Read Online Putting Alice Back Together by Carol Marinelli - Free Book Online

was slotted in, like a dentalappointment or a quick dash to the shops on a lunch break. ‘Stay the night, Dan, you haven’t for ages.’
    ‘I can’t.’
    ‘Okay.’ I knew not to push it. ‘At least stay for a while, have a drink…’
    ‘Actually, no.’ He looked uncomfortable, six feet two and in his suit he looked bloody gorgeous but, actually, nervous. ‘You and I…’ he gave a tight smile ‘… well, it’s causing a few problems with Matthew.’
    ‘What?’ I was about to turn on the blender, but instead I laughed. ‘How, for God’s sake? We’ve established you don’t fancy me. Can never fancy me… Surely to God you’re allowed friends.’
    ‘Of course I am…’ He was working his way up to telling me something and suddenly I didn’t want to hear it, so I turned the blender on instead, but you can only blend a margarita for so long and after a moment or two I had no choice but to stop. I could feel his chocolate-brown eyes on me, but I didn’t turn and look at them, instead focusing a great deal of attention on salting two glasses as he spoke to my back.
    ‘Every time I come here I get smashed and end up staying.’
    I had the salt in lovely perfect lines, the glasses were icy cold from the fridge, and I slowly poured two drinks before I answered.
    ‘Don’t get smashed, then.’ Now I did turn and look at him, angry, because how the hell was it my fault? Since when did his boyfriend decide it was up to me to police him? ‘I’m hardly pouring drinks down your throat and tying you to the bed, Dan.’
    ‘I know that.’
    ‘If you don’t want to be here, don’t use Matthew as an excuse.’ He closed his eyes and I could hear him drag in a deep breath.
    ‘I do want to be here.’
    ‘Then tell Matthew that.’ I was near tears, I was so angry I felt like crying—bloody Matthew was so jealous he hated Dan out of his sight for anything more than five minutes. Every time we went out he texted about a gazillion times and if Dan did have the guts to stay over, his phone would start bleeping at the crack of dawn.
    ‘I have told him,’ Dan said. ‘I’m here, aren’t I? It’s just…’ His voice trailed off and then, because he knows me, because he knew that even if I wasn’t boohooing, even if there were no tears, I was actually crying. We had promised, promised that no relationship would ever come between our friendship, and now it seemed one was.
    Dan gives the nicest cuddles.
    I stood in the kitchen and I just leant on him, I smelt him and it was the nicest place in the world to be and I didn’t want to let him go, I didn’t want him going back to Matthew, but I knew if I stamped my foot too hard, then it would be a long time till I saw him again. That Matthew would up the bloody curfew, so I trod carefully.
    ‘Make me a coffee, then,’ I said to his chest.
    ‘Serious?’
    ‘Sure.’ I felt him smile, felt him relax as I made it easier for him. ‘Anyway, I’ve got to ring Mum tonight and sometimes she talks for hours.’ He kissed the top of my head and then he loosened his arms and smiled down at me and I smiled back.
    Dan, the only guy on this planet I can look straight in the eye.
    ‘I love you, Alice.’
    ‘I know.’
    ‘I am here for you.’
    ‘I know.’ Yeah, take that, Matthew, I thought, you can bitch and moan and whine, but you’ll never break up our friendship.
    ‘One won’t kill, I guess…’ He picked up the margarita and rolled his eyes in bliss as he took a sip.
    ‘You’ll get me in trouble with Matthew,’ I warned.
    ‘We just won’t tell him.’
    I felt a rush of relief as he came back to me, a whoosh of euphoria as whatever crisis had loomed was somehow averted.
    Dan was back and together we always had a ball.
    We just didn’t that night.
    He asked about my work, but I didn’t want to just talk about that. ‘I’m worried about Roz,’ I said, hoping that would get him going. He loved a gossip, but Dan rolled his eyes.
    ‘I really think she’s