‘How do you feel about accompanying my sister to a film premiere?’

Jack slowly shifted his gaze to me. ‘I think that would depend on how Lily felt about me accompanying her.’

‘It wouldn’t be a date,’ I said hurriedly. Perhaps, I realised, a little too hurriedly. ‘I mean, not that that would be a bad thing for someone else, obviously.’

‘Obviously,’ he repeated.

‘It’s just that I seem to have got roped into going and I’d rather not look like an idiot standing on my own.’

‘How could I turn down an offer like that?’ Jack replied with a smile.

Felix looked at me and shook his head in despair. ‘I need to get home. I’ll leave you two to it.’ He gave me a quick peck on the cheek, clapped Jack briefly on the shoulder and headed out the back door.

At least he didn’t leave us in an awkward moment or anything…

7

‘It wasn’t my idea,’ I started suddenly. ‘And I wouldn’t expect you to take it up anyway. I’m still trying to get out of it myself. If there’s any way I can, I will.’

‘Why?’

‘Because it’s not my thing.’

‘Being amazingly successful and celebrating it isn’t your thing?’

I flicked a glance to him. ‘You know that’s not what I meant.’

‘Then what do you mean?’

‘The whole publicity show around it all. Movies are all about the actors and the directors and sometimes the producers. Nobody cares about the writer.’

‘Isn’t that even more reason for you to show your face at the premiere? Try and make a change in that direction for both yourself and other writers.’

‘I don’t think me turning up is going to make much difference.’

‘Everything has to start somewhere. You’re a well-known name and who’s to say you wouldn’t give inspiration to a struggling writer watching the coverage, seeing you there and thinking, yeah that’s where I want to be? She can do it so I can do it. You already inspire people, Lily. This is just another step on from that. If you don’t do it for yourself, then do it for your fans and writers all around the world.’

No pressure, then.

‘I do realise that I’m very privileged to be in this position, and that other writers would be falling over themselves to have this opportunity. It’s not that I don’t appreciate it all.’

‘I know,’ he said easily. ‘And I also know how difficult and scary the prospect of going to something like this is for you.’

I pulled a face that suggested he had no idea.

‘I do,’ he said this time with more emphasis on the two words. ‘It’s clear in every fibre of your being that you really don’t want to go. That you’re scared of going. But you can’t go around scared of life forever, Lily.’

‘I’m not scared of life,’ I snapped back at him.

He said nothing but the green gaze was fixed on me, daring me to argue further.