Page 41 of From Now On

‘It’s true. You are capable of so much more than you know. But you’re exhausted. You need a decent night’s sleep and then you can come up with a plan before you speak to Violet again.’

‘Fail to prepare…’

‘… prepare to fail.’ Pippa finishes another of her grandmother’s favourite sayings.

Charlie remembers the times they would often finish each other’s sentences, realizing that, despite the years and the miles that had come between them, Pippa still knows him better than anyone else. He finds that both sad and comforting.

Achingly familiar.

Their eyes meet. Her gaze flickers towards his lips before travelling back upwards once more. His thumb begins to stroke the back of her hand, her skin warm and soft. She gently eases it out of his grasp.

‘You should go. I’m tired too.’

‘Can I stay here?’

‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’

But still, she doesn’t pull back; if anything she moves closer.

It is then his phone begins to ring.

Sasha.

It’s late. His conversation with Sasha had been short and curt, more on her part than his.

Yes, she’d arrived okay. The apartment is tiny but thanks to the owner being a friend of her father’s it’s rent free for six months and she’s very grateful. She’s tired. They’d talk tomorrow.

She hadn’t wanted to hear his apologies or excuses. Thankfully she hadn’t asked if he had a plan.

He still hasn’t.

Pippa had walked him to the front door, her hand on Billie’s collar, using her as a barrier between them as she wished him a swift ‘goodnight’.

Now he’s lying in Duke’s bed that creaks each time he turns. His feet are hanging over the end and the single duvet barely covers him but there is something soothing about being back in his old room. He remembers lying here as a child, unable to sleep. Pippa would be in her bedroom opposite and they’d communicate via torchlight.

He tries it now, using the flashlight app on his phone.

One blink –are you awake?

No response. He thinks she probably doesn’t even sleep in the same box room anymore, which used to be plastered in posters of New Kids On The Block and NSYNC.

He remembers another code, three flashes –Do you want to meet tomorrow?

Darkness.

He tries five flashes –I’m sorry.

Finally, he receives a response, two flashes in return.

Go to sleep.

But he can’t sleep.

What is he going to do?

Tomorrow he will sort everything out, somehow.

Chapter Eighteen

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