‘Hey,’ I say gently as I look at Liv in her hospital bed when we’re eventually allowed in to see each of them. She is whiter than she’s ever looked before, even when she’d drowned. She’s got a cut on her head, surrounded by a thickening bruise. Aury’s gone in to see Ben and I wonder what he looks like. I’ll find out in a minute.
‘Hi,’ Liv replies. There’s no life behind her eyes. She looks drained, awful.
‘How are you feeling?’ I ask pointlessly.
‘You know.’ She gives a tiny shrug.
I nod and sit next to her in the visitor’s chair. ‘What happened?’ I ask because I don’t know what else to say.
‘I don’t want to talk about it, or relive it any more.’
‘Of course, sorry,’ I reply.
‘I thought you’d come in and see me?’
‘I am. Now.’
‘Before. You can wave your doctor’s pass and come and go as you please, can’t you?’
‘It doesn’t really work like that. I’m not a doctor yet. And they were taking you for a scan, so—’
‘I need to leave, Ollie,’ she cuts me off.
‘They won’t let you out yet. I reckon tomorrow, though.’
‘No, I need to leave. The house. You. Ben. I need to go.’
‘Oh,’ I say pointlessly. But I feel my face crumple into a confused frown. ‘Are you breaking up with me?’
‘Yes,’ Liv says simply. ‘I need to restart. I can’t be in that house any more, near you and near Ben. You and I … we aren’t working. We haven’t for ages. We’re treading water. And it’s not getting better, is it? You must feel it too.’
She pauses for breath, looks exhausted by talking.
‘Take it easy,’ I reply gently, because I care about her even while she’s breaking my heart. Although I realise, far too late into all of this, that my heart isn’t breaking. Not even a bit. My ego is bruised, but she’s in a far worse condition. And even though she’s in a terrible state, Liv is making total sense.
She coughs and then winces, and her hand flies to her head.
‘Do you want some water?’
She nods and I pour some of the room-temperature tap water from the plastic jug into a tumbler.
‘It tastes vile,’ she says.
‘I know. Sorry. I’ll grab you some Evian from WH Smith downstairs before I go. I’ll see if you can have any more painkillers too.’
I stand up and look at the chart at the end of her bed. ‘You’re due some more. I’ll go and—’
‘Just sit down, Ollie. Only you could try to do a good thing while you’re being dumped.’
Ouch! ‘Fair enough.’
‘You understand, don’t you?’
I nod, reluctantly, because I do and I don’t want to.
‘You and I: this isn’t happening. Not any more. I need out. And I need out from being near Ben. He’s dangerous. You realise that too, don’t you?’
‘I mean …’ I start. ‘He’s not—’
