‘Great, if they do anything can you let me know?’
‘I doubt it. Everything is slowing down for Christmas now, but if anything unexpected pops up, I’ll let you know.’
‘Thanks, Zars,’ said Eve and she put down her phone.
Hilditch did say that Serena had been to Cranberry Cross.
God she was an idiot. Of course Serena and Edward would have slept together. It was so on brand for them.
Sometimes she thought Edward was lonely and unhappy and had been dealt a cruel blow by his ex, but then she thought of Myles alone upstairs and Flora, who never seemed to mention school – nor did Myles for that matter. She thought about this huge house and Edward’s lack of ability to do anything other than write and ruminate while looking out the window.
If Serena and Edward had been together then good for them, she thought, but it left a sour taste in her mouth. She felt embarrassed for thinking for a moment that she had feelings for him or that he thought of her as more than just the girl from the publishing house sent to babysit him.
She jumped out of her chair and went to find Hilditch.
‘I’m heading into town. I’m taking Mr Priest’s car,’ she said. ‘Flora is in the snug reading.’
Hilditch was in the kitchen, unpacking the dishwasher. ‘All right then,’ she said to Eve, not looking up.
Eve paused. ‘When Serena came to stay, how long was she here for?’ she asked.
‘Which time?’ Hilditch asked and Eve shook her head.
‘Doesn’t matter,’ she said and she went to get Edward’s keys and then ran upstairs.
She knocked on Myles’s door and it opened.
‘I’m getting out of here. I’m stealing Edward’s car and I’m going to see something more than this house. Wanna break out with me?’ She smiled at him and laughed.
Myles looked at her and then back at his room and then back to her again. He paused and then let out a deep breath before he spoke.
‘Okay, let’s do it.’
*
They started to drive away from Cranberry Cross.
‘Where are we going?’ Myles asked, his feet on the dashboard.
‘Feet off – if we have an accident you’ll break your legs and your femur will end up in your stomach.’
Myles made a face and put down his legs. ‘That’s really gross.’
‘It is, yes, but it happens.’
Eve heard herself speak and laughed. ‘I sound like my mother.’
‘So where are we going?’ he asked.
‘I want you to meet some people,’ she said.
Myles adjusted his woollen hat and turned on the seat heater.
‘It’s so cold all the time here, even in the summer. I miss the Cali summers.’
‘I’m sure you do. It must be nice to have that bone-warming sunshine.’
Myles looked at her. ‘Bone-warming sunshine. I like that. I know that feeling when you feel the heat from the sun inside you.’
