Marlon was angry and hurt (Picture: ITV)

Could one of Emmerdale’s most precious friendships have finally hit the rocks for good? Monday (August 21)’s episode ended with Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) and Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) having a blazing row, and Marlon saying he was done with Paddy for good.

The argument came after Paddy had failed to turn up to go with Marlon for a drive in his new accessible car. This was a huge deal for Marlon, as we know that he was terrified about driving a car again for the first time since his stroke.

His first attempt hadn’t gone well so his confidence was rock bottom. Paddy’s offer to go with him gave him some hope that with his friend’s reassuring, kind presence he would be able to start to relax behind the wheel.

But as Marlon nervously waited at the Woolpack, Paddy didn’t appear at the arranged time. As the hours went by, Marlon’s worries about the impending driving session started to be replaced by worries about what could have happened to Paddy.

It wasn’t that long ago that Paddy went missing for an extended period after he became seriously depressed. After his return to the village his depression eventually led him to seriously plan to take his own life, and Marlon was the one who found him and stopped him from going through with it.

So with Paddy hours late and not answering his phone, Marlon and Rhona (Zoe Henry) began to fear the worst.

Meanwhile, we saw that Paddy had been on his way back to the village when he spotted Mary (Louise Jameson) out in the countryside. She tried to hide from him and the reason soon became clear – she’d told Rhona she was on a date, but she’d made it up. Unable to cope with the humiliation of what Faye (Jane Gurnett) had done to her, she’d been sitting in her car crying.

Paddy supported Mary (Picture: ITV)

Paddy listened as Mary told him how the relationship she’d had with Faye finally made her feel like her authentic self. ‘I pretty much loved her instantly,’ she said. ‘But while I was feeling everything, she was feeling nothing.’

Faye was the first woman Mary had had a relationship with after coming out as gay, but she explained to Paddy that while her previous life with Rhona’s dad hadn’t been what she truly wanted, at least she felt safe. By allowing herself to be vulnerable with Faye she’d been hurt in the worst way possible.

‘Faye’s broken something in me,’ she admitted and said she was better off on her own, with a book.

Getting back behind the wheel has been an anxiety inducing experience for Marlon (Picture: ITV)

Mary made Paddy promise that he wouldn’t tell anyone about their conversation as she was still trying to process everything herself. Paddy promised that he wouldn’t tell a soul.

This meant that he had no reasonable explanation about where he’d been when he walked into the Woolpack to be met by Marlon and Rhona, who were a mixture of being relieved that he was fine and furious that he was late and hadn’t contacted them.

Marlon couldn’t believe his friend hadn’t realised how upset he would be, and everything Paddy said made the situation worse.

More: Trending

‘Two hours of anxiety caused by you,’ Marlon raged at him. ‘Not cool. Not kind. Not a good friend.’

Paddy opened his mouth to reply but Marlon shut him down. ‘Don’t bother,’ he said. ‘I am done with you.’

Oh dear. With Paddy unable to tell his friend where he really was, how are they going to get back on track?

MORE : From Meena’s return to tragic death: David’s Emmerdale exit story ‘confirmed’

MORE : Matthew Wolfenden shares loving picture with ‘mini-me’ son as he quits Emmerdale

This isn’t good!