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ME: I like your house.
I hovered over it for a moment before I hit send. My gaze flittered between the house and my phone until it buzzed in my hand.
HUGO: What?
ME: I said I like your house.
HUGO: I don’t understand.
ME: Knock knock?
This was absolutely dreadful.
Why couldn’t I just say “I’m outside” like a normal person?
The sound of a latch slipping made me inhale, and I looked up just in time to see him open the door.
Every breath I took was rough and laboured, and I could do nothing but stare at him. In his freaking Pokémon t-shirt that was so ridiculous but made my heart swell all the same.
“Hi,” I breathed, holding my phone against my body.
“Sophie.” Hugo’s gaze never faltered. “What are you doing here? Cam said you were in Norfolk.”
“Um. It’s a really long story.” I fidgeted. “Involves a key, me threatening your mother with arrest, and some chickens.”
He stared at me for a moment before he dropped his head. His shoulders shook, and he rubbed his hand down his face. He was laughing when he looked back up at me, and I smiled awkwardly.
“I am not surprised at that combination of things,” he said. “Do you want to tell it inside instead of out here?”
I nodded, but my feet wouldn’t move. I was completely frozen in place where I was, and the trembles that ran through my body had me grip my phone even tighter in case I dropped it.
“Oh, Soph.” Hugo skipped down the three steps that lead to the door and along the path. He grabbed me, pulling me against his body, and I buried my face in his chest as he held me tighter than he ever had before. “I missed you.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “I thought you might be upset that I didn’t speak to you.”
“No. Never.” He cupped the back of my head with his hand and pressed his lips into my hair. “I understand. It’s been difficult.”
I nodded, squeezing him. “I’m getting cold.”
“Come inside.” He released me but took my hand and guided me up the steps and into the house.
It was a beautiful house, decorated in a much more contemporary manner than Cavendish House was. Hugo took me through to the kitchen where he motioned for me to sit at the large island and opened the fridge.
He cracked open a bottle of wine and poured two glasses, pushing one my way. “Here. Drink that while you explain about the key, the chickens, and threatening to have my mother arrested.”
I pressed my hand to the lower half of my face. “Arrested is a bit strong. I think it was a restraining order.”
“Either way, I am completely enthralled by this.”
I cradled the glass. “She found me.”
His eyebrows shot up. “She did what?”
“She found me. I assume she found out I was in Norfolk, then she did some digging. I don’t know how she did, but she showed up at my parents’ cottage.”
He pressed his lips together. “I bet that went down well.”
“I didn’t see her until yesterday. That didn’t stop her leaving four notes, a stream of calls, and two doorstep appearances.”
