‘OK, so.’ She paused. ‘I know. That TV presenter lady onThis Morning… what’s her name … Holly Willoughby or—’
‘HOLLY.’
Alice couldn’t help but actually jump as he screamed the name.
‘Jesus Christ, I hadn’t even said anyone else.’
‘No one will ever be more important to me than Holly. Ever.’
Alice rolled her eyes. A petulant part of her wanted to say, ‘Even me?’ but she wasn’t quite ready to hear him say no.
‘Fine. OK. Maybe that was too easy … Nurse Angles or your mum?’
Alfie burst into laughter. ‘What kind of question is that?’
‘Well, I don’t know how to play your stupid game! You do one then.’
‘OK. Me or Sarah?’
‘You.’
Oh.
Shit.
Laughter erupted from behind the curtain.
Shit. Shit. Shitting shit.
Alice buried her face in her pillow, desperate to erase that last minute of her life.
‘Well, well, well! Me? Oh. My. God. You picked me? I mean, I can’t believe it. Luckily for you Sarah isn’t here yet … but just you wait till I tell her.’ He paused and Alice could tell he wasn’t done yet. ‘ME! I want to shout it from the rooftops. You picked ME!’
‘Argggggh,’ was all she could muster out loud.
Obviously she didn’t mean him.
She was caught off guard and he was the first option.
Surely there was some science to say you’d always pick the first option?
‘Don’t be shy about it now, Alice, you’re the one who said it. It’s always important to be honest about how you feel.’
He was going to be absolutely insufferable.
Why wasn’t this bed swallowing her up?
‘Will you justleave it, Alfie? Jesus, grow up!’ She spat the words out, surprised by her own anger.
Where had that come from? Alice felt like a child who’d had her diary read out loud in all its embarrassing detail. But this wasn’t embarrassing, surely? This was just a stupid game, and a stupid mistaken answer.
‘OK, I will say no more.’
‘Thank you.’ She hoped he could hear the apology in her voice.
‘So, fancy another round?’
‘NO!’
