I climbed the three flights of stairs to number forty-three, the number I lived at, with Nora still tucked safely in my arms. She fitted there perfectly.

'I'll have to put you down to open the door.'

'Ok.'

I placed her down gently, setting her feet on the floor so as to open the door but I kept my left arm securely round her waist, supporting her; just looking at her form, weakened by tragedy, I had the horrible feeling that if I removed my arm, she would simply collapse and fall apart.

I lifted her up again to carry her over the threshold. She was so light! I decided to set her down on the battered sofa in the living room. I hadn't felt conscious of needing a new one until now. Strangely though, it kind of suited her. In her frayed blue jeans and green checked hunter's jacket on the faded blue fabric of the two-seater she looked…well, she looked like she belonged.

'James?'

Right, yes, I'm such an idiot. Here she is, obviously in pain for some reason and all I can do is stare at her on my couch like some kind of social invalid.

'I'm sorry. I…'

'It's ok, I just, I can't bear the silence right now. I don't want to get lost within my head because I fear that if I do, I will never be able to find my way out again. You see, a terrible thing has happened to me, James and I don't know what to do. Can you help me?'

'Of course, I mean, if I can then I will. I promise.'

'Good, in that case, sit down and I'll tell you my story.'

And so I sat, painfully aware of how close we were sitting. Why did I not get a three-seater? Never mind that now, I need to get a grip or I'll never be able to help her. My feelings for her aren't relevant right now. I wish they were, but they're not. This meeting is about her.

'Tell me everything.'

'When I was eight years old, my mum got a phone call. I remember it because she was in the kitchen and I was eavesdropping. It was a Tuesday evening in late summer and it was still hot. She picked up the phone and said hello in her usual cheery voice and then… and then she changed. What the person on the other end said changed her life forever.'

'What did they say?'

'They told her that my dad, Richard Amare, had been killed in a road traffic accident. On the way home, there had been a pile up on the motorway; eleven casualties… and one fatality.'

'Oh my God, Nora, that's…that's terrible. But, surely, that's not what's upset you now?'

'Let me finish, James. She cried that night. She didn't even leave the kitchen or put the phone back on the hook. Nor did she ever come to check that I was in bed so I just stayed outside the door all night long, just… listening and wondering why she was crying because of course, at that point, I didn't know.

'It wasn't until morning that she finally came to look for me. She told me what had happened and I cried too. I didn't really understand to be honest but I knew that I should be sad because mum was sad. After we'd both run out of tears she simply held me and said, 'Nora, I will be here forever, I promise you that. I will never ever leave you my darling'. I took her at her word of course but, just like so many things, she let me down.'

'What do you mean?'

'About half an hour before you found me, it was my turn to get that phone call. My mum… she was…hit by a car. She died in the ambulance.'

And then she cried. I didn't know what I could say to comfort her so I said nothing. Instead I pulled her to me and leaned back on the arm of the sofa so that she was lying on my chest and I stroked her hair, letting her cry herself out. Don't they say that actions speak louder than words?

Eventually, she became silent and all you could hear was our breathing.

'James?'

'Hmm?'

'I know I shouldn't say this but… I really believe, I can tell by your eyes that you're in love with me.'

Shit.

'What…uh…what do you mean?'

'You don't need to hide it from me because here's the thing; despite having known you for, in reality, a few hours at best, I feel as though I've known you a lifetime because I have spent every waking and sleeping second thinking about you; your face, your smile…your kiss. And the thing is; I want that. I want that forever. I want to call you my boyfriend and walk hand in hand with you and kiss you and…'

I interrupted her by pulling her round so as her body was pressed against mine and her face touched mine and I kissed her. Properly this time, no more hesitant stage. I opened her mouth with my tongue and I explored every crevice. My hands slipped up her shirt and moved up her stomach, leaving goose bumps wherever my fingers touched her skin, until they were resting on her breast. She gasped into my mouth and slipped her own hands up my shirt, feeling every muscle there and all of them tightened at her touch.

I could feel myself growing hard but that was irrelevant. I didn't want to go there, not yet. It was too soon. For now I just wanted to enjoy this, just…holding her, caressing her and making her feel loved. That is what she needed right now.

I broke the kiss and took great pleasure in seeing how disorientated and flushed it had left her. I don't think I'd ever seen such a beautiful shade of red and it complimented her pallor perfectly.

'I can lend you a t-shirt and you can crash here. It's too late to be going home now.'

'Uh-huh, that's fine; I'll just crash on the couch.'

'Don't be silly, you can take my bed and I'll sleep here.'

'No, honestly, I'll…'

'After what you've been through, you need a proper night's sleep.'

'Ok, compromise. I'll sleep in your bed provided you come with me. I need someone to hold me, to keep me safe from my nightmares.'

'My love, I will always be here to save you from anything, all you have to do is ask.'

And once again, she was scooped up into my arms and I carried her to my bed, putting her down gently and climbing in next to her, wrapping my arms round her waist and pulling her close. I could feel the heat from her body and nothing had ever felt so comforting to me.

I knew then that we would remain this way the whole night through and I honestly didn't have a single objection.