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Chapters (54)
  1. Cover
  2. PRAISE FOR LAURA JANE WILLIAMS
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. Acknowledgements
  50. Publishing Credits
  51. Keep Reading …
  52. About the Author
  53. Fiction by the same author
  54. About the Publisher

‘It’s just …’ Duke says, his eyes scanning the floor like he’s reading an autocue at his feet. ‘This is exactly what I meant about the wisdom in your books. You’re a prophet, Evie. And I cannot believe I get to know you in real life.’

And then he looks at her, and she knows what’s going to happen before it does. She parts her lips and takes a gulp of air, the tip of her tongue slowly running along her lips. He gives her a half-smile, but he is serious. Earnest. Beautiful. He takes a step towards her.

‘Evie,’ he says, and then his hands are in her hair and their mouths are clashing together and they are kissing, and kissing, and kissing.

26

Duke

Duke feels better for talking with Evie. Okay. It might have been the kissing that has made him feel better. Both? It felt good to say those things about his mum, to release the hold it has on him. And it was like in doing so, he was suddenly able to see something that’s been in front of him: her. Stubborn, mouthy, irritating, funny, kind, wise Evie Bird.

Against the odds he’s in the zone today, and there’s that magic again, that sensation, the thing that lights up his whole body, when the cameras are rolling. Which makes it all the more surprising when Brad yells cut and proceeds to have the most epic tantrum Duke has experienced in his entire working life.

‘What the HELL is THIS, you BUNCH OF FECKLESS AMATEURS! No. No!’ Brad walks with such purpose towards where Duke and Daphne are standing that Duke can’t tell where he intends to stop. Brad marches right past them, turns on his heels, and then roars. Not roars as in shouts loudly, roars as in like a child would do when playing scary dinosaurs. He roars like it’s the only way to exorcise the feelings out his body, and he does it for so long and at such volume that the whole set drops absolutely silent, everyone completely still, in shock at what is happening. They are witnessing the meltdown of a grown fifty-something man in real time, the man in charge of this movie, essentially, and nobody knows what to do about it.

Brad roars, and roars and roars, and then, in a total switch, very quietly says to the ground: ‘I am going to my trailer. I am not to be bothered.’

‘What. The. Hell?’ Daphne whispers, when Brad is fully out of sight. The colour has drained from her face, and Duke wonders if she’s seen him behave like that before. After what he saw in the gym, and the fact that they very much don’t seem to be together anymore, Duke is suddenly sure that what he witnessed wasn’t a one-off.

‘Hey,’ he says, stepping towards her. ‘You all right?’