Page 75 of Love Unlocked

‘Right. You see, I didn’t even know her name but guess whose name I do know? Walter. You’ve been stalking and punishing him more than you’ve even mentioned Tara. I think the real break-up has been you and Walter. You’re more hurt at what he’s done to you than what she’s done, you’re sadder to lose him than her, I think you miss him more than you miss her. You’ve shared more memories with me about him than her. I think you can get over Tara quickly. I think your heart is broken because you lost your best friend. And I know what that feels like.’

Al’s eyes are welling up and he feels a lump in his throat. He can’t talk. He punches a pillow, wanting to be rid of the hurt.

‘You still there?’ she asks softly.

The sound that comes out of his mouth is gurgled, an indecipherable word.

‘I don’t think you can chase hurt away,’ she says with a yawn. ‘I think you have to just let it be, and you’ll feel it a bit less every day. Then one day you wake up and it’s gone. Maybe it’s like loneliness. Or the fear of being alone. If I spend more and more time alone, then maybe I’ll stop noticing I’m alone.’

‘So wise,’ he says, recovering. Though he’s not sure about the alone part. He doesn’t want to get used to being alone and doesn’t know why he should have to.

‘I’m not wise. I’m the biggest idiot I know.’

She’s right though, about Walter. Most of Al’s heartbreak has been about him.

‘There was a petting zoo at home advertising in the local paper that you could sponsor the animals. So I signed up for it. I sponsored a pig and called him Walter.’

Melody chuckles sleepily. ‘And did it make you feel better?’

‘A bit.’

‘Good.’

He’s falling, blissfully, deep into his pillows.

‘You still there?’ she asks softly.

‘Mm-hmm.’

‘It’s five a.m. I made it.’

‘You want to go?’ he murmurs.

‘No. Do you want to come over?’

He’s wide awake now and throws the covers off.

It’s difficult to leave Melody’s bed for work three hours later. He leaves it until the last possible second because he’s so close to his office. He hasn’t had any sleep. He plants a long kiss on her lips and leaves her in bed, naked, exhausted and drifting away with a smile on her face.

30

MELODY

‘Welcome to our first on-location podcast,’ Melody says into the mic on her lapel, as she and Prunella walk across the Grace Plunkett Bridge. ‘We are currently recording from the Grace Plunkett Bridge, while Ed our nit-picker checks the sound and, before you ask, I had two spoons of Nutella for breakfast,’ Melody says and Ed smiles. ‘All good?’

‘You’re good. Prunella, I need something from you.’

‘We’re at the location of the love lock bridge that Melody won’t stop going on about,’ Prunella says in her best broadcaster voice, looking as though what happened last night at home didn’t happen at all. ‘And for good reason. I’ve fallen in love with it too and I’m totally hooked on this story, the meaning of it. Us girls at Night and Day podcast are doing our best to reunite everyone who broke up as a result of your locks being removed. And I had Greek yoghurt and blueberries for breakfast.’

‘Of course she did,’ Melody says.

They high-five on the bridge.

‘Sounds good,’ Ed says, finishing his sound check.

‘This Plexiglass really is ugly, isn’t it?’ Melody says, bending to examine the area blocking the metal protective grids that once held the love locks. ‘The love locks looked better.’

‘Whoa, I hope you got that?’ Prunella says, asking Ed. ‘There’s a turnaround for the books. Is the philophobia leaving you?’