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Chapter 28

Holly, Berlin

The night after Casey leaves, I pour myself a glass of wine and take it to the couch, ready to edit some photos. My favourite shot from today is a cartoon bunny painted on the side of a decaying building. I fix the exposure so that the cracks and dents in the concrete are more defined, then enhance the pale-yellow bunny to a vibrant lemon, which makes her pop like a 3D image.

The phone buzzing against the glass coffee table breaks my concentration, and my heart flutters when I see Casey’s image light up the screen. She said she was working late and would call once she was home, but given it’s nearly nine, I had lost hope.

‘Hello, you,’ I say.

She gives me a slow smile, her eyelids heavy with tiredness. ‘Hiya. Am I calling too late?’

I shake my head. ‘Nope. Are you only getting home from work now?’

She nods and covers her mouth as she yawns. ‘Mmhmm. On catch-up after being away last week. And it’s only eight here – you’re an hour ahead.’ She pauses to take a sip of water. ‘Feel like I haven’t seen you for ages.’

It was only yesterday morning that she left, but time has dragged. ‘I feel like that too, but it’s only been two days.’

She grins. ‘I know, but I miss you. Even after only a short week together, it just felt right.’

Everything inside me softens. ‘Yeah, it did.’ We gaze at each other for a few seconds before we both give a shy chuckle and I change topic. ‘Everything okay with your friend?’

‘Oh.’ She suddenly seems more awake and waves a hand. ‘Yeah. Her dad was in a car accident but turns out he’s okay. She, um…’ Casey scratches the back of her neck. ‘She’s a little dramatic sometimes, but all good.’ She looks at the screen again. ‘Are you all right? What did you do today?’

I want to ask more questions about who this dramatic friend is that she needed to rush back for, but instinct tells me to drop it for now. ‘I walked around and took photos. Look at this.’ I flip the view on my camera and show her the bunny on my laptop. ‘The street art in this city is amazing.’

She squints as she peers at it. ‘Ooh, very nice.’

There’s a clatter in the background and Casey turns her head. ‘Sounds like Jazzy’s home.’

‘All right, mate,’ says a rich, smooth voice off-screen.

Casey points to the screen. ‘Just talking to Holly.’

A second later, Jaz’s face blocks Casey’s and she beams at me, bright and beautiful. ‘Holly! Oh my God. I finally get to meet you. Kind of.’

‘Hi, Jaz,’ I say. ‘And I finally get to meet you.’

‘Eleven fucking years I’ve been waiting,’ Jaz says.

The pure joy of knowing Casey’s talked about me over the years makes my head spin and I can’t wipe the smile from my face.

‘Don’t mind her.’ Casey says, shoving Jaz away. ‘You sort somewhere to stay in London?’ Casey asks me.

‘Uh-huh. In Angel. It’s on … hang on, I’ll check.’ I bring up the booking on my laptop. ‘Cruden Street.’

Casey grabs another device and scrolls. ‘Okay, that’s on the other side of Essex Road. Not far.’

‘It’s a studio flat.’

‘Ah, another studio flat thingo,’ she says.

We smile at each other a moment, and in the background, Jaz calls, ‘Jesus Christ, you two, what are you like?’

We both laugh and I move the conversation on, telling Casey about the photos I took today and giving her an update on Mum and Adam. She tells me about work and an artist she’s booked for their winter exhibition, until her eyelids start to droop.

‘I need to let you go. You’ve had a long day,’ I say.

‘No,’ she pleads. ‘Keep talking. I can take you into bed with me.’