Page 80 of The Winter We Met
‘Okay… well, Alice has a new place sorted, so that situation is a little less stressful…’
I nodded.
‘And your mum is an unknown entity, so there’s not much we can say about how it’ll go meeting up with her. Instead, talk me through exactly what happened with Nik – he’s the root of your fallout with Oliver, right?’
I took a deep breath and felt my ears turn red as I told him about the little things I’d misunderstood, such as Nik liking my short, tight dress.
‘Yet he’s invited you over to Oz.’
‘Yes. I’m really glad we’re still friends and as time moves on, I realise that’s all we were ever meant to be. So why am I still upset?’
Seb tilted his head. ‘How did the evening end?’
‘We just chatted… I was surprised he liked Oliver so much as he was rude to Nik the night I’d invited him here for dinner. Nik asked me why I thought he hadn’t been polite – I think Nik had his own theory but didn’t like to say. I wasn’t sure as Oliver is usually so thoughtful and kind but since then he’s revealed he was suspicious because Nik reminded him of someone deceitful from Birmingham, so I guess that explains it.’ I folded my arms.
Seb noticed my wrist. ‘The bracelet he gave you…’
‘That was another misunderstanding. I thought the heart was his way of letting me know he was interested.’
‘What did he say about it?’
‘Just that the heart charm wasn’t about him.’
‘Let me mull all this over whilst I do the washing up – and don’t even think of offering to help, this evening’s my treat.’
On the sofa I sipped the last of my coffee feeling decidedly better and picked up my phone, flicking through Instagram before taking a photo of Buddy. Seb finally finished and came over. He sat down.
‘Tim’s right. It is glaringly obvious. The heart charm.’
‘Please enlighten me.’
‘Oliver said it himself – home is where the heart is. You and him, I’ve seen how you are together – like a brother and sister. The way Alice treats him so fondly, the two of you have become his family, that’s what the heart charm represents, the three of you, the unit that clearly also means the world to you. Unwittingly Nik was a threat to that – Oliver was worried you two getting together will break up the only secure, loving home he’s ever had.’
‘I suppose I did go on and on about the man on the plane.’
‘It must have rattled him, a guy turning up out of the blue and the prospect of you being so smitten you might even move to the other side of the world. Your gran and mum, what happened with Nik, I think those things are on the periphery. Oliver and you, the flat, Buddy, that’s the core of your life and has been for a while now. This is the first time a crack has really appeared in your friendship. Just give Oliver some reassurance and I’m sure he’ll give it back that you and him are okay, whatever happens. Krish may be the one for him but it’s incredibly early days, she may not. However, in time you’ll inevitably both meet other people, but as long as you keep consolidating your friendship, it won’t matter. You’ll always be there for each other, whomever you are with, wherever you are living. That feeling of home between you isn’t just about bricks and mortar.’
I gazed at the bracelet.
‘Get your friendship completely back on track with Oliver and then you’ll feel much better about all the rest.’ He grabbed my phone and started to download the Tinder app. ‘In the meantime, we’ll find you a new romance.’
36
I woke up to see Buddy at the end of my bed, with half open eyes, watching me. The deflated cactus was between his teeth. I stretched and he moved up the duvet and lay his head on my stomach. I’d hardly slept last night. The thought of having hurt Oliver played on my mind. As the night had progressed and the pitch black morphed into dawn, as a chink of winter sun stole through the curtains, also stealing my ability to be in denial, I had to finally face one truth regarding why I felt so uncomfortable about Oliver dating Krish… I simply didn’t want to be without my flatmate.
‘Whaddaya reckon, Buddy? How about I make Oliver the best cup of coffee ever?’ I showered and got changed. Oliver must have still been in bed. He’d left his bedroom door half open. I peered inside. It was empty. He’d spent the night with Krish. The bounce left my step as I went into the kitchen. A text popped onto my phone’s screen. His train was getting in around twelve, so he’d just travel the extra stop to Springhaye and pick up Alf, to help him walk to lunch. They’d meet me at the pub.
After a lazy breakfast I headed into Under the Tree with Buddy. He’d be fine for a short while, ensconced in the office. I helped Seb rearrange the many stationery products – the rainbow colouring pencil sets and Christmas-themed individual pencils and rubbers, the pretty snowman and reindeer notebooks and chalks for drawing outside. I also went through yesterday’s mail. We didn’t get much on a Saturday.
Just before half past twelve I entered The Silver Swan and my nose wrinkled at the smell of beer. If Seb had anything to do with it I’d be spending every free night from now on in a pub, meeting someone off Tinder. He was determined I wouldn’t be single when the New Year started. I thought about Mum, and Gran’s email. Maybe she’d already replied and was hoping to meet up at this time of year that was all about family. Perhaps I’d turn up to Willow Court finding a rendezvous had been arranged. I had a sudden urge to talk to Oliver about it, as he came into view. He sat with Alf. They were drinking halves of lager. I ordered myself a coke and went over. Buddy wagged his tail and immediately nuzzled Alf’s trouser pocket.
‘Damn me, you don’t waste any time, do you boy?’ he said and reached into his brown corduroys. The two men sat opposite each other. I sat in between.
‘Nice shirt,’ I said. It was floral. Not Oliver’s usual practical style.
‘Thanks. Krish’s brother lent it to me this morning. He’s a great bloke and called in to talk to her about his flatmate who, out of the blue, has up and left. He’s now looking for someone else to rent with him.’
‘Oh.’ No.
