Page 34 of You Belong With Me

‘They make a stunning couple, and everyone involved in the production is buzzing about the immediate connection between them,’ said a perfectly placed source. ‘Their characters are always at each other’s throats and have a sizzling chemistry – they won’t have to do much acting to portray it.’

Reps for Owen denied they were involved when we contacted them for a comment, saying: ‘Their relationship is purely professional.’

Somehow, the worst word in it was ‘immediate’ – perhaps as it was the only one that offered an explanation for the complete cognitive dissonance of the man recently in her bed being the man in these images.

Edie read the story again, from the top, opened her mouth and said: ‘Fuck you all,’ through a sob.

Fuck the tabloids who tormented people with these inventions, fuck the paparazzi who were enriched by long-lens shots through windows, and the picture editors who cropped the image to misinform. Fuck the television networks whogot free publicity for their shows, fuck actresses who didn’t care if they were manhandling another woman’s boyfriend. Most of all, fuck the man who had made her heartfelt promises, who whispered sweet nothings and typed ‘be mine forever’ and then went off to another country to LARP being someone else’s, with the world watching.

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Edie’s phone buzzed, and she couldn’t have ever anticipated a time she’d feel revulsion at that magical name appearing. But she did. Raw, ungoverned fury,the woman scornedstuff there was classic literature and crown court cases about. If he’d been there in front of her, she might have slapped him.

Elliot

Have you seen it, and can I call you?

She replied with shaking hands. The anger, the disorientation, the jealousy, the betrayal, the fear of whatever was going on at Padrona she didn’t understand. Edie had been kidnapped by the level of emotion and wasn’t herself.

Edie

You left out the part where you and Ines are getting off with each other in every photo? Weird! And no, you can’t.

Elliot

FUCK she’s really OTT tactile like that with EVERYONE and you don’t want to say STOP TOUCHING ME, but obviously it made for worse photos. I am SO so sorry – this is phenomenally grim and unfair, and I hate you going through it.

Edie

Er, if it’s all her, why are you holding her hand?

Elliot

I wasn’t. I put my hand down, and she put her hand over mine for about 30 seconds.

Edie

THAT’S HOW HOLDING HANDS WORKS. You’re gaslighting me – it’s not nothing when a newspaper can use it as proof you’re sleeping together, is it? Sorry if I’m being thick here, but are you?

Her phone flashed with his call, and she pressed to end it. She didn’t trust herself not to shriek.

Elliot

Of course not – it’s absolute bullshit! Edie, I was a bottle of wine to the good and what you’re seeing is a few minutes inattention with someone being inappropriately overfamiliar. I really want to talk to you.

Edie

No, I’m not in private, I don’t have good enough reception, and I don’t want your ‘this is how it goes down in the big city, little country girl’ excuses. People who are as famous as you and who don’t want it to look like they’re shagging someone don’t end up in photos like that. Have I misunderstood? Is the issue that I’ve found out something about our deal earlier than I was meant to? Because if so, I don’t want any part of this deal at all.

Elliot’s reply this time stalled for a minute, and Edie took savage, bitter pleasure in having shocked him into hesitating.

Elliot

WOAH. I know my space on the moral high ground is very limited here, but we know each other better thanthis. I was completely fucking stupid to make pictures like this possible, but can we at least establish that it doesn’t represent anything unfaithful? Absolutely nothing of any sort is going on with Ines. Zero.

Edie’s level of torture felt like her villain origin story. And as a result, she was catching up in the rules of this game.

Edie

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