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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

‘So I feel like, okay, we’re in the papers. But what did she expect? This is what happens in this world. Although, actually, I suppose she did say she likes being a nobody, in the make-up trailer, when we actually had the fight. So … maybe I do have some culpability here. Hmm. Well. I can own that, you know? I can own my culpability. It’s just not a good look for any of us, now it’s out there. It makes the movie look bad, and God … Ben and J.Lo proved that the last thing you want to be known for is your personal life over The Work. Urgh. I can’t believe I just said The Work. I know it’s not minimum wage on a factory line, but it does matter to me. I think. I’m kind of interested in how Evie avoids any sort of public scrutiny at all. I might even be a bit jealous. That’s a horrible feeling. Jealousy. And I suppose I feel a bit rejected by her, which is obviously my trigger. She just isn’t impressed by me, and after everything with my mum, you know, all I want is her attention, her approval, and it’s just this stupid … compulsion that I have, that everyone has to like me. I want to control the situation so that I am liked, which is actually kind of the opposite of being a good person, isn’t it? Not that I’m looking for evidence that I’m a bad person, I know we’ve been through that. But in terms of my behaviour matching up to my best self … what do you think? Am I doing okay?’

He waits for Phoebe to speak.

‘What do you think, Duke?’ she asks. Typical. Duke sighs.

‘I think that it’s manipulative to try and make people like you, so I should try and stop. I think that’s what Evie probably represents, or whatever: I got her over here, I expected all these things from her, and now I’ve really screwed things up because I had no idea she was so private and she’s in the press. So … I can say sorry, and do what I said I’d do and get her out of here.’

Phoebe makes another hmm sound, and then announces, ‘Okay then, Duke, well that’s time for today.’

Duke looks at the clock. 8.55 p.m. He rings off the call with Phoebe and starts scrolling through his phone for the exec producers of the film, desperate to be a man of his word. He hates that Evie is right: he’s abused his power, here. That’s a bitter pill to swallow.

9

Evie