two dates he would get bored and drop her. Then everything would go back to normal and her mother would be none the wiser.
She had never imagined that weeks later they would still be seeing each other. And she certainly never imagined she would fall in love with him.
She hadn’t realised she was frowning so hard until she caught Charlie looking questioningly at her in the darkness. She smiled and squeezed his hand reassuringly. She knew that one day she would have to do something about the situation, but not yet. Being truly happy was a rare feeling for Helen, and she wanted to enjoy it for as long as she could.
‘Did you enjoy the film?’ he asked as they stepped out into the brightly lit foyer.
‘Oh, yes, it was smashing.’
‘Really? Only you looked as if you were a million miles away.’
‘Sorry, I was just thinking about something else.’ Helen tucked her arm under his. ‘But I loved the film. It was terribly exciting, wasn’t it? Especially that bit at the end where the memory man gets shot—’
But Charlie wasn’t listening to her. He was staring transfixed at a point beyond Helen’s shoulder. She turned to look. Descending the sweeping staircase from the circle on the arm of a good-looking young man was Charlie’s fiancée, Sally.
Ex-fiancée, Helen reminded herself. But no one could have told it from the expression on Charlie’s face. Their eyes met across the room and Helen felt herself fade into the crowd.
Sally made her way over to them. ‘Hello, Charlie,’ she said. ‘Fancy seeing you here.’
‘Sal.’ His voice was gruff.
‘You know Sam, don’t you?’ The two men nodded to each other. Helen waited for Charlie to introduce her, but he seemed to have forgotten all about her as he stared at Sally.
They made polite small-talk for a minute or two, then she said, ‘Well, we’d best be off. It was nice to see you, Charlie. Maybe see you again sometime?’
They walked back to the hospital in moody silence. Helen could tell Charlie was troubled but she was too afraid to ask why. All she knew was that their evening had been ruined. Seeing Sally had changed everything, she could tell.
They were almost back at the hospital when he suddenly said, ‘Do you mind if we sit somewhere for a while? I need to talk to you.’
Helen’s stomach dropped. Here it comes, she thought.
‘Can’t it wait?’ she said desperately. ‘I’ve got to be back at the hospital by ten, and it’s nearly quarter to.’
‘I’d rather say it now, if that’s all right?’
No, it isn’t all right, Helen wanted to scream. She had the sudden urge to run away, never to hear the words that would end her happiness for ever. But it was already over, she realised sadly. It had been over the moment Charlie set eyes on Sally Watkins again.
They sat on a bench across the road from Victoria Park. Helen stared at the tall iron gates and mentally tried to prepare herself for what she was about to hear.
‘I’m sorry about Sal,’ Charlie said. ‘I didn’t know she’d be there, otherwise I would never have suggested going to the pictures.’
‘You had to see her sooner or later, I suppose.’ And once you did, you realised you were still in love with her and it was all over for us, she added silently.
‘I know. I’ve been wondering what I’d feel like when I saw her again. I’d been dreading it, to be honest. I mean, we’d been together since we were kids. We’d planned our future. She was the girl I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.’
Charlie turned to look at her. His face was so wretched, Helen’s heart went out to him. ‘Real love doesn’t just go away, does it?’ he said.
‘No,’ Helen agreed sadly. She took a deep, shaky breath. ‘Look, you don’t have to explain. I understand,’ she said.
‘Do you?’
‘Of course. I’ve been expecting it, to be honest.’ She looked down at her hands, unable to meet his eye. If she looked at him, she knew she would cry. ‘Like you said, you and Sally were together a long time. You’re bound to still have feelings for her. And I’m sure in time, once she gets used to the idea, she’ll realise she still has feelings for you, too. If you really love each other then it will work out.’ She gathered up her bag and stood up. ‘Now if you don’t mind, I must be getting back.’
‘Hang on.’ Charlie’s