Ok, here we go. Long long one :) And we are heading to the big, big finale :D which won't be a finale 'cause I have no intention to let go of this story ever I fear XD I got sucked in and I can't let it go :) They are too much :P
Maybe you're gonna hate me in the end, または maybe not XD No, I'm kidding...this is quite nice acually. I think it came out good, despite the crazy idea I had :P Well anyway, pushing the story フォワード, 前進, 楽しみにして :) We can't help it!! We're heading to the big finale ;) Enjoy and wait for some crazy update...it's hiatus time, we gotta keep us busy :)


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Previously on December/December:


10 March 2010


Hugh felt her hand sliding out his own, but he couldn’t move. All he could do was watching her, as she smiled at him and the tips of her fingers slipped through his hand, caressing his palm like a silent apology for leaving his grip.
But maybe he was just imagining it.
It felt like he had just woken up again, just this time to realize he did want the dream. もっと見る than just that: he needed it. And he knew for sure some part of him would never settle for anything less, ‘cause he needed it like he needed to fill up his lungs with the wintry wind slicing his face in the early morning when he sped up down to work; または like he needed to see the way the sky coloured when the sun set down and it was all stripped of red, blue, violet, indigo. He could still see または breathe even without these things, but it just...it just didn’t feel enough. He didn’t feel complete. But it wasn’t about what he wanted anymore...was it?
Hadn’t he promised?
Lisa motioned him to follow her “Our order must be ready, come on, let’s go” she repeated.
She walked away then and as he followed her still in a trance-like state, Robert’s words came to his mind again and he wondered whether he really knew what he was giving up.

あなた see that’s the way it goes sometimes...

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December/December - Chapter 19


