“Talk to him? But that’s the problem! No one in their family talks about anything! That’s why they’re all mad about him disappearing. He hasn’t even told Elle that—”

“SO THE LIST.” Fred yelled it so loud, I actually jumped, despite being on the other side of a laptop. Why did he keep looking behind him like there might be a ghost of Christmas past lurking?

Christmas past…

“That was it!” I actually snapped my fingers as the thing I knew I wanted to talk about popped back into my head. “How was this not my first question? What happened with Eve?! You never gave me the full story, and I tried to get the details from Ruby, but she’s gone AWOL.”

“Erm.” Fred looked peak awkward. Like he really wanted to end this chat and get on to the lighter topic of Shakespearean murders. “Maybe she just didn’t see her phone?”

“For three hours?”

He shrugged.

“Naaaah, it’s weird. She better not be avoiding me. I need full details on her HAWWWT DATE. If you get news before me, message me. Immediately. You know what Rubes is like. She probably wouldn’t even admit she liked someone after being married for ten years.”

“I’m sure you’d be first to know.” Tough crowd today.

“Well, I’m last to know what happened with Eve…sooooo, tell all?!”

And finally, finally, I got Fred to smile again. A happy, relaxed smile. “She sat by me the whole way back…”

“And?” If something had happened with Eve, that would mean he was over Elle—and I’d be into it!

“And…it was really good to speak to her again.”

“And…” I left it blank for him to fill in. But he didn’t.

And still didn’t.

And he was still smiling.

“Fine, Fred, I’m not saying anything here. Nothing about that massive grin on your face. And I’m definitely not saying anything about karma being pretty cool if getting dropped by Elle—in what was a total sly move, if you ask me”—uh-oh, it was coming out—“after spending all day doing her stupid challenge led you back to the love of your life.”

“Bit harsh, Hol…” But he didn’t know what I did. About Logan, and Woody. And I couldn’t pretend anymore.

“C’mon, Fred. Putting followers over someone who has been an actual friend? Who literally gave up a whole week for her?! Not cool.”

“There are always two sides, Hol…”