The Reunion

cliff side) into thick snow, and it had taken them until now to get the car back to its original position, facing downhill. Andrew had finally had to concede that there was no way of turning back, so the village was their only option. He wasn’t particularly happy about it.
    This and the knowledge that Natalie would be worried sick about him, would be feeling horribly guilty about what she’d said and done, had cheered Lilah up no end.
    ‘It would’ve been quicker if I’d walked,’ she remarked drily, scooching down in her seat, arms wrapped around herself, trying to warm up. They had the heating on full blast, but the windscreen kept misting up so they’d had to open the windows a crack.
    ‘I’m not exactly used to driving in blizzard conditions,’ Andrew replied. She looked over at him. His jaw was set and he was hunched forward over the steering wheel like an old man. He looked terrified. ‘And I’m over the limit,’ he said to her. ‘Again.’
    She didn’t reply. There was nothing she could say to that, so she just reached over and placed her hand on his leg. It was supposed to be reassuring, but he flinched. ‘Don’t, Lilah,’ he said.
    It was weird, being in this car with him, after such a very long time. Weirder still as it felt as though they were alone in the world, drifting slowly along in the eerie white night, waiting to fall off the edge of the world. She thought about asking him why it was he who had come to get her, rather than Zac, but she knew the answer. Andrew couldn’t help himself. Once upon a time, he wanted to be liked, to be loved, to be good; now he wanted to save everyone. Zac wasn’t so easily manipulated.
    A sharp gust of wind blew a flurry of flakes into the car through Lilah’s open window. For some reason this seemed funny to her and she started to giggle. Andrew looked over at her and shook his head.
    ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, trying to straighten her face.
    ‘You should be,’ he replied, but his voice had softened, his jaw looked less rigid, his shoulders had dropped. The slope of the road was gentler now, the hairpins less terrifyingly sharp. They were approaching the village, it wouldn’t be far now.
    ‘Hey,’ Lilah said, nudging his leg with her own. ‘Do you remember the last time we went for a drive together?’
    He gave a little sigh. ‘Of course I do,’ he replied quietly.
    She nudged him again. ‘It’s OK,’ she said, smiling, ‘I’m not angry with you any more. I’m still pissed off with her, but I forgave you long ago.’
    ‘That doesn’t seem fair,’ Andrew said.
    ‘Maybe not, but as a woman you’re brought up expecting men to betray you. You don’t expect it of your best friend.’
    ‘Lilah, it wasn’t like that, Natalie never meant…’
    ‘Look,’ Lilah cut him off. ‘That’s between me and her,’ she said. After the way he was in the house, the way he supported her, defended her, after the way he came out into the storm to find her, she really couldn’t bear to hear him make excuses for Natalie right now. Not after what had just happened. ‘The important thing is that I’ve forgiven you,’ she said.
    ‘Well,’ he sighed. ‘I haven’t.’ His face was stern, so very serious. ‘I haven’t forgiven myself.’
    ‘Ah, but you never will,’ Lilah said. ‘For anything.’
    It had been January, a biting cold Sunday night. Lilah had driven all the way to Basingstoke to pick Andrew up from the station. He’d got the train back from Shepton, but there were engineering works on the line, and she knew how tired he was, and how tedious it was to have to take the bus replacement service, so she’d offered to come and get him. At first he’d said no. He’d asked her whether she’d had a drink that afternoon, which infuriated her. Particularly under the circumstances. They’d made up on the phone, but she wanted to do it for real. In the flesh. So she drove all the way there to pick him up.
    He was in an odd mood. He was always a little edgy after his visits to Natalie, but that Sunday he seemed different. He seemed agitated, cagey. Usually, after a visit to Natalie’s he’d talk non-stop, about how she was, how much progress she’d made in her recovery, how far she had to go. Not this time. He didn’t want to talk, not just about the weekend, but about anything. Lilah prattled away, talking about the party she’d been to on Friday night, about shopping with her mother on Saturday. She was aware that she was