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
Ben: Merry Christmas, Berry. I hope the family’s behaving … And if not, just be thankful Christmas doesn’t last for eight days! Here if you need (in spite of what I said the other week). PS. Here’s your Chrismukkah present.
Accompanying the message was a photo. Evie clicked on it: a cartoon of Santa, with Ben’s smiling face photoshopped onto it, was mid-salsa dance with a Hannukah dreidel. The words ‘Happy Chrismukkah’ were emblazoned across the top.
Evie smiled. ‘God, he’s such a muppet.’
‘Huh?’ Hugo said, jolting awake.
‘Nothing, nothing,’ Evie replied. ‘We’re almost home.’
‘I can’t believe I slept the whole way,’ Hugo said groggily. ‘All this travel is really getting to me.’
Evie nodded, and when the driver pulled up outside their place a few moments later, she took out her wallet to pay. Then she scooped up both her old and new bags in one hand, took Hugo’s hand in the other, and stepped onto the pavement.
Hugo was still half-asleep as they walked up the stairs towards their front door, and Evie was lost in a mind-morgue of time travel and dancing Santas, which was why they both got the fright of their lives when they heard someone say, ‘Hello,’ from right in front of their door.
THIRTY-FIVE
Thirty-five
Chloe was sitting on their front stoop, her knees to her chest and her hair falling in soft waves down her back. Evie’s heart was racing from the shock of seeing her.
Chloe stood up, her hands balled up in tight little fists by her side. ‘I just want to talk. And you’re not answering any of my calls.’
Evie stared at Hugo. What calls?
Ignoring Evie, Hugo shook his head at Chloe. ‘There’s nothing more to say,’ he said in a strained whisper. ‘Evie and I are in love. There’s no chance of us ever getting back together.’ Chloe gave a short, high-pitched laugh. ‘I don’t want to get back with you! I want what’s owed to me,’ she said defiantly.
A man walking his Golden Retriever gawked at them as he passed on the footpath.
‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, let’s go inside,’ Hugo muttered.
Evie knew how he couldn’t bear to be the spectacle of anyone’s judgement, even a stranger’s. Inside, Hugo directed Chloe into the small sitting room at the front of the house. They each took a seat, Evie next to Hugo on the three-seater couch, and Chloe opposite them on the lilac occasional chair. The whole arrangement seemed ridiculously proper.
‘What is it you want, Chloe?’ Hugo said, crossing his legs as he tried to regain his composure.
‘Can we get you a drink or anything?’ Evie asked, and immediately felt absurd.