Page 99 of Shout Out To My Ex

‘Elle.’

‘What?’ I ask, sitting heavily in my chair.

‘I’m sorry it’s been so hard on you, working with Leo.’

‘Well, it hasn’t beenallbad,’ I admit.

‘I’m glad to hear that. And the collection’s coming along beautifully – those storyboards!’

Now is when I should confess to Cassie that before Leo’s big reveal, I sent him packing, and as of an hour ago, there is no collection. Only I can’t bring myself to tell her just yet.

Because, what if…

No, I shouldn’t hold out any hope.

Leo’s engagement may not be real, but it’s not like we can run out the clock on his fake engagement by sneaking about. We couldn’t even fly under the radar when weweren’tsneaking about.

And he said they need to keep up appearances for at least another month – but then what? An announcement thatI’mthe reason he broke off his engagement? That could be career suicide – for both of us.

No, there’s no way we can be together in the foreseeable future, I realise, awash with anguish. Tears prick my eyes but I blink them back.

He also didn’t tell me why he agreed to pretend in the first place. I’d ask him but, true to form, Leo dropped his bombshell, then disappeared. Do I evenwantto be with a man who can’t stick around when everything goes to shit? Noworthen?

And if all that weren’t enough to worry about, Poppy’s on her way over here to ask if I’m about to break up a celebrity couple.

The press even have a couple name for them now: Lorenzia. Ugh. Though, better than ‘Franzo’, I suppose.Thatsounds like a brand of pasta sauce.

‘What’s going through that head of yours?’ asks my sister, dragging me from my thoughts.

‘Pasta sauce in a jar.’

‘That’s… odd,’ she says with an affectionate smile.

‘Yes, I know.Andit’s made me hungry. Do wereallyhave to talk to Poppy? Today has been a totalmare! Can’t we just go home and lie about on the sofa and eat pasta and watch rubbish television?’ I ask, already knowing the answer.

‘No, Bean. She’s on her way. Besides, we don’t wantNouveauto cancel the feature.’

‘Fine,’ I say, wondering if I still have that emergency bag of crisps in my desk drawer. I open it to check when there’s a tap at the door. Zara cracks it a few inches and peeks in. Now, I love Zara –love– but today…

‘Yes, Zara,’ Cassie asks, her tone tinged with impatience. So, it’s not just me then.

‘I thought you might want to see this,’ she says, cringing. She’s holding up her phone and my gut clenches. What now?

Cassie calls her in and comes around her desk, taking Zara’s phone. She peers at the screen, blinks slowly, and exhales loudly through her nose. ‘Well, fuck.’

Cassie swearing is like an alarm bell, and I leap out of my chair and snatch the phone from her, then stare in horror at the screen.

‘How?How?’ I screech.

As much as I want to, I can’t tear my eyes from the screen.

30

POPPY

Arriving at Bliss Designs, I’m annoyed, but not particularly shocked, to find a small clump of paparazzi outside, chatting amiably and sharing cigarettes.

‘Excuse me,’ I shout, waving my hand passive-aggressively as I push through the cloud of smoke.

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