Page 26

Charlie

Five weeks later

‘Put your phone away,’ I hissed.

‘Mate, this is so unbelievably boring. I can’t believe you dragged me here,’ Brooks hissed back. ‘I have no idea what’s going on.’

‘That’s because you’re on your phone.’

‘No, it’s because it’s boring.’

‘Who are you texting anyway?’

‘None of your business.’

The man in front of us with the large head and even larger ears turned around. His entire face had turned beetroot red. ‘SHHHH. Will you two shut up?’

Brooks nudged me hard, his eyes wide open as he stared at me. Then went back to his phone, though he turned the screen so I couldn’t see.

Whatever, I didn’t care who he was texting.

I was too engrossed in Violet.

It was the opening night of Twelfth Night , and every single seat was filled. It was running for the next seven days, and each performance would be the same. All sold out. I’d bought a ticket for every show, though based on tonight, I’d be attending alone except for the final evening, when her parents would also be joining.

Tonight, however, it was the boys. Quickly peering down the row, at least Oz was watching like he was enjoying it. Unlike the idiot next to me who’d now fallen asleep. The second he started snoring I’d be marching him out, if the guy with the large head didn’t get there first.

Unfortunately, Brooks had made quite a valid point, it was a little boring. The bits without Violet, obviously.

I’d never realized before because I hadn’t seen it all the way through, and I’d only ever worked on Violet’s scenes when I couldn’t take my eyes off her. But the moment she left the stage it was as though the lighting dimmed, and the scenery became a fraction more dull. Not even Stella could save it. As the audience laughed anyway, I figured it was probably just me who held this opinion.

It didn’t stop it from being the best play I’d ever seen, however. As far as I was concerned, anything with Violet in would be the best play.

She’d been working so hard on it, I’d barely seen her. Since we’d returned from Easter break, thankfully my training had become a little easier, but with my finals imminent it was virtually impossible to find much time to spend together during the day. As such we’d been limited to the hour before bed to catch up, before we crashed exhausted, only to repeat it all again the next day.

But I wouldn’t change a thing.

We also had the luxury of going about our daily business without the worry of bumping into Evie, because luckily – for us, definitely not for Evie – she’d spent the Easter holidays skiing with her family, and broken her leg. I was choosing to view this situation as karma for the simple fact she’d once again lied to me about staying in Oxford over the Easter holidays, and for the time I’d wasted trying to avoid her. As she was laid up in traction for the foreseeable future, there was no chance she’d be turning up to classes. I’d found out that she’d been given special permission to sit her exams in hospital, seeing as she couldn’t move.

I’d also spoken to my dad’s lawyer, who’d written up a restraining order, currently burning a hole in the top drawer of my desk. As Evie was too busy mending herself to cause any more problems, I’d decided against sending it. But even knowing it was there already made me feel so much better.

We had one more month left until the summer break, and then hopefully she’d be out of our lives for good. A day it felt like I’d been waiting forever for.

As the final curtain fell on the stage, the roar of applause had Brooks jerking awake.

‘’S it over?’ He scrubbed a hand down his face. ‘Thank fuck for that. It must be the middle of the night.’

‘Not far off,’ Oz replied, not bothering to cover a yawn of his own, ‘it’s ten-thirty.’

The cast returned to the stage one by one. When Violet made her appearance Brooks had woken up enough to jump up next to me, letting out an ear-piercing whistle and an even louder whoop of congratulations. We were near enough the front of the stage that Violet could see exactly who was making all the noise.

Brooks leaned in and pointed to the seat in front. ‘She turned the same colour as that guy.’

Ten minutes later, as we made our way outside, Brooks was back on his phone, his fingers flying over the screen and not paying the slightest bit of attention to anyone around him including several people who’d moved out of his way.

Oz thumbed behind him, ‘Are you coming home?’

‘Yeah, but I’ll see you there. I’m going to wait for Violet.’

‘Cool,’ he saluted, and took off after Brooks who still hadn’t looked up from his phone.

Five minutes later she bounded out of the theatre doors.

‘There she is.’ I caught her as she jumped into my arms, her lips landing dead centre on mine. ‘You were phenomenal. Oscar winner in the making.’

‘Really?’ she grinned at me. ‘You really liked it?’

‘I loved it.’

Easing out of my arms, she looked around, ‘Where are the others?’

‘They went home already.’

‘Did my brother manage to stay awake?’

‘Only for the first hour,’ I laughed, putting my arm around her, where I intended to keep it as we made our way back.

‘I’ll take that as a win, it’s more than I was expecting.’

A little alley ran down the side of the theatre, and halfway down two people were pressed so close together they could have been mistaken for one larger human, if they hadn’t been writhing into the wall while they played the sloppiest game of tonsil hockey. In fact, I’d have passed them by without noticing them at all, but a car across the road switched its headlights on at the very moment we did, and I happened to catch a pair of shoes I recognized.

Only one person wore shoes shiny enough to reflect the lights of a car.

Giving a little chuckle, I nudged Violet, and nodded down the alley.

‘Look who it is,’ I whispered, ‘someone’s made a fan.’

Violet gasped. However, it wasn’t because she recognized the shiny shoes; she didn’t. She did, however, recognize the Nike high tops Leo’s companion was wearing.

‘Stella?’ she shrieked.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people jump apart and in the air simultaneously so quickly. I also couldn’t contain my amusement. I didn’t even bother trying as I doubled over with laughter loud enough that it echoed off the hard brick of the alley.

‘Charlie, stop laughing,’ Violet snapped, giving me a swift kick on the ankle at the same time. But I barely noticed, the only thing going around in my head was, ‘I knew it. I was right.’

By the time I’d managed to compose myself and stand back up, Stella’s head was in her hands while Leo was a little to her right looking more smug than I’d ever thought it was possible to be.

‘Charlie, good to see you,’ he nodded.

‘You too mate, good work tonight.’

‘Why, thank you,’ he grinned. ‘Glad you could make it.’

‘Wouldn’t have missed it.’

I rocked back on my heels. Violet was staring at Stella with her mouth wide open. I knew this look, it was rare on Violet, and I’d only accomplished it once. But it was, in fact, speechlessness.

‘Oh, whatever. Leo and I are …’ Stella huffed finally, without bothering to finish the sentence. ‘Don’t make a big deal out of it.’

‘No, I’m …’

I slapped my hand over Violet’s mouth. ‘We’re just on the way home. Congratulations again for tonight. Great job both of you. See you tomorrow.’

Dragging Violet away, I didn’t let go until there was a good fifty metres between us and the love birds.

‘Charlie … did I really just see that?’

‘Yes, babe. You really did.’

‘Leo and Stella?’

‘Leo and Stella.’

She chewed on her lip, words forming in her brain as she did. But whatever it was she was going to say, she thought better of it. Instead, she smiled, and once again all I could think of was how impossibly lucky I was that I’d finally found her. Even if I didn’t want to dwell on how exactly I’d done that.

‘Come on,’ she said. ‘It’s Sunday tomorrow. You don’t have training and I don’t have to get up early for rehearsals. We can sleep in.’

‘I’ll do you one better. We can stay in bed all morning.’

Her blue eyes flared, catching the reflection of the streetlamps so it looked like little flames were burning in each. ‘Ooh, that is better.’

Slipping my hand into hers, I curled my fingers around until they brushed her knuckles. ‘Told you. Now lead the way.’