Page 155 of You Float My Boat

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 louderwhoopof 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 atthe 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.

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