‘It was a promise to me!’ Lindsey shouted. ‘You think you can come here and get a bit of action and then go off with your shithouse mates? You think you can have your fun and then go into town to find some other girl to chat up? Fine. Do it. Go. Now. Leave.’

‘Linz, come on. Please. I guess I misunderstood. If you want to stay in tonight, we can stay in. I’ll get—’

She leaned forward, her eyes blazing. ‘If I want to stay in? That’s not good enough, Matt. I want you to want to stay in. I don’t want to be the kind of girlfriend who makes her boyfriend do things. If you want to go out, go. I don’t care.’

She didn’t want to be the kind of girlfriend who made her boyfriend do things? He nearly pointed out the irony of this, given the last ten minutes of their lives, but he decided it probably wouldn’t help matters.

‘I want to stay in with you. But I thought—’

‘Thought? I don’t think you do much thinking, Matt. You just do whatever your mates tell you.’

‘That’s not true. We’ll stay in together. OK? We can watch a film. You choose.’

She stared at him, slowly shaking her head. ‘No. Go out.’

He closed his eyes. He felt his pulse throb in his temples. ‘I’m not going out, Linz. I’m staying with you. OK? I’m staying with you.’

She shrugged. ‘Fine. If you want to.’

‘I do.’ He pulled on his shorts and felt in the pockets for his cigarettes. He wanted one more than ever, now.

September 2004, Birmingham University

1

The woman behind the desk checked a list for his name. She put a tick next to it, then picked up an envelope and handed it to him.

‘Right,’ she said. ‘That’s you taken care of. You’re in room 418 at Chamberlain Hall.’ She pointed to a group of students standing by a table. ‘Ask for Carla. She’ll show you where to go.’

Matt took the envelope and thanked her. He turned to his parents. They were standing near the door to the university office. Lindsey was a few yards to their left. She had barely spoken on the drive down; he hadn’t been expecting her to come, but she had showed up at the house as they were packing the last of his things into the car.

She had looked at the back seat, which, apart from a space for him, was full of bedding.

Where am I sitting?

I’m not sure. He glanced at his dad. We could move a few things around.

Lindsey, his dad said. We’d love for you to come, but there’s not a great deal of space.

That’s fine, she said. I can squeeze in.

There’s really not enough room. It might not be safe.