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Holly made a pfft sound. ‘As if. That’s hardly real ice, now, is it?’

Jack broke his serious expression to grin, and Rob turned to him. ‘And you are?’

‘Jack. Old friend.’ He held out his hand and, after a suspicious look at it, Rob shook it.

Rob looked back at Holly. ‘If you change your mind, I’m sure I can hold you up while you sway.’ He did that leering thing again.

‘Thanks. I’ll let you know.’

‘So, ice skating, huh?’ Jack said when Rob walked away. ‘Never would have guessed.’

‘Oh, I’m quite the pro.’

‘Clearly not, what with your multiple broken ankles.’

Holly couldn’t help smiling – though it faded slightly as she glanced around the room, saw Emma sitting down again, sipping some water.

Jack squeezed her hand. ‘I’ll go.’ He nodded over her shoulder, and Holly saw Abi coming towards her. ‘You have friend duties.’

‘Here,’ Abi said, thrusting a plate in her hand. ‘You did the toppers – you have to eat some of the actual cake.’

Holly laughed, took the plate and nibbled a bit of cake, though in all honesty she was still completely full from the three-course meal.

Abi wasn’t scrutinising how much of the cake she was trying, though. Instead she was watching Jack walk over to Emma.

‘Don’t tell me,’ Holly said with a sigh. ‘I’m being careful.’

Abi’s gaze shot to Holly. ‘I didn’t say anything!’

Holly just raised her eyebrows.

‘Ok, fine, but that’s not what I was thinking.’

‘No? No more telling me not to get burned, like with Daniel? Although really, in hindsight I think maybe I was a bit unfair with Daniel, so maybe I’m not the one who—’

‘I didn’t mean Daniel!’ Abi exclaimed. She tucked a strand of perfectly curled hair behind her ear, her new wedding ring now sitting side by side with the sparkling engagement ring.

‘Oh really?’

Abi hesitated. ‘I meant Lily.’

Something hot shot down Holly’s throat and she immediately jumped to defend her sister. ‘Lily didn’t—’

‘She did. I’m not saying I don’t understand why she felt the way she did – though never having actually met her I’m taking a few leaps – but the way she handled it, after the accident, the way she blamed you . . .’ Abi shook her head. ‘That’s the burn I was talking about.’

Holly didn’t know how to respond. It didn’t feel right, for Abi to be saying this – because of course Lily blamed her; Holly had always understood that.

‘I don’t mean to upset you,’ Abi continued. ‘It’s just, I’ve seen the way you’ve tried to pull yourself together, and I wish . . . I wish that you didn’t still think you don’t deserve amazing things, because of what Lily said or thinks.’ She smiled, and jerked her head towards Jack’s back. ‘And actually, I wasn’t going to say be careful. I was going to say that maybe I was wrong – maybe that guy right there is one of those amazing things you should start telling yourself you deserve.’

‘Well,’ Holly said, puffing out her cheeks. ‘That’s a bit of a turnaround.’

Abi gave her arm a friendly squeeze. ‘But, Hol, make sure you know what you’re getting into, if you go there. Make sure you’re . . . ready.’

Holly bit her lip. It came too close to what she’d been thinking herself. ‘You don’t need to worry,’ she said, trying to sound casual. ‘He came here so he could help look out for Emma.’

Abi rolled her eyes, and the expression was so comical, it got a laugh out of Holly. ‘If you believe that, you’re a total dolt.’

Abi’s aunt and uncle came over at that moment, and Holly slipped away, towards the table where Jack was now helping Emma to her feet. Holly didn’t like seeing it, the way Emma needed that help more each time she saw her. But right now, she was determined not to let that show. She’d regretted her outburst at Emma’s house the other day, almost immediately after it had happened. Because Emma was right – of course it was her choice, whether to put herself through the gruelling cancer treatments, only to add a few more months onto her life. It was selfish. Holly was upset because she didn’t want to lose Emma, not so soon after she’d found her.