Page 92 of The Life We Almost Had

‘I can hardly drive home.’ He cradles his hand. ‘I think you’ve broken my—’

‘Are you kidding me?’

He gingerly flexes his fingers. ‘It really hurts, Anna.’

‘Adam!’ Our eyes meet and simultaneously there is a lull in the pain and I find myself laughing. I take another suck from the gas and air, this time for kicks.

‘Can I have some of that?’ he asks. I pass the tube over to him. He takes a deep breath in and a smile stretches across his face.

‘Wow. That’s some good shit right there. Are you sure you’re not dragging this out so you—’

‘I’ll get someone to drag you out in a minute.’ I take back the mouthpiece and draw another lungful. ‘Josh would love this.’

‘Don’t tell him. He’ll be getting some poor woman knocked up just for the legal high.’

‘Do you think he still carries a torch for Nell?’

‘Yeah.’ Adam mops my forehead with a damp towel. ‘You know, when he first met you, I think he thought he was in with a chance.’

‘Really?’

‘Don’t you remember the way he kissed your hand when you were introduced?A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Smarmy git.’

‘Well, if that was his best move…’ I wince. Wait for the contraction to pass before I pick another ice chip from the polystyrene cup on my bedside table. Place it on my tongue.

‘Oh, I warned him off making any moves.’

‘You did, did you?’

‘I loved you the instant I saw you, Star. Hey, that’s a good name for a girl!’

‘We’re not calling any potential daughter a name you’ve called me during sex!’

‘Good point. Josh thinks if it’s a boy we should name him Joshua.’

‘God no.’

‘I’ve told him he should think himself lucky we’re trusting him to be godfather.’

‘We are?’

‘You haven’t changed your mind? He’s said yes.’

‘As long as he doesn’t get drunk at the christening.’

‘I’ve told him it’s not like a wedding where you get dibs on the chief bridesmaid if you’re the best man. He doesn’t get to shag Nell because she’s the godmother.’

‘He didn’t get to shag Nell when she was chief bridesmaid!’

‘No, but they had their first snog—’

‘Their only snog. Fuck.’ Another contraction hits. The pain is getting worse.

‘Breathe through it.’ Adam takes slow, comical breaths but at a loss for anything else to try, I match my breathing pattern with his. The pain begins to ease.

The door swings open and Helen bustles back into the room. ‘Let’s have a little look at you.’ She snaps on gloves and I let my knees flop apart; I lost my dignity hours ago.

‘You’re almost ready.’ She pats my thigh. ‘I’ll be back in another ten minutes or so.’

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