‘Okay, not fine,’ Evie concedes. ‘She’s in a home. She has Alzheimer’s. Most of the time she has no idea who I am, and I rang to see how she’s doing, and the answer is: not great. She’s agitated. Won’t cooperate. I couldn’t do anything if I was there. I’d still be crying. I wish I was stronger, I guess.’

Duke feels a wave of sympathy. ‘Urgh.’ He nods. ‘I’m sorry. That must be very hard.’

‘It is what it is,’ she says, wafting a hand. ‘Like I’ve said before, life sucks. Most of the time at least.’ She takes in the view again and Duke follows her gaze.

‘Yeah,’ he sighs. ‘And then there’s a view like this.’

‘And then there’s a view like this,’ she repeats.

16

Evie

The truth of her life slips out easily to Duke. She didn’t mean to tell him about her mom – the Alzheimer’s is yet another secret she keeps; even Magda doesn’t know the full extent of her mother’s illness. He listens kindly, as in: he doesn’t interrupt her, and empathises with the weight of it all without offering solutions or acting like he can be her hero. She hasn’t realised that’s what she’s been in need of: a witness to it all. She doesn’t need somebody to rescue her, God no. It’s another person nearby who soothes her. His presence helps. Him just standing beside her whilst she acknowledges her truth is … oddly healing.

She’s not sure what’s happening. They’re fake-dating, and she did hate him … But the more she seems to lean into it, just for the heck of it, the more he pulls back, like he is worried she doesn’t understand it is all a game. Evie doesn’t see the harm in trying to find at least a shred of fun in it, since she’s already busted through so many personal reservations to reach this point. She’s kind of in yolo mode. She mostly stayed away from set today, taking calls with her agent about book sales and movie option updates (the short version? Everything is on the up, frighteningly so). But she was restless tonight, and she isn’t sorry they’ve ended up in the same place. She hates being around him, but hates not being around him more.

‘What about you? Are you close with your family?’ she finds herself asking. She’s going to ride this wave of sudden conversational intimacy whilst he’s apparently open to it.

‘No comment,’ he replies, shaking his head.

‘That bad, huh?’ she pushes.

‘You’ve got no idea,’ he tells her. ‘Seriously.’