Chapters (52)
- COVER PAGE
- DEDICATION
- PART ONE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- PART TWO
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHORS
As always, she was blown away by how much she identified with Henrietta. God, Hugo wrote women well. Evie knew he was struggling with the transition from novel-writing to screenwriting, but going back to the book restored all her faith in him. Flicking over to the acknowledgments, she couldn’t believe that she now featured in these pages. Evie had been surprised to discover that this addition had been the only significant change to this edition of the novel. She ran her finger down the page, and when she found her name, she recited the words—which by now she knew by heart—under her breath, Evie darling, the luckiest thing to charm my world. It is to you that I owe everything.
She was about to flip back to the chapter she was up to when she spotted a name she’d never really noticed before, which sent goosebumps up her arms.
Chloe.
Wedged between the names of publishers, agents, editors and friends, whom she’d only really skimmed over before, she read, Chloe, thank you for showing me the way.
Evie slammed the book closed and thrust it over to Hugo’s side of the bed, letting the muted thud reverberate around her. Checking the time in LA, she reasoned with herself that she couldn’t wake Hugo. She knew he had a big day of work with his script doctor ahead of him, and he was feeling overwhelmed enough as it was.
Evie turned the words of the acknowledgement over in her mind, confused questions tumbling along after them. She tried to reason with herself. Hugo had said that Chloe was heartbroken after he had broken up with her. He was obviously trying to be kind. To attribute some of his success to her. After all, authors are inspired by all sorts of people that they come across in their colourful lives. Family, friends, teachers, jilted lovers. Yes, he must have been trying to placate her. To make her understand that their relationship, although completely over, was meaningful to him.
Evie considered calling Ben to debrief, but he’d mentioned he was seeing Sami that night and she didn’t want to interrupt them. So instead, she switched off the lights with her stomach in knots, then burrowed further under the covers, and willed away the time until morning came.
TWENTY-SIX
Twenty-six
‘Come back to me, baby.’
Evie rolled over in bed to face Hugo. His left cheek was slightly crinkled from the creases on his pillow. ‘What do you mean? I’m right here.’
‘You feel so far away.’