BooksBarbecue
Back Fancy Meeting You Here
Chapters (52)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. DEDICATION
  3. PART ONE
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. PART TWO
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. THIRTY-NINE
  44. FORTY
  45. FORTY-ONE
  46. FORTY-TWO
  47. FORTY-THREE
  48. FORTY-FOUR
  49. FORTY-FIVE
  50. FORTY-SIX
  51. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  52. ABOUT THE AUTHORS

‘I don’t really understand what you’re getting at, Chloe. People get stressed, people feel insecure, relationships aren’t all rainbows and walks along the beach. It sounds as if Hugo was struggling, and he needed you to support him. Why didn’t you just talk to him about it?’

‘I tried, don’t think I didn’t try, but he refused to let me in. He was too proud. So, it just became this ugly weight that stalked our relationship. Then, with barely a conversation, he broke up with me, completely out of nowhere.’ Chloe’s voice cracked. Her words sounded raw even all these years later. ‘He gave me absolutely no explanation, he refused to try and work things out and just like that, he was out of my life. For good.’

It all made sense now. Chloe just wanted closure. Evie was about to commiserate with her when Chloe interrupted.

‘That’s not all of it though.’

Chloe’s knuckles were clenched, her eyes wet. She looked utterly heartbroken. And though Evie felt bad for her, she knew she shouldn’t be here, having a conversation about Hugo’s past without him. This is exactly what Hugo had been talking about when he had asked her about trust.

‘Chloe, this isn’t right. We shouldn’t be discussing all of this behind Hugo’s back. You obviously feel he ended things abruptly with you. But he’s my boyfriend, and I don’t even know you.’

‘That’s just it though,’ Chloe hissed. ‘He won’t tell you anything. He’ll lie.’

‘Chloe, I know better than anyone that relationships are complicated. I don’t need to know the he-said she-said of it all,’ Evie said, suddenly feeling like she was back in the schoolyard.

‘This isn’t trivial. I need to tell you what happened.’

‘Sorry Chloe, I’ve got to go.’

As Evie turned to go for the second time, Chloe gripped her wrist, forcing Evie to look back at the woman’s anxious face.

‘Just speak to him, Evie. Ask him to tell you what really happened between the two of us. And if that doesn’t work, call me,’ Chloe said, releasing Evie’s wrist and taking a notepad out of her bag. Evie looked at the numbers on the piece of paper Chloe shoved towards her, then, without looking back, she returned to the sanctuary of the books in the cafe, her heart racing.

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‘You did what?’ Ben guffawed, elbows on knees, as he sat forward on the couch.