‘You’d become a wreck, that’s what you’d do,’ Greg said, taking her hand. ‘Now, let’s go and get shit-faced and forget about everything else for a couple of hours shall we?’
‘That, Gregory Donnelly, sounds like an excellent plan,’ she said, grabbing his hand and following him into the warmth of the pub.
They were three pints down by the time Erin noticed her phone. There were eight missed calls and a text.
‘Shit,’ she said, fumbling with the buttons. The text was from Adam, telling her he’d wait for her in the student union bar, seeing as she wasn’t answering her phone.
‘Adam?’ Greg said, the name tasting like poison in his mouth. He couldn’t help the way he felt. Even putting aside the way he felt about Erin, he would still dislike the guy intensely. Adam was selfish and annoying and far, far too full of himself, and however hard he tried, he just couldn’t understand what a girl like Erin saw in a man like Adam, rock star or not.
Erin nodded.
‘Got to go?’
‘Yeah.’ She stood and downed the dregs of her pint. ‘Coming?’
‘Adam won’t be too impressed if I tag along.’
‘He won’t care. Anyway, I want you to come.’
Greg didn’t need telling twice. Even though it felt like a burning hot iron was being pressed on his heart every time he saw them together, spending more time with Erin still made it worth it. He hadn’t got very far with his mission to win her from Adam – in fact, he wasn’t sure he’d made any progress at all – but he wasn’t about to throw in the towel just yet. He finished the last half of his pint and stood too.
‘I feel a bit wobbly.’ Erin laughed, as they scurried towards the union.
‘You’re such a lightweight.’ Greg could feel Erin’s hand swinging beside his and although he longed to take hold of it, now didn’t feel like the time.
‘You’re twice the size of me,’ she said, shoving into him.
‘Yeah fair point.’
The street was busy, full of shoppers and tourists, and it took them another five minutes to get back to the union. As they approached, Erin grabbed Greg’s hand and pulled him round to face her.
‘Thank you,’ she said, simply.
‘For what?’ His voice came out as a croak.
‘For – being you. I—’ Her voice caught, and she coughed. ‘The call from Dad really shook me,’ she said. ‘Mum, she – she’s just so young. She’s…’ She stopped again, searching for the right word. ‘She’s amazing. She funny and kind and vibrant and – I just can’t believe this is happening to her.’
Greg nodded, not sure what to say.
‘I didn’t know what I needed, afterwards,’ she continued. ‘But it turns out you did.’ She stepped forward and kissed his cheek and he felt it burn where her lips had touched it. He wished he could bottle this moment, keep it to relive over and over again whenever he felt down, or sad, or lonely.
‘I’d do anything for you Erin,’ he said, his voice low.
‘I know. I would for you too.’ She smiled.
The moment sat between them briefly, and Greg pictured stepping forward and kissing her properly, telling her not to walk up those stairs to where Adam was waiting, and to come to bed with him instead. He could see it all, and he wanted desperately with every fibre of his soul to say it. And maybe he would have done, but at that moment there was a shout and they both turned in unison to see Adam standing there, swaying slightly at the top of the stairs. Erin snatched her hand away from Greg’s and he watched, his heart heavy, his hand hanging limp in the cold air, as her face transformed. If only she’d look at him like that.
‘You coming?’ she said, tugging his sleeve.
‘You don’t want me hanging around you two love birds,’ he said, concentrating on keeping his voice even.
‘Please come G,’ she pleaded. ‘I’m feeling a bit fragile; I need you there.’
He hesitated a moment, although he didn’t know why. He knew he’d go with her, no matter how much he didn’t want to see them together. He’d go anywhere with her.
He nodded and trudged up the stairs, letting Erin go ahead to get their greeting out of the way, and he didn’t look up until he was at the top, where the pair of them seemed to be attached to each other, Adam’s tattooed arm slung proprietorially around Erin’s shoulders as though he was staking his claim. Greg’s stomach clenched.
‘All right Greg?’ Adam said, the plummy vowels sounding forced with the chummy expression.