21 March 2010


Lisa took a few steps backwards, gazing up at the giant painting right in front of her.
“How are あなた then?” Karen asked, walking up to her.
“I’m fine” she said, pensively tipping her head to one side.
Karen stopped at her side, looking up at the painting too “You know, if I didn’t happen to know my sister, I would say she’s unashamedly lying to me right now…” she said, quite matter-of-factly.
They peered sideways at each other.
“What do あなた mean lying?” Lisa asked, arching her eyebrows in quite an oblivious manner, even if she knew this 芝居 dumb wouldn’t work for long with Karen. It had been always like this since they were kids. She had this creepy sixth sense when it came to her, like she could smell burning even if she didn’t say a word.
Karen scoffed lightly, turning to her “What do I mean?! Look at you! It doesn’t even look like you’re about to live for ヨーロッパ in a few days…” she teased, smiling an amused bewildered smile.
Lisa shrugged, taking a few steps away from her “I’ve been plenty of times already…” she 発言しました unenthusiastically “what’s the big deal?”
She started to pace down the gallery, entering another room.
Karen followed, hurrying to keep up with her “What about the long face あなた keep pulling…” she asked then, in her usual bubbly, mocking, cheerful tone.
Lisa felt her phone vibrating in her purse. She started digging through it “I’m not pulling a long face Karen…” she sighed, keeping on avoiding her gaze “I’m…” she couldn’t make it on time. It stopped vibrating, a 秒 before she grasped it “I’m fine…” she said, checking the id-caller.
It was a message, not a call.
A tiny smile curled up her lips.
It was from Hugh.
He was giving her ‘a sweet, extra-double good morning’ and telling her Stephen was in town for the 日 so he would ‘show him some of the sights’ she had ‘kindly introduced him to’ some time ago. He was thanking her ‘for the heads-up’.
And as she read the closure ‘Have a pleasant 日 and do not dazzle around too much’ her eyes sparkled up at her phone and the little smile on her lips turned into a glowing beam.
“What about his Sexy Englishness” Karen asked all of sudden nonchalantly, arranging her hair into a ponytail “…how’s he doing?”
Lisa froze “Who?!” she asked, goggling at her, her ハート, 心 suddenly skipping a beat.
Karen gave her a little slap on her arm “You pulling my leg?” she rolled her eyes at her “You know who, あなた silly…John!!!” she said, even もっと見る amused.
It took her quite a moment to recover from that, her ハート, 心 slowly going back to its normal pacing.
Of course…
John…
Who else?
Karen leaned over on her tiptoes “Who called you, によって the way?” she asked, curiously.
“Noone…” she 発言しました hurriedly, stuffing her phone back into her 財布 “I mean, just…ehm John…John called me” Karen narrowed her eyes at her. She knew that look in her eye. Creepy sixth sense at work “I’ll call him later, never mind…Let’s have fun…” she said, smiling at her with pressed lips and moving to another painting.
Karen followed her at a cracking pace, this time, arms crossed behind her back “You know…you have developed quite a curious notion of fun…” she teased, lowering her voice as soon as she met the intimidating, warning look of the guard they were passing by.
“I thought あなた like art…” Lisa told her in a whisper.
Karen trotted closer “I do like it…” she told her in an undertone “But I foolishly thought we would spend some real time together. I mean, once I happened to be in town for a whole weekend…”
“How do あなた call this?” Lisa taunted “Spending time apart?”
She began flipping through the pages of her guide, looking for a plausible explanation to sculpture lying right in front of her.
“You know what I mean…spending some time together as in talking…” she said, overstressing it “knowing what’s going on in your life, how’s it going with your new boyfriend…what your holiday plan are…you know…siblings’ talks…” she trailed off shrugging.
Lisa stared at the sculpture, pensively; she titled her head on one side, trying hard to understand the concept behind it. But she grimaced in the end, scratching her hand, lightly. Hugh was quite right: some contemporary art really remained a mystery at times, so much that he suspected ‘even to the artist, who probably just happened to had had a giant crack pipe right before torturing that poor, innocent piece of fine marble’. She pursued her lips fighting back a little giggle.
“What are あなた smiling at?” Karen asked, losing at her sidelong
Lisa turned to her, caught in the middle of some strange kind of unawareness “What?” she asked, her mind still somewhere else.
“You were smiling…” Karen pointed out to her, widening her eyes “…smiling as in a day-dreaming kind of way…” she specified ribbing her again
She frowned, shaking her head “What? No! Nothing …I just…I was just…I just remembered something a friend once told me, that’s all” she cut off, gesturing.
She started pacing around the sculpture.
Karen waited “Mind filling me in?” Lisa smiled a little amused smile at her “Come on Liz, it’s me! I’m your sister, I’ve a right to know what’s going on in your life!!!” she joked, getting closer to nudge her.
Lisa took her time, taking a silent deep breath. She had been feeling slightly guilty for having cut her off like that from her life lately. They had always shared everything, after all…
“Come on…” Karen pressed on “which news at work?”


