Page 53 of Right Place, Right Time
I look at the text for a moment.Should I just leave him be? Maybe something has come up?I’m about to put my phone back in my bag, but a nagging feeling in my gut stops me. What if something is wrong? So I press reply, then I hesitate with my finger hovering over the blank screen before I type.
Where are you? Are you all right? E
I hesitate again, then I quickly type a kiss.It doesn’t mean anything; everyone puts kisses in text messages.Then I press send.
Clockmaker Court comes the reply before I’ve even had time to put my phone back in my bag. Under the tree. X
I think for a moment, then I text Luca.
Sorry, something’s come up. Please pass on my apologies to Annie and Ed, and tell them it was great to meet them. Fill you in tomorrow. Eve xx
Then I head quickly back to Clockmaker Court and find Adam, as expected, sitting under the old tree on the bench. But he’s hunched over with his forearms resting on his thighs as he stares at the ground in front of him.
His appearance stops me in my tracks. He looks so different from how I’m used to seeing him. Nothing likethe Adam I’d always known before, full of bravado. He looks …brokenis the only way I can describe it.
‘Hi,’ I say quietly as I approach him. ‘Are you OK?’ Then I remember what Annie had said, and I repeat it in a slightly louder voice.
As Adam slowly turns his head towards me, I can see immediately that he’s not; his face is drawn and pale and his eyes look tired and heavy.
‘Why are you shouting?’ he asks.
‘Sorry.’
‘If anyone should be the one apologising, it’s me. I’m sorry I ran out on you. Did you make my apologies to the others?’
‘Sort of. What’s going on?’ I ask, sitting down next to him. ‘You don’t look too good.’
‘Thanks,’ Adam says with a half-smile that vanishes as quickly as it appears. He sits back on the bench and sighs. ‘There’s probably something I should tell you. But it’s not something that comes up easily in conversation. It’s also something I don’t like talking about unless I have to.’
‘It’s all right, I already know,’ I say confidently. ‘It’s fine, don’t worry about it. No one would ever notice.’
Adam looks at me strangely. ‘OK …’
‘Honestly, I’d never even seen it until Annie mentioned it just now. Is it because of all the loud music you’ve been exposed to over the years?’
‘Eve,’ Adam says, tilting his head a little to one side with a puzzled expression. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘Your hearing aid.’ I look at his right ear. ‘Honestly, I can just about see it now. But I’d never noticed it before. You shouldn’t feel bad about having to wear one. I’m sure lots of people do.’
Adam’s puzzled expression slowly changes to one of amusement. Then, in complete juxtaposition to the way he looked a moment ago, he throws his head back and laughs.
‘Why is that so funny?’ I ask, totally confused by his reaction.
‘It’s not,’ Adam says, shaking his head. ‘Wearing a hearing aid isn’t funny in the slightest. What’s funny is I wasn’t talking about that. I was talking about something completely different. Something much more serious. But you’ve just managed to lighten an awkward moment for me and for that I’m extremely grateful to you.’
‘What do you mean?’ I ask, still confused. ‘Whatwereyou talking about, then?’
Adam’s amused expression fades and he becomes sombre once more. His eyes wander over my face, as if he’s deciding whether to tell me or not. He looks so lost, so concerned about his next words, that I actually feel a bit scared.
‘If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine,’ I say. ‘You really don’t have—’
‘There’s something I need to tell, you,’ he says slowly. ‘No, there’s something Iwantto tell you.’
‘OK …’
‘It’s something that happened to me a long time ago, but still affects me today.’
‘Go on …’ I try to sound encouraging. But I’m actually quite worried about what he’s going to say. ‘In your own time. There’s no hurry. I’m here.’
