Matt stands, shakes his head at me, then follows the nurse to the treatment area, while I wait with Miss Nosy Burn, who’s now feigning interest in her magazine again. This whole day feels surreal. I punched my best friend, told him I had feelings for his girlfriend and have potentially ruined my relationship with him forever.
Before I have time to contemplate this further, a second nurse calls my name and I take my rapidly swelling hand through the double doors.
Forty-five minutes later, we’re back in the car. Thankfully Matt only has swelling and bruising, whereas I have a hand in a plaster cast and a prescription for heavy-duty painkillers. Matt finds this amusing.
‘Sorry, I’m not laughingat you, it’s just that you ended up worse off than me and I’m the one who got punched. My nose broke your hand. You are a ridiculous person, Nick Harris.’
‘I still feel shit about it. . .’ I say, attempting to open a bottle of water with my left hand.
‘Well, don’t,’ he replies, still chuckling. ‘You’re suffering enough.’
He starts the car and texts Karen to let her know we’re on our way back.
‘So, I have another question,’ Matt says as he opens my bottle for me, taking a swig. I feel my pulse start to race again. What else does he want to know?
‘OK. . .’
‘Why the hell is your dog called Spot?’
I start to laugh. ‘No idea. His previous owner named him. It’s what he answers to.’
Matt chuckles. ‘Fair enough. It’s just been bugging me.’
As we turn into Matt’s street, he pulls up at the kerb and turns off the engine.
‘I do have one more actual question,’ he says, checking his eye in the mirror. ‘Your feelings for Sarah. When did they start?’
I pause for a second and think. ‘Honestly? Your birthday party. God, I know how that sounds, but you wanted the truth.’
‘I guess there’s only one thing left to do,’ he says, unbuckling his seatbelt.
Oh God, he’s going to punch me back. I pre-emptively close my eyes and brace for impact.
‘You need to go and tell her.’
I open one eye cautiously. ‘Tell her what?’
‘Tell her that you love her. Idiot.’
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Sarah’s flat is a twenty-minute drive from Matt’s, however, when I try and fail to summon an Uber with my left hand, Matt rolls his eyes and tells me to put my phone away.
‘Wait here.’ He nips inside his flat first and returns with Spot in tow.
‘Karen said he missed you,’ Matt informs me, as we reverse out of the parking space. ‘I got a text when we came out of A&E not so politely requesting that we pick him up pronto. She isn’t as keen on dogs as I first thought. I think he shat in the hall.’
Spot cocks his head to one side like he’s heard every word, while I fasten my seatbelt again, my heart racing at the sheer madness of what I’m about to do.
‘What if she doesn’t want to see me,’ I say, running through a million eventualities in my head. ‘What if I totally misread the signals and she never liked me? What if she’s not in?’
‘Calm it, dude. She’ll be packing for her trip to her parents’ house,’ he informs me. ‘She doesn’t leave until tomorrow. Stop worrying.’
I am worrying though. What if she’s totally over any feelings she might have had for me? What if I ruined everything forever by not telling her how I felt the night before I left for Oxford? What if she blames me for Matt breaking her heart? ‘She might have already met someone else. What if—
‘We’re here.’
Taking a deep breath, I steel myself to exit the car.