David had tapped both hands on the wooden table, scanning distractedly the script room “Ok, then…we’re all here I guess…” he had said, busily.
It actually wasn’t very crammed in there that day. Not compared to the usual twenty people discussing inside it: David used to think that such things as 読書 lines out loud, talking possible angles, explaining actors some concepts behind the latest twists into the narrative story-arcs were the smoother way to get the job done as constructively as possible. He was a real ファン of this method, this ‘fervid exchange of ideas' and, indeed, involving the whole crew in the creative process had basically never failed to provide them some quite useful extra inputs.
But that 日 it had been different.
There had been no inputs to provide. Everything had been settled already.
Lisa had sat half-crouched on the couch, her legs bent sideways down her bottom. She kept yawning drowsily, trying to bring to focus what John had just texted her. Her eyes were prickling. She knew they weren’t there to discuss arcs this time, but that was all she knew, and all she 'was supposed to know for now' as David had told her. Her brain had just begun to process what John was saying, when she had started typing down what she had hoped would be a reasonable answer in reply, still blinking widely.
She hadn’t slept well the night before. She sort of had had the feeling her night had been starred with a never-ending, string of upsetting nightmares, even if just jumbled, senseless, blurred fragments of them kept floating around in her head. もっと見る to the point, some hidden part of her had been pretty sure there were a couple among them regarding a certain person – even if she had been pretty busy in denying their very existence since the very moment she had woken up with this peculiar taste on her lips.‘Till a スプリット, 分割 秒 before drifting back to consciousness, in fact, she had had the curious sensation her lips were trying to retain a familiar, imaginary flavor they still felt soaked with…
To make things worse, she hadn’t had her coffee yet. It was 6.30 in the morning and she hadn’t even had a coffee yet, ‘cause David, in his usual leadership manner, had happened to ask them whether they would 'mind to 表示する up a little bit earlier', calling a strange sort of extraordinary, last minute, morning meeting. She loved the man, but couldn’t he have at least told them WHY they had to answer this sudden, top-secret call-up? Just a little hint?!
“Now if あなた all would please take a seat…” he had started with a busy tone, rubbing his hands vigorously, as keeping casting glances at the sheets piled up before him “We might get started…”
Russell had approached him, whispering something in his ear “Ok, thanks…Yes, yes of course, here…” David had told him, giving him one of the sheets “Ok then, let’s try to get some job done, shall we?” he had clapped his hands together, sounding quite impatient and looked down at the sheets once again “Down to business…” he had repeated, starting to hand them out to Peter and Garret first.
Garret was sitting unstably balanced on the back legs of his chair, rocking it “We happen to know what this is about Dave” he had taunted, stretching his hand out to grab one “Remember? I’m one of those who wrote this, well at least some part of it…” he had said, eloquently pointing at Peter, who happened to sit right 次 to him “I’m not the one to be hold responsible to such SHIT though…” he had added, teasingly lifting it up between finger and thumb.
Peter had eyed him up contemptuously, and waved cheerfully at David instead, smiling with courtesy “Hi there. Don’t pay attention to this idiot, but let me introduce myself…” he had mocked him “I’m a writer on this show, nice to meet you. Peter Blake. AND I happen to be responsible for this SHEET” he had said, proudly snatching it out of Garret’s hand. David was still darting his eyes from one to the other, incredulous.
“By the way, how do あなた do” Peter had asked him at last, teasingly holding out his hand to shake his. Garrett’s laugh had echoed in the room, while Russell, who was leaning crossed-legged against the ウォール behind them, had limited himself to sneer at David from over his half-moon glasses, quietly stirring his cappuccino.
“Very funny Peter…it’s so nice seeing that along with the blushing schoolgirl dynamic…” She had startled lightly at the remark. One of David’s favorite, from his quotable repertoire. “…we have established this little teasing schoolmates one, too” He had reached out to put Peter’s hand down. Peter had smirked “I know who あなた are, THANK YOU. I haven’t ロスト my bearings up to this point. YET” he had added, implying he might have easily gotten there under the smallest strain, though.
Subtext: ‘go try and challenge me’
Calmly, Katie had turned another of the wide pages of her newspaper “Actually Dave…” she had 発言しました quite phlegmatically, sipping her coffee “you should probably take a deep breath and sit down for a moment. あなた need to slow down and chill out…”
Lisa had stifled a quiet laugh, still typing on her phone keyboard: Katie’s renowned anti-panic strategy had become a classic this year. Especially after the Luddy-arc bashing…
David had goggled and gaped at her “I’m very well-chilled, Katie…” he had said, while compulsively starting to line up the remaining sheets “What makes あなた think I’m not?!”
Katie had slowly lifted her eyes up then, flashing a knowing bottom to 上, ページのトップへ look at him “Your leading actor is currently missing…” she had pointed out, flatly with phlegmatic teasing poise.
David had suddenly stood up on his tiptoes, beginning to 検索 the room, frantically “Hugh isn’t here?? How come? I thought he was down there with Lisa. I’ve 発言しました six sha...”
“SIT DOWN DAVID!” Katie had promptly told him, pinching her tone slightly higher, not taking her eyes off the page. And David had immediately sat down, grunting. She had used that very same kind of half-menacingly, firm gentleness that women so masterly display when dealing with their husbands. Even if they weren’t married, it worked quite the same. And luckily for them this impeccable, hitch-control, Zen attitude she had developed really came in handy at times like these. She really was the only one capable of chilling him out when he got ‘unreasonably dragged downwards his own whirl of negative forces’, as she used to call it.
He had pushed himself against the back of his seat, folding his hands, with a deep scowl on his face. At some point he had even tried to open his mouth to reply something, but Katie had been quicker, shushing him punctually with a quick movement of her hand, eyes always down on the paper, 読書 quietly.
Greg had chuckled, stretching out on his シート, 座席 lazily “Come on Dave, give the man a break….he works 15/5. Think summer…” he had 発言しました smilingly “We’re alm…”
“You know, someone isn’t going to have one around here…so would あなた mind shut the hell up, rather than defending me so poorly?” Hugh had 発言しました entering the room. He had 与えられた him a friendly slap on his back “Morning people…” he had greeted then, turning to them all. Eventually, he had arched his eyebrows jokingly at David, bowing respectfully “Boss…”
Lisa had averted her gaze from him, then tucking her lower lip inside her mouth, she had forced herself to keep her eyes well-fixed down on her i-phone, instead. She had had a hard time being around him during the last week. It was like things were starting to get seriously out of her hands and she didn’t know how to go backwards at this point…


