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
‘You’re amazing, Evie. I feel much better about all of this now,’ Hugo said, looking at his phone. ‘Jesus, it’s half three already and we completely missed having any lunch. How about I make us some sandwiches?’
Evie agreed and followed Hugo into the kitchen. ‘I feel excited about it too, Hugo. I really needed the boost as well. I’ve been feeling off my game lately. Maybe you can help me finetune my screenplay sometime?’
‘Absolutely,’ said Hugo, smiling. ‘How’s it coming along, anyway?’
‘It’s not really coming along at all,’ replied Evie. She hadn’t looked at it since the competition news. ‘But I might give it another crack this week.’
‘You should,’ said Hugo, before launching into a detailed series of questions about her scene transitions and the way she wrote dialogue. Evie was surprised to hear him taking such an interest when he was so deep in his own project, but she soaked up the opportunity to talk shop. Taking a bite of the sandwich he handed her, fresh brie melted in Evie’s mouth, and she suddenly felt entirely satisfied. They ate in silence, listening to the crunch of the bread each time they took a bite. Evie’s mind was exhausted from writing, and she needed time to be alone with her thoughts.
‘Want me to blow off my meeting with Liam tonight and get takeaway instead?’ Hugo asked suddenly.
‘Oh, I would’ve loved that, but I’m going to Ben’s to work on the podcast tonight, remember?’
She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been dreading this a bit. It would be her first time seeing Ben since he started his internship. She wasn’t jealous, just, embarrassed, really. Thankfully, Ben had been so overworked he hadn’t seemed to notice. But her writing session with Hugo today had felt good. She enjoyed jousting with a story again, and feeling like the victor. Perhaps it was just the push she needed.
‘Oh, that’s right. From professional screenplay writer to podcast host. You’re doing so much, baby. I’m proud of you.’
Evie smiled. Because for the first time in a while, she was proud of herself too.
TWENTY-TWO
Twenty-two
‘My darling Evie Berry,’ said Ben’s warm, bosomy mother Brenda, giving Evie a hug.
‘Thanks so much for letting us do this here,’ Evie said.
‘It’s a total pleasure,’ Brenda replied, beaming. ‘Come, Ben’s already cooking.’
Walking into the kitchen, the intoxicating aroma of caramelising onions and rosemary filled the room. Evie breathed it in, feeling immediately at home. Ben’s flat was too small and her house was occupied by Hugo and Liam, so Ben’s family home in Golders Green seemed like the best option to record their next Pasta La Vista episode.
‘How nice of you to join us!’ Ben teased, giving her a hug and then turning up the burner on the stove.