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‘Well, I’m here for anything you need.’

‘Thank you, Ben.’ Holly paused, ready to hang up, when she found herself wanting to say more. ‘Ben, this is probably the painkillers talking, but you know I love you, don’t you? In acompletely platonic way. Like absolutely not romantic at all, in the slightest. No way. But I love you. You know that, right?’

‘I love you too, in exactly the same way, Holly. I’ll speak to you in the morning. Sleep tight.’

43

When the conversation with Ben ended, Holly couldn’t avoid the inevitable any longer. She moved over to the cupboard to fetch herself a glass of wine to help with the nerves, only to remember what the doctor had said about drinking on painkillers. After putting the wine glass away, she poured herself a glass of orange juice instead, before sitting back down, picking up her phone and hitting the video call button.

Evan answered immediately.

‘Hey, I was just about to—’ His jaw dropped. ‘Holly, what happened?’

‘I had a bit of an accident.’

Evan’s face, which was already white with shock, paled further still. ‘Please don’t tell me this was on the Vespa. Please don’t tell me you hurt yourself on the Vespa. I would never forgive myself. I shouldn’t have bought it for you. It was a ridiculous idea. Stupid.’

Holly was desperate to hold back the truth. To say that she fell down the stairs at work. Or tripped over one of Hope’s toys. But there was no way she could lie to him. Not about something this big.

‘It wasn’t stupid. You did the most beautiful thing in the world. And I loved the Vespa. I loved it so much, and now… And now…’ Her voice trailed off as tears remerged. ‘I’m so sorry, Evan. I’ll find a way to repay you. I promise.’

‘Repay me? Are you joking?’ He was shaking his head as he stared at her. ‘I don’t care about a Vespa. I care about you. Are you okay? How bad is it?’

Holly twisted around the phone and lifted her arm to show him the cast.

‘I was lucky. It doesn’t need to be pinned. But I don’t know how I’m going to do anything. I don’t know how I’m going to work, and I don’t know how I’m going to pick up Hope and cuddle her.’

The thought of Hope set her off crying again. The type of tears she had never shown in front of Evan before. Ugly with staggered breaths, that involved an embarrassing amount of snorting and gulping too.

‘And it’s Maud,’ she said, trying to stifle the sobs. ‘I wasn’t thinking properly because of Maud. She’s dying.’

‘Maud is dying?’

‘And she wants to leave me some money, but I don’t want that. I just want her to be okay and I want to be able to hold Hope and I don’t want the beautiful Vespa to be broken. I want to cuddle you, too. I really need a cuddle,’ she added.

Evan’s eyes gazed at her through the phone screen, the saddest expression gracing his face.

‘When are you going to America again?’ Holly asked, knowing she sounded more like a child complaining about her parents going away for work than a girlfriend who was going to miss her boyfriend.

‘I was just packing my suitcase now.’

Holly nodded. Even in her painkiller-addled state, she knew she didn’t want to be clingy. She wanted to come across as strong and independent.

She drew a deep breath into her nose.

‘I should let you get to it, then. I’m going to try to run a bath, have a sleep.’

‘Are you sure? I can chat a bit longer.’

She shook her head. ‘It’s probably best if I get to bed soon. I’m not sure how well I’m going to sleep.’

‘Okay. I love you.’

‘I love you too.’

‘And ring me if you need anything.’

‘I will.’