Pictures of You

Chapter 40

40

Evie

After Drew’s revelation at the suit store, it was inevitable that I would invite myself over to his house to rewatch Pride and Prejudice with his mum. So now Annie and I are binge-watching the BBC version on a Sunday under blankets on the couch and having homemade pumpkin soup and crusty sourdough. My social life has left the building, entered a time machine, and emerged somewhere in my fifties.

Every so often Drew saunters through the room on his way to the kitchen or down the hall, until eventually we tell him to either stop it or join us. He flops down between us on the couch, acting like it’s a total burden.

“Did Drew tell you this was my go-to distraction during chemo?” Annie asks. It’s the first time she’s acknowledged her specific illness in so many words.

“He did say it’s your comfort watch,” I answer. “It’s mine too.”

“She gets dressed up in period costume and goes to balls, Mum. She’s fanatical.”

“It’s not just me dressing up,” I explain to Annie. “Drew has agreed to wear period costume for the formal!”

I wish we could take a photo of her face. She is elated. And so pretty; I can see where Drew gets his looks from. I love the idea of doing something small to brighten her life.

My phone pings on the coffee table and Drew passes it to me. It’s Oliver. Don’t forget your modern history exam tomorrow , it reads. See, this is why I like him so much. He listens . I sigh, and Drew’s body stiffens beside me.

“Are you reading my messages?” I whisper.

“Stop waving them in my face,” he says. “Has he committed your exam schedule to memory, then?” He isn’t hiding the snark in his tone.

“He wants to support me,” I explain. “He knows how much my results mean to me. He synced our calendars so he can help me stay on track.”

“Shush,” Annie says, just as Elizabeth starts bickering with Darcy at the Netherfield ball.

Drew frowns. “Evie, you’re a straight-A student. You don’t need help. You need space. He just wants to know where you are.”

That is such an outlandish accusation. Drew is ruining what was a beautiful afternoon. I get up and collect the empty soup bowls so Annie can watch in peace.

He follows me into the kitchen, trying to take the bowls from my hands, but I won’t let him.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “Maybe you’re right and he’s just being supportive.”

The idea of Drew criticizing Oliver just makes me furious . Olly has been nothing but amazing to me since the moment we got together. And extraordinarily patient.

“You don’t hear conversations in the common room from other girls about boys they date,” I tell him. “The only ones who ever seem happy are dating girls! Oliver could run master classes on how to be a boyfriend.”

“I’m sure he could,” Drew says, but I can tell he’s just trying to stop me from arguing.

“They complain that boys won’t listen and forget important things and are generally awful.”

He nods.

“But Oliver is constantly aware of every aspect of my life.”

He folds his arms.

“He’s attentive and generous …”

“Evie …”

“He’s forever checking in.”

No response.

“Nobody else would love me the way he does.” I puff up defensively. “He said so!”

“Try not to read too much into it,” Oliver says, two hours later, after I’ve given him the executive summary of my first real argument with Drew. “If he’s getting a bit intense, maybe give him some space?”

This is why I’m into Oliver. Drew has openly criticized him, yet he’s being so reasonable.

“He’s always been emotional,” he adds. “Misses classes. Goes away for days. Flakes out on group assignments. Maybe he thinks you’re the only thing he can control in his life …”

Control? I hadn’t thought of Drew’s behavior that way. But maybe Oliver is right; he seems to be about most things.

“I can’t give him too much space,” I explain. “We’ve got the exhibition opening in ten days. And the formal next month.”

“You’ve got the exhibition under control, haven’t you? And I’ll be at your formal.” He pulls me into a hug, but I push him back, surprised.

“You’ll be there?”

“Bree and I were going to surprise you,” he admits.

Bree and Oliver?

“Since friendship dates seem to be a thing …”

I don’t know how I feel about this.

“She was so cut up about Tom Jenkins asking Madeleine Dupont, I thought I’d offer to go with her. Obviously just as mates. And you and Drew will be there. Bree seems to like him.”

In what way?

This whole development is head-spinning.

“Evie, any other boyfriend would be insanely jealous about his girlfriend going to the formal with someone else, but I reckon we could just make a party out of it. Makes sense, doesn’t it?”

I think it does, even though it’s doing multiple weird things to my insides trying to put it all together.