“Wait a second…what do あなた mean backwards?” Karen interrupted her, perplexed “What did I miss?”
Lisa started to walk away again, avoiding her stare even もっと見る “Nothing, あなた didn’t miss anything Karen, I swear…I was kidding…” she cut short “My life is quite uninteresting at the moment I can assure you…”
She began to flip through the pages of her guide, 読書 some distractedly.
Karen caught up with her “But あなた 発言しました backwards, so something must have happened. And why are あなた dreaming of him によって the way?” she asked suspiciously with an allusive look on her face. Her lips were slightly pouting in a knowingly manner.
Lisa dropped her mouth open, shaking her head, flabbergasted “I didn’t say I…”
“Oh come on…” Karen cut her off “…It’s six years I see that dreamy, bewildered smile dancing on your lips whenever he’s the subject…he keeps stirring あなた up, admit it…” she said, giving her another sly look.
She exhaled deeply, trying to 作成する her face.
Exactly how she had predicted. Karen’s sixth sense juts striking again…
または maybe she was just way もっと見る predictable and easy to read than she was aware of…
Both could do, probably.
“Where is he, によって the way?” Karen asked then “Haven’t あなた 発言しました yesterday, he might have come too?”


“Indeed, this was a delightful idea, Hugh. I’ve never been in such a place in LA in all these years…”
Hugh bent over picking an egg-shaped stone from the ground “I figured you’d like it…” he checked the flat surface with his fingers and weighted it in his hand, getting ready to a level shot “Besides…” he said, glancing up at the cloudless light-blue sky, squinting a bit “…the lake it’s quite a sight in a such a 日 like this”
He charged the shot and threw the stone into the lake with one quick, clean arm movement.
It leapt six times.
Stephen lifted his sunglasses, taking a few steps in his direction “That was quite a shot, my friend...” he said, patting his back “Bravo!”
Hugh straightened up, smirking back at him “Guess I didn’t ロスト my edge, after all…”
“Indeed…” Stephen said, walking down the path running along the lake. Hugh followed him, gazing around. This was really a lovely place to take stroll in a sunny Sunday morning like this, Lisa was definitely right. This was quite his cup of tea: watching the quiet flatness of the water surface and how it rippled, glistening brightly, whenever ducks passed によって on it または some small powerboats sliced through the waters. Lakes had always breathed a sense of peacefulness into him; and in mornings such as this, even some faint feeling of hope, as if he could feel a breath of fresh air blowing around him and felt he might take part in it, one day.
It was ages he didn’t go to this place. Well actually he had just been here once…
“How did あなた say this place’s called?” Stephen asked, turning to him.
“Echo Park Lake” he said, keeping on walking slowly, arms crossed behind his back “It’s one of the finest in LA” he added.
“There’s certainly nothing comparable to it in London” Stephen pointed out, fascinated walking up to one of wooden bench facing a patch of lake where some ピンク flamingos where gathered. He sat down, hanging his walking stick at his side and sprawled out, spreading his arms over the back.
Hugh sat 次 to him keeping quiet, his mind always wandering, but silently contemplating the way the sunlight prickled out the neat outline of the lake, widening across the landscape. It was peculiar and fascinating at the same time the way something like this appeared to be fringed によって tall palm trees and skyscrapers against one of the most glaring bright, blue skies he ever seen. Somehow the exquisite contradiction in it, reminded him of Lisa. He wondered whether she had gone to the museum at last…
