Eventually, he said, ‘I’m sorry. Really sorry. That was unforgivable. Yes, I was being a hypocritical arse. For the record, as I think I mentioned before, Hannah and I split up a good couple of weeks before Vegas. And for some reason that feels very different.’ Maybe because he and Evie loved each other and from the sounds of it he and Hannah hadn’t? ‘Yeah, I’m sorry.’ He looked at the key in her hand. ‘I’m sorry. I’m in your way. Goodnight.’
He watched her open the door, and then, as she went inside, off he buggered. Off he bloody buggered. Arse.Arse.
And Evie went upstairs and cried even more than she had before.
Thirty-Eight
Now – November 2022
Dan
He was so ashamed of himself. What was wrong with him? How could he have said that?
Dan reached the end of Evie’s road and turned round. Maybe he should go back. Apologise properly. Explain that the reason he’d lost it was that he’d gone there to tell her he loved her, and then when it had become obvious that she was out for the evening he’d started torturing himself with the worry that she’d be out with someone else. And she had been. And heknewthat Matthew was wrong for her.
But she was right. It was none of his business what she did.
Except he wanted it to be his business.
He started walking back towards her house and then stopped.
Better if he phoned her first maybe.
She didn’t answer. He tried again. Still no answer.
Maybe that was for the best. He was hurting so much right now it felt like proof that loving someone was, basically, horrible.
He turned back round and started walking towards the station.
* * *
Saturday, a week later, Dan rolled his eyes at the ringing sound and didn’t budge from the sofa. That was the third time in about three minutes that his doorbell had gone. You’d think whoever it was would have realised by now that he wasn’t going to answer it. If it was a delivery they could leave it downstairs in the restaurant like they normally did and he could pick it up later. He lifted the TV remote and increased the volume.
His phone pinged. It was Max. Apparently he was outside and he was coming in.
‘Afternoon,’ Max said about ten seconds later.
‘I should never have given you a key,’ Dan said.
‘How are you doing?’ Max asked, sitting down in Dan’s armchair.
‘I’m fine. Just having some downtime.’ Downtime thinking about how monumentally he’d cocked things up with Evie. He’d been trying very hard not to think about her and had slightly been succeeding until this morning when Sasha had mentioned Evie and Melting and Christmas in a text.
‘You don’t look fine.’
‘I’m completely fine.’
‘Bro. It’s three o’clock in the afternoon and you’re in your underpants watchingThe Simpsons.’
‘I likeThe Simpsons.’ In moderation. He’d definitely overdosed on them this afternoon.
‘How’s Evie?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘I think you need to speak to her.’
Danreallyshouldn’t have given Max a key. What was even the point when he lived on the other side of London?
