I let out a huge sigh and rub my face.

‘Yeah. I know. You don’t need to say it. She was being a massive cow.’

We sit in the car for a moment, before Tom suggests we should head inside, as it’s pointless sitting outside in the car.

When we get in, Tom makes me a cup of tea and we snuggle up on the sofa together.

‘You know, Cath and I’ve never really had a falling out before. Not like that, anyway,’ I tell him.

‘It’s bound to happen at tense times,’ he replies. ‘You’ve been through a lot recently. Plus you’ve got all the stuff going on with your nan. And she’s got a wedding to organise, which can’t be easy. Especially with Ben. He seemed a bit of a wet drip.’

‘He is. They both are.’

Tom shrugs his shoulders. ‘I’m not sure wedding planning’s my sort of thing, either. There’s something quite appealing about just grabbing a suit and turning up on the day.’

I nudge him playfully. ‘Don’t go getting any ideas. I’ll want you making a full effort, thank you very much. You wouldn’t want me going full Bridezilla on you, would you?’

Tom chuckles. ‘No, I suppose not. Listen, Grace. I’m sure it’ll all blow over at some point. She’ll apologise. She has to, after behaving like that. You didn’t do anything wrong.’

I shake my head. ‘You don’t know Cath. She’s as stubborn as anything. There’s no way she’s going to be the one to make the first move.’

‘Well, in that case I think that says it all about her. Everyone saw the way she acted tonight. If she can’t even apologise to you for that, well…’

‘Well what?’ I ask.

‘Nothing. I’m just saying she should be man enough to apologise, that’s all. I mean, I know it’s probably technically my fault, but…’

‘No, no it wasn’t. I don’t hold you responsible, believe me. It’s my fault for saying those things about her behind her back and her fault for flying off the handle at me. I’m not going to shoot the messenger, don’t worry.’

‘Good,’ Tom says, pulling me in towards him. ‘Because you know I’ll always be there for you, don’t you? Even when other people decide to act like divas and idiots. I’ll always be the one that’s here to support you, alright?’

I look at him and smile.

That’s the problem with sticking plasters. They might cover up the problem, but they don’t solve it. And when you peel them off, they fucking hurt. It’s always much less painful in the long-run if you rip them off quickly. The pain will be sharper, more intense, but it won’t last anywhere near as long.

I’m only looking out for you. I only ever wanted you to be safe and happy — and mine. Nothing in life is ever simple. I accept that. I realise there are obstacles, things I need to remove before we can enjoy the life we were meant to.