“How did あなた find it?” Stephen asked, abruptly at some point turning to him. He had a curious, strange smirk on his lips, tinged with subtle irony.
Hugh looked at him gaping a bit “Eeeehm…what do あなた mean how did I find it? I live here…” he said, with the tone of someone who felt like he was stating the obvious. Stephen smiled wryly at him, nodding quite condescendingly “I do happen to explore, あなた know?” he insisted.
Stephen turned to the lake again, still smiling “You know, when あなた happen to feel touched on a raw nerve, あなた always repeat my 質問 before answering them…”
“I DO NOT!” he yelled at him, gaping もっと見る widely, but rather amused. Had he talked to Robert?
Stephen laughed again, this time nodding with resolute conviction “Yes あなた do Sir!”
“Shut the hell up!” Hugh hushed him, playfully.
“First admit, あなた do!” he insisted, laughing harder as he tossed his head backwards.
Hugh stood up, shaking his head in disbelief, pacing. The way Stephen knew his ways…
He had no secrets for him. It was rather comforting and quite alarming at the same time. Depended on the topic. “Fine” he admitted finally, gesturing in defeat with one hand “I’ve just been here just once in my whole life…happy?”
Stephen lifted his chin up in a knowingly manner “Ahhhh…”
He tightened his shoulders, thrusting his hands deep into the pockets of his pants “What do あなた mean ahhhh?” he asked, absentmindedly kicking a stone away.
Stephen sprawled larger on the bench, crossing his legs “I was just wondering who brought あなた here the first time…”
Hugh curled his lips into a little smile, chewing his lips. It was the smile of someone who had just been hit and sunk.
Stephen pressed on “I mean, I assume someone must have shown あなた the sights once. And 与えられた that look on your face…” he trailed off, eloquently.
Hugh scratched the side of his nose, always half-smiling. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, moistening his lips and nodding briefly as he looked ahead of himself.
“You bitch…” he hissed, mockingly, kicking another stone away.
“I take that as compliment…” Stephen said, now smirking widely. He took his dusty, green homburg off, rolling it around in his hands “So….how is she?”


“I’m telling あなた nothing’s changed Karen, we’re still in the same place we were months ago….”
Lisa was still insisting, shrugging lightly “I mean….I’ve still a boyfriend. My holiday plans haven’t changed and he’s still married….end of the story” she cut off dismissively “There’s really nothing to talk about…really …” she concluded, shaking her head, as pacing around another strange sculpture.
She spotted Karen narrowing her eyes at her “What now?!”
Karen curled her lips into a pensive sulk, nodding quite condescendingly “So…you’re basically telling me there’s nothing bugging あなた at the moment?”
Lisa kept quiet, her eyes always escaping hers.
“Liz…I KNOW you…It stands out a mile to me when you’re anxious…and あなた know that too. あなた got that stamped in your face…” she said, leaning against the wall, arms crossed behind her back. Lisa sighed. “Come on…spill the beans. If it’s not something that HAS happened, must be something that MIGHT happen…so talk to your Psych. “she winked “what’s torturing you?”
Lisa hesitated, even if she knew some part of her truly needed to get this out of her system. She sighed again, eyes on the sculpture, keeping on pacing “Well…as a matter of fact…” she started slowly, the paused, realizing that saying it out loud made her even もっと見る anxious. She took another breath “…I have a-making-out-session-with-Hugh-scheduled-for-next-week” she 発言しました in one single breath turning to head to a new set of paintings.
Karen reached out to seize her によって her arm “Woah woah! Wait a second…what?!”


