Page 46 of Love and Loathing

She walked naked across the room, wondering if her body or the laptop would hold his interest more. A glance at the wardrobe mirror as she rooted out some clothes revealed she had won. He was watching her, either not caring, or not noticing,that he had been caught looking. But it wasn’t like nakedness should embarrass either of them after the things they had done.

When she came out of the bathroom, he was still working, but a breakfast tray had been sent up. Everyone—George, Aubrey, Domnall, and Liv—were planning an early departure for London. Aubrey had a coffee in one hand, scrolling down his screen with the other. He looked at her as he took a sip, then put the mug down on the bedside table.

“Clothes? Not my favourite Evie look.”

She smiled, sitting down on the bed and reaching over him to the tray that stood on a table by his side. She tried to snag a piece of plain toast, some jam, but Aubrey caught her jaw in his hand and pulled her to him for a kiss.

“How’s the mouth?” he murmured, rubbing his thumb over the corner of her lips.

“Fine. How’s the palm?”

He chuckled, letting her go and reaching again for his coffee. “Also fine.”

She put the plate of toast on her knee. Aubrey passed her the pot of jam and a knife.

“Have a shower,” she said, hoping her voice sounded natural. “You brought your bag over, I see.”

“Mm. Couldn’t drag myself away.”

He continued looking at emails, making no move for the bathroom.

“What time are you leaving?” she asked.

He glanced at the laptop’s clock. “Half eight. Plenty of time.”

“Right.” She bit into her toast. He was making no effort to hide his screen from her. She could see it clearly, read the subject lines of the emails he was skimming through. None of it made any sense to her. But she knew the words she needed to search for.

He opened an attachment, spent a minute frowning at a complicated diagram, then sighed, pushing his laptop from his knee. Still open. Still on.

“I suppose it’ll wait,” he said, getting up and going over to his bag. He picked out some things, then glanced over at her. She looked quickly away from the laptop.

“How are you getting back to London?” he asked. “If you are going back?”

“Train.”

He hesitated, frowned down at the clothes in his hands. She nudged the duvet with her toe, shifting the laptop slightly, hoping the screen didn’t lock.

“Would you want a lift?” Aubrey asked.

“Sure,” she replied quickly. “Thanks.”

Aubrey gave her a look, as though about to question her sudden compliance, but to her relief, he just shook his head slightly and disappeared into the bathroom.

The door locked. Evie let out a breath, waited one second, heart thudding, then grabbed the laptop and pulled it onto her knee.

God, her brain was racing. What was she even meant to be looking for? Everything was a whirling blank, her fingers so clumsy with nerves and haste she could hardly type in the search box.

The shower came on, and she jumped at the sound, hands freezing.

She stayed frozen, heart thumping, staring at the screen.

Thump, thump.

The words started to blur as she sat there not moving, not even blinking. Then, with a moan of frustration, she shoved the laptop off her knee and stood up from the bed.

Fuck.Fuck.She couldn’t fucking do it. What the hell was wrong with her? All that effort, the perfect opportunity, and herhands refused to move. Her heart just kept goingthump, thump,and her stupid brain kept going,This is wrong, wrong…

When Aubrey came out of the bathroom, she was tucked up in the window seat, staring out at the rising sun, wiping the last of her frustrated tears from her eyes.

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