Page 58 of Close to You

‘Good. You?’

‘Perfectly.’

I don’t know why couples talk about sleep. We take the most boring of subjects and somehow drag it out to be a daily conversation piece. I’m not convinced anyone cares anyway.

I watch Andy go through his routine. He pours almond milk onto his cereal and sets it to soak while he sets the espresso machine to heat. With that bubbling, he checks the news headlines on his phone and then, when the green light appears, he turns the dial to set the coffee pouring. As that’s filling a cup, he pours a glass of juice that would’ve been prepared the night before. He’s done that just in time for the espresso cup to fill, so he turns off that machine and quickly disposes of the grinds into the bin. After washing the filter, he then carries everything to the table. Finally, he fetches the laptop and takes that to the table, ready to browse the news properly.

He does all this with little emotion or even thought, I suppose. Like a robot fulfilling its programming.

It’s not to think of David and all that happened. AllIdid. There’s a part of me that unquestionably liked the unpredictability. With Andy, it’s all stability and certainty.

‘…want anything?’

I blink back to the sofa, realising that Andy’s talking to me.

‘Pardon?’ I say.

‘Do you want anything?’ he asks.

I clamber off the sofa and try to remember where I put the BMW keys. ‘I’ve got to go,’ I say. ‘I have classes later. I’ll text you.’

‘Do you need help packing for the weekend?’

‘I don’t think so.’

He gets up from the table, probably wondering why I’m suddenly rushing. I’m not sure I can explain it. I should ask him why he was searching for David but know that I won’t.

My phone buzzes and I glance down to see the text from Jane:

I need to see you. Urgent.

Hyperbole is unlike her, so I quickly thumb back a message while Andy watches:

Your place? Mine? What’s up?

‘Everything all right?’ Andy asks, nodding towards my phone.

‘I’m going to stop by Jane’s on the way home.’

He nods acceptance and then pulls me close. His fingers clutch my back, but I start patting his almost straight away, wanting to be released.

‘If you see that guy from last night, call the police,’ he says.

It takes me a second to remember the son of the guy hit by my car.

‘I will.’

My phone buzzes once more and it’s almost as if I can feel the urgency of what’s come back. I resist the urge to check.

‘I’m looking forward to moving in,’ I say.

‘It will be a new start for both of us.’

I’m not completely sure how it’s a new start for Andy – but I would love it to be true. I should have let my flat after what happened with David. Life changed – except that it didn’t.

Andy kisses me on the forehead, though that’s as passionate as it gets. ‘See you at Jane’s later,’ he says. ‘It should be good.’

I’d forgotten that she’d invited us over. I’m not sure if I can agree that it’ll be good – but I nod along anyway.