Page 103 of If I Never Met You

Now she sashayed back with another presentable member of the opposite sex, and her status had shot up again. None of it was to do with who Laurie was, anything she had to say for herself.

If your value was dependent on these things, you had none.

‘I’m so so sorry about the WhatsApp group,’ Erica said, having possibly had enough alcohol now to broach it. Both she and Pri looked at their shoes.

‘I don’t mind. Talking about people you know is natural, isn’t it,’ Laurie said. Then, in case they thought she was going to be nothing but magnanimous, added, ‘Claire doesn’t like other women though, from what I can tell. So good luck with her continued friendship if either of your partners leave you.’

Their heads snapped up and their mouths fell open.

‘If you’ll excuse me, I think Jamie needs some rescuing over there.’

Had walking away ever felt this good? As Laurie crossed the kitchen to join Jamie in another group, she knew this was probably the last time she’d spend time with these people, and realised that it finally felt OK. She was more than these people said she was – if breaking up with Dan was thecatalyst for giving fewer fucks about other people’s opinions and reminding herself who she was without him, well, perhaps it had almost been worth it.

Perhaps, in their relationship, she had lost herself a little bit.

Jamie was politely discussing the merits of turning forty with Ecru Poloneck Courgette Guy (and Laurie was counting the minutes until it was safe to politely leave), when a chilling scream went up from the direction of the Belfast sink with the boiling water tap. Laurie spent a second wondering why red wine was spurting out of Phil’s arm like a geyser, before realising it was his blood. A jagged shard of wine bottle stuck proud out of the sink, like a shark’s fin.

While everyone else was frozen, Jamie grabbed a tea towel, Laurie glancing at him in surprise.

‘Here, mate. You’re going to be fine.’ Calmly, authoritatively and with great speed, Jamie tied it round Phil’s arm as a tourniquet, the blood instantly staining it rich crimson. Phil slumped forward and Jamie caught him, with some effort, as Phil was north of six foot.

‘Oh my God oh my God he’s passed out?!’ Claire wailed. ‘Due to blood loss?!’

‘He’s fainted at the sight of the blood, and who can blame him, to be fair,’ Jamie said, lowering Phil to the ground and carefully manoeuvring his head forward, both hands smeared with the overflow. Claire crouched down, putting an arm round her husband, whimpering.

‘Phil! Phil? Can you hear me?’

‘He needs to go to hospital, I think he might’ve cut an artery. It’s Saturday night and I don’t know how fast the ambulance will be, versus taking him there ourselves. You got a car I could drive?’ Jamie said. ‘I’ve only had half a beer.’

A sheet-white Claire nodded and fumbled keys out of her handbag.

‘Thanks. Can I get some help putting him into it?’

It was a confronting situation, and only a minute or two had elapsed, but Laurie still couldn’t help notice that their closest mates were spectating and letting unknown plus-one guy Jamie do the heavy lifting, literally and figuratively.

Dan darted over to the semi-conscious Phil’s side and helped heave him to his feet. Laurie had an ungenerous moment of wondering if it was an authentic urge to help or if he’d had enough of Jamie being first responder.

‘Are you a doctor?’ said a posh, thin man in spectacles, to Jamie, in a tone of challenge as much as any admiration.

‘No, I did a first-aid course at cub scouts,’ Jamie said, and Laurie couldn’t tell if he was being funny or not.

Outside, Dan helped heft the bloodied Phil into the backseat of a BMW, next to Claire, while Jamie in the front jammed the key in the ignition and adjusted the mirror. Laurie got in the passenger side.

‘I didn’t think you were coming today,’ Dan said to her, as he closed the back passenger side door and peered in at her, as they prepared to drive off.

‘Yeah, I heard – you didn’t think Jamie would be up to it, or something?’

Dan had no comeback but to stare blankly, and she slammedthe door. They pulled out of the drive and into the evening traffic.

‘We’ll be at the Royal in no time,’ Jamie said, ‘How’s he doing back there?’ Claire had reached the tearful stage and merely whimpered.

‘Hey, hey,’ Jamie soothed. ‘This is a few stitches and good as new. It’s frightening to see blood, that’s all.’

Claire nodded. Phil was a sickly beige colour and not fully with it, which Laurie judged maybe a good thing. She wouldn’t want to be there when they unwound the tea towel.

At A&E he got rushed straight through and Laurie and Jamie were left in their party clothes, under bright lights, surrounded by people with sections of their anatomy leaking or bandaged, a baby crying on the other side of the room.

‘Fresh air?’ Jamie said, and Laurie nodded. ‘Let me wash this off and I’ll meet you out front.’

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