‘Better watch yourself,’ Anna said cheekily. ‘You don’t want your phone privileges taken away!’

‘No,’ Brody said with real warmth in his tone. ‘That wouldn’t do at all.’

She knew he was talking about this… them… and it made her heart feel as light as helium. ‘No, it really wouldn’t.’

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, and then Brody said, ‘I’m writing again.’

Anna nearly leaped out of bed in surprise. Instead she ended up on her knees, almost bouncing on the mattress. ‘Brody! That’s incredible! I’m so proud of you! What brought that on?’

He coughed. Anna could almost imagine him blushing. ‘I didn’t want to say anything at first, just in case it was a fluke, but that was a few weeks ago, and now I’ve started, I can hardly stop. It’s as if all the words that have been caught behind a dam for the last nine years are suddenly pouring forth at once.’

If Anna could have done a somersault right there on the mattress, she would have done. ‘What are you working on?’

‘Well, I don’t want to jinx it by saying too much at the moment, but you’ll be the first person to hear about it when I’m ready to share.’

Anna picked up a pillow and hugged it to herself. ‘Oh, Brody. I’m so pleased.’ She sighed. ‘I wish I could give you a big hug to say well done.’

There was a moment of silence. ‘Well, in five days, you can.’

Five days. She could hardly believe it. For so long, New Year’s Eve had seemed an eternity away, and now it was practically upon them.

‘You’re definitely going to be there?’ she said, feeling an unexpected swoop in her stomach, and another fluttery tickle, which she determinedly ignored. Brody had sometimes seemed a little tense when she’d mentioned their planned meeting.

‘I’m coming,’ he said firmly. ‘No matter what. I will be waiting for you up there, Anna. You can count on that.’

Chapter Fifty-Two

BRODY CLOSED THE hotel room door behind him and slumped against it. He’d made it. He was in London. A place that had once been his home, but now, compared to the craggy, misty moor he spent most of his time on, it seemed totally alien. He remained where he was, leaning against the door, overnight bag in hand, and took a moment to catch his breath.

Once he’d collected himself, he stood upright again and walked forwards, through a marble-tiled hallway with modern lines and high-end designer fittings. There were a couple of glass ornaments on a sleek console table that he didn’t even have a name for. Every object, every detail, oozed luxury.

He almost guffawed at himself as he stepped onto the plush carpet of the living area of his suite. It seemed he could see to the very edges of the city from this height. It stretched out beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, glittering against a dramatic sunset of purples, greys and pinks.