you found out what they'd done?"

"A free holiday is a free holiday," he says quietly. He's still not looking at me, though.

"Oh yeah, that's right. You'd put up with anything for a free holiday, 'even Ruby Rafferty'," I remember suddenly, and his eyes shoot back to meet mine.

"I didn't say that," he says, his brows drawing together.

"That's what Drew told me you said," I hiss. Remembering that makes me feel mad at him all over again, and I'm about to turn away, but suddenly, he's cupping my cheeks with his hands, preventing me from moving. His face is deadly serious, dark eyes smoking.

"I didn't say that," he repeats firmly. "I promise you I didn't."

We freeze for a moment, a tableau of confusion, heat prickling in the space left between us. Then he leans in and brushes the lightest of kisses across my mouth, and fireflies spring to life within me."Milos might be watching," he whispers against my shocked lips before he pulls back. He squeezes my knee lightly, reassuringly, on his retreat, and then turns to look out the window, as if that's the conversation over and done with. No further questions, your honour!

I believe him, I realise suddenly. But why did Drew lie? I long to discuss it further, but I guess the back of Milos' car is not the correct place to do it.

I need to talk to Lauren, I decide. ASAP.

It's about time she gave me some proper answers . . .

Just a silly wee chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it!

And hands up if you agree Ruby really does need to work on her small talk . . . 🤦‍♀️