Page 88 of Hate You to Love You

‘When does everything need to be out of the house?’

‘I’ll be out in two weeks. Your Tita Luisa is letting me stay with her for a month while I sort out the last few things for the move back to Manila.’

I inhale sharply and lift myself up from the bed. ‘I can help.’

‘It’s no bother if you are too busy.’

‘No. I want to.’

Mum and I sit in silence for a moment before she pulls me into a hug. The heaviness that weighs on my heart slowly melts away.

We spend the next few days packing. By Thursday afternoon, we’ve finally planned how we are going to move things out of the house. Apparently, the cousin of a nephew of a friend that she made at Sunday mass has a van that they are willing to loan us. I start putting my belongings into boxes, and as I’m bending down to tape one up, I spot something sticking out of a box that Mum had packed herself. There’s no mistaking what it is: the Notting Hill DVD.

As I stare at it with a smile, I remember someone else besides my dad. I cast my mind back to Elliot, and that night in The Terrace when he promised that this would be our movie.

And then I recall what Claudia said, about Summer Memory being a love letter to Stephen. What if there was a way I could write my own love letter? The honesty freed her. Maybe it could do the same for me?

I rush over to my bag and take out my laptop, looking for the draft of the article that I was about to send over to Elliot and Claudia. With a sigh, I highlight the entire first paragraph, hit delete, and begin typing something different. I write all afternoon and late into the night.

Once I’ve finished my revised article, I write a brief email to Elliot, explaining why I haven’t copied in Claudia or her editor at Redhouse, and then I attach the piece and hit send.

Claudia’s story is finally ready to be out in the world – only it’s not the one most people were expecting.

chapter forty-four

Tamara approves my article at eight the next morning. At 9.30am, it goes live.

‘Our socials are popping off!’ Priya shouts from the other side of the office. ‘Everyone’s sharing the article.’

‘Two thousand likes? Is that it?’ Simon remarks, his face scrunched up in a frown. ‘What a let-down.’

‘Two thousand likes in less than two hours, Simon,’ says Priya.

Comments fly through the office. I’ve never seen it buzzing like this. Sinking back into my seat, I keep my head low behind my computer, trying to avoid attention.

Addie slowly pops her head above her computer. ‘I just read it.’

‘How many spelling mistakes did I have in there?’

‘Spelling mistakes? Forget about that. This is…’ She pauses, her eyes wide. ‘This is beautiful. But it’s…’

‘Oh my god,’ Priya exclaims again. ‘It’s a love letter!’

I turn to Priya and notice that all eyes are on me. Two people from accounts stand in the corner, whispering quietly between themselves. One of them pretends to trace a tear down their cheek. The entire office goes silent. The echo of Tamara’s heels as she walks in my direction reverberates around us.

‘This is what Sparked is all about! I can’t even begin to imagine what incredible things this article will do for our future. Thank you, Carlos.’

‘Everyone is talking about it online,’ Priya adds.

‘I thought it was just going to be an interview,’ says Sylvia from accounts, ‘but it’s so moving.’

Addie rolls over to me in her chair. ‘Yeah, what gives?’ she asks. ‘Wasn’t it supposed to be an interview?’

‘It still is,’ I say.

‘But all this other stuff about love and loss?’

‘Well, that’s a big part of her story. She spent so long not being honest with the people she loves. These Days was all about wanting to take the people closest to us and love them just a little bit harder.’