Page 154 of You Float My Boat

‘Don’t worry, I’m not taking it back. Not now, not ever. But did you really eat dog chocolate?’

‘I’m not answering that.’ She grinned, so wide I couldn’t stop myself from grinning too.

My lips dropped to hers, wishing I didn’t have to keep it quite so chaste, but there was no chance of getting carried away in front of three sets of parents, plus the several hundred people standing around by the boat club. Gordon. Or Brooks for that matter.

‘Gross,’ he grumbled, as he appeared next to us. ‘I did not think this through. We’re definitely going to have to come up with some kind of agreement that you don’t do this,’ he swirled a finger in our faces, ‘in my presence.’

Violet was on the verge of telling him exactly whatshe thought of his idea, but miraculously I got there first.

‘A dozen cupcakes of your choice baked every week, and I can kiss Violet whenever I want …’

His eyes narrowed, while he pondered on the offer, ‘… and a dozen double chocolate-chip cookies.’

‘I can do that.’

‘Then we have ourselves a deal.’ He slapped me on the back. ‘Welcome to the family.’

Epilogue:

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 ofTwelfth 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 alittleboring. 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 herleg. 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.

---