‘Hi,’ I said, equally awkward. ‘Lovely to see you.’

Hannah had sucked Marco back into the vortex by now, their bodies a tangle of lips and limbs.

‘Likewise,’ said Tim, before both of us ground to a conversational halt.

Hannah eventually emerged. ‘Tell us about how real life’s been, Tim,’ she said. ‘Are you coping without us?’

‘I’m not going to lie, it’s been pretty hardcore coming back,’ he said, smiling ruefully. ‘A week of night shifts in A&E isn’t the ideal way to come off a workshop like that.’

‘We’re all just so open now, aren’t we?’ enthused Hannah. ‘So sensitive. It’s easy to bruise, but it’s just because we’re so alive to our experience!’

‘Yeah, I think it did really help me,’ said Tim. ‘I’ve kicked Dan to the kerb, he’s just going to be Dr Rogers from now on.’

His married lover, a thing of the past. More evidence of Amber’s power to change our lives for the better.

‘Good for you!’ I said.

‘How about you, Rachel?’ asked Tim carefully.

Hannah’s eyes were trained on me like she was my support animal. I took a second to reply.

‘Oh I’m… it’s been pretty bad with my parents to be honest.’ I waved a dismissive hand. ‘It’s got legal. I’ll be okay.’

‘She’s been really brave,’ intoned Hannah.

I gave a brief smile, my guts churning. I wished I could find a way to align how I felt inside with all of their cheerleading. I glanced down at my phone, balanced face upwards in my bag. Nothing from Sophie, even though I’d texted her twice today. I needed to reach her before the news broke.

‘Let’s talk about something else,’ I said, taking a big gulp of my purple drink. ‘Marco, you should be a sobriety coach!’

‘My true calling!’ he said, grinning, and the conversation mercifully moved on.

We somehow stayed until closing time, although a late night was the last thing I needed, what with Duncan’s beady eyes trained on me every second at work. The truth was, I didn’t want to go back to my empty flat and I didn’t have the energy to turn up on Arthur’s doorstep and fake ‘cool girl, no commitment necessary’ vibes. Eventually we were all on the pavement, goodbyes reluctantly being said. They were warm and sweet, and I was glad for all of them in that moment, grateful to Amber for bringing us together.

‘You’re going north, correct?’ said Tim. ‘Do you want to share a cab?’

I couldn’t afford one. And in that moment I realized I also didn’t want to: I was wary still.

‘Thanks, but I’m just going to take the tube,’ I said. ‘I need to read something for work.’