I hugged him gingerly then stepped inside as he closed the door.
‘Everything all right, E?’ he said, looking me up and down appraisingly in the way only a gay man can get away with. ‘Well, apart from that ridiculous hat.’ He grinned but I didn’t return his smile.
‘I saw Adam,’ I said instead, breathless. I was still shaking.
‘Adam who?’ He stopped then, and gasped. ‘AdamAdam? As in the love of your life Adam?’
‘The very one.’
‘Fuck me, what’s he doing back here?’ He almost pushed me into the living room and pulled us both down to sit on the sofa. ‘Tell me everything.’
‘I—’ I stopped, unsure where to start. Sam and I had been friends since we were eleven years old; he’d been through everything with me. He’d seen me at my worst – including when Adam left – and yet I still didn’t know what to tell him. I couldn’t work out how to form the words.
‘Start with where and when,’ he coaxed gently, taking hold of my fingers. His were icy and I realised he was still in nothing more than a towel in the chilly flat.
‘Go and put some clothes on first and then I’ll tell you everything,’ I promised.
He stood reluctantly and headed towards his bedroom. ‘Okay, but I’m ringing Rose.’ And before I could object, he closed the door in my face.
Rose was my other best friend and the only other person in the whole world who knew me better than I knew myself. Rose and Sam and I had been friends since secondary school, so they’d both seen me through everything: boyfriends, parties, exams, heartbreak, the works. They both knew how much I’d loved Adam all those years ago, and how shattered I’d been when he’d left. If anyone could understand what I needed right now, it was them.
I was brought back to the present by the slam of Sam’s door and when I looked up he was dressed in a reindeer sweater and skinny jeans. His hair was still damp and he was holding his phone in one hand.
‘Nice jumper.’
He looked down and did a twirl. ‘Thanks. It’s ironic, innit.’ He sat down next to me and pulled a sock on. ‘Rose is on her way. Now, tell me. Why is Adam bloody Bowers back?’
‘Honestly Sam, I have no idea. I didn’t exactly stop and speak to him.’
‘But where was he, who was he with, what was he doing?’ He rolled his hand impatiently, indicating that he expected more detail.
‘He was busking on the high street.’
Sam stopped abruptly, one sock dangling in mid-air. ‘Busking?The international rock star breaking hearts all around the world, wasbuskingin the high street of the town he always claimed to hate, in the middle of the day?’
I shrugged. ‘What can I tell you? Although I think international rock star might be pushing it.’ I gave a grimace.
He squinted at me. ‘Are you absolutelysureit was him?’
‘Of course I’m sure!’
‘Okay, okay, I’m only asking.’ He held his hands up in surrender. ‘So what happened?’
‘Nothing happened. I – I ran away.’
‘Oh E.’ Sam looked at me with pity. ‘And did he see you?’
‘I don’t think so.’
The doorbell rang then, and Sam leapt up to let Rose in.
‘Come in, sit down; Erin was just telling us about seeing Adam today.’
Rose perched on the sofa beside me, tucking her legs beneath her. ‘I can’t believe this Erin, what on earth did youdo?’
‘I didn’t do anything,’ I replied. ‘I didn’t even speak to him.’
‘For God’s sake, this is so frustrating!’ Sam said, throwing himself down on the chair next to me.
