He tentatively touches his nose. ‘Maybe I should get this checked. I think it might be broken. Your hand doesn’t look too hot either.’
‘We can’t both sit in Accident and Emergency and leave Spot in the car,’ I say, looking at his little face. ‘You go and get checked out. I’ll wait with him.’
‘Karen is at home. She could watch him. She likes dogs. The flat isn’t far from A&E.’
‘You’ve moved her in already?’
‘No! Relax! She’s just staying in the flat while I go home for Christmas. Her place is being painted.’
I reluctantly agree and we drive to Matt’s flat, promising a rather concerned-looking Karen that we wouldn’t be long. Matt mumbles something about an accident, while I sheepishly try to hide my huge, swollen hand from view.
A&E is relatively quiet and after we give our details, we take a seat across from a woman with a nasty burn on her hand and an elderly man who’s coughing so hard his eyes are watering.
‘So why didn’t you tell me any of this was happening?’ I ask. ‘I live an hour and a half away, not on the fucking moon. This is pretty fairly bloody massive news, mate.’
Matt sighs. ‘I didn’t exactly want to broadcast that I was a cheating scumbag. Even to you. You’re in Oxford, living like a monk, celibate—’
‘I’m not fucking celibate!’ I splutter indignantly, though after almost a year, it’s starting to feel that way.
‘– impoverished and helping the needy, and I’m working a cushy corporate job and cheating on a widowed single mum. I couldn’t handle the thought of you judging me when I already felt like a total dickhead. I figured you would find out soon enough anyway – though if I’d knownhowyou were gonna take it, then I definitely would have broken the news over the phone. I guess I also thought Sarah might have told you?’
‘Why?’ I ask.
‘You guys were close. I just assumed you still kept in touch.’
‘Nah,’ I reply, feeling uncomfortable. ‘I’ve just been so busy, you know, and we weren’t really that close. . .’
‘Hmm,’ he responds, touching his nose again. ‘My nose might be broken, but I can still smell bullshit.’
‘What do you mean?’ I ask, my heart pounding in my chest. I try my best not to look alarmed.
‘You weren’t really that close? That right hook of yours suggests otherwise. You don’t throw a punch like that without some feeling behind it.’
I look at Matt and realise it’s game over.
‘So maybe there were small feelings,’ I admit. ‘Like. . . more-than-friend type feelings.’
Matt’s eyebrows head skywards. ‘Seriously? On whose side?’
‘Mine. . . maybe hers. . . I don’t know. I never really found out. Not properly.’
‘Jesus, Nick. How am I the one that got punched in this scenario? If you didn’t have a hand the size of a fucking cauliflower you would seriously be getting your ass kicked right now. Why would you set me up with her if you liked her, for God’s sake?’ Matt is looking at me incredulously and his voice has gone up an octave. The woman with the burn is now listening intently, her mouth slightly open.
‘Well, I didn’t know I was going to fall in love with her, did I?’ I mumble, aware of burn lady’s stare.
Jesus, Matt’s eyebrows are nearly in his hairline now. His jaw is working overtime, his teeth clenching and unclenching as he breathes out. I think he might yet decide to knock me out.
‘Wait. Let me get this straight: you were in love with my girlfriend? Are you fucking kidding?’
‘I’m sorry,’ I reply. ‘I didn’t mean for it to happen.’
He is silent for a moment, absorbing the news.
‘I have a question,’ he finally asks. ‘That night at your leaving party. When I walked into the bedroom and Sarah was crying, was that. . . did you—’
‘Nothing happened,’ I quickly interject. ‘We were just talking. She asked if we were just friends. You and Alfie came in before I could really say anything, but I promise, Matt, I would never have done anything to ruin our friendship, or your relationship. I swear.’
‘Matt Buckley?’