David had sprung up on his feet as soon as he had seen Hugh stepping in “Wonderful! You’re here! Let’s get started!” he had passed the sheets to the others, handing a couple to him too “Hugh take a seat…this affects both of あなた and Greg still doesn’t know about it either”
She hadn’t even had the time nor the presence of mind to wonder in which sense THIS affected both of them and WHAT this was, ‘cause she had spotted Hugh heading in her direction and she had felt an odd, disturbing thrill running through her veins, already.
“Now as あなた all know…” David had started “this is our last week…six working days to summer to be precise…”
It was like the precarious balance she had miraculously been able to keep up during the last few months wasn’t suddenly working anymore and the fence she had built up so carefully around herself kept crumbling before her very eyes 日 after day.
“…I know we had to kinda rushed things through this 年 with production…”
She had heard him chuckling and realized he had stopped. She had peered sideways at him and saw he was whispering something into Katie’s ear: she was laughing delighted at his joke, tossing her head backwards and ignoring the quite suspicious crossed look David was casting at her as a consequence. She had seen her putting a hand over Hugh’s, squeezing it; quite friendly actually, but still something had inexplicably writhed at the pit of her stomach and によって the time she had seen him whispering something else to her, she had found herself sitting all rolled up on one of the cushion, at the far end of the couch, her eyes stubbornly focused on the index-book of her i-phone.


Karen coughed, clearing her throat, loudly. She lifted her eyebrows, eloquently “Yeah…I see, what あなた meant when あなた 発言しました あなた were ‘in the same place あなた were months ago…” she said, with false indifference “…you’re definitely, undoubtedly still there…” she added, eyeing her up.
Lisa scoffed “Do あなた want to know what happened または not?!” she challenged.
“Fine…hang on to your self-induced delusions…” she 発言しました rolling her eyes in exasperation “we’ll go back there later…” she menaced “keep on…”


“…so now here’s the thing. We’ve already shot some, I know it…but…”
She had heard steps approaching again and wiggled on her seat, eyes still on her phone.
“…we’re about to enter our seven season so…I think it’s time to shake things up a bit and take the plunge, so to speak…no もっと見る beating about the bush…for now”
A pair of sneakers had peeped out under her eyes, at last “’Morning there…” Hugh had greeted her, softly.
“…now if あなた take a look at the sheets I gave you…”
She had pressed her lips in a controlled, bashful smile and lifted her eyes up, slowly, looking at him from over her eyelashes, her eyebrows half-arched. His eyes were smiling down at her with their usual spellbinding light flashing in them and from then on, it had been quite difficult even just thinking of focusing on what David was saying.
“Hi…” she had murmured.
“…I know Greg, I hear you, but we have been thinking carefully about this, believe me…this doesn’t come lightly…”
Suddenly, like in a conjuring trick, Hugh was flourishing a steaming cup of coffee before her nose, his eyes always beaming, widely “I figured あなた must be going cold turkey…” he had 発言しました simply, as he sank deep into 次 to her “…I bought あなた some along with mine”
He had smirked one of her お気に入り crooked smiles at her and offered her the cup, motioning to a little toast. She had tipped her head to one side, taking the cup into her hands, cupping them, lips curled up at the corners whispering a little thank you.
“…Well no…actually Garret we have truly sifted out all the possible scenarios with Peter…”
Hugh had crossed one leg over the other, bending it casually at ninety degree. He had burrowed himself deeper between the cushions, nestling his head on the back.
She had made herself a little tinier in her corner, sipping her coffee, quietly.
“…but I think I can safely say with this last draft you, my magic trio, nailed it this time…”
“You looked tired…” he had told her all of a sudden. He had let his head slid slightly closer towards her, taking a sip of his coffee, always watching her. His hair was unruly; still quite ruffled over the top, as usual. He hadn’t shaved a bit and his beard was starting to get grizzled. And the way his lips had remained slightly parted in a little concerned, sweet smile had looked a little too much inviting than they was supposed to.
“…of course the arc is far from being settled. There’re lots of things we’ll figure out along the way…”
She had had another sip out her coffee, looking sideways at him “It’s 6.30 am…” she had replied in a whisper, giving him a teasing smile from over her cup “I didn’t even have my yoga this morning…I’m MEANT to be tired”
His eyes had caressed her features then, moving hurriedly up and down her face and she had felt breath failing her “I know when あなた lie to me so unashamedly, あなた know…” he had whispered her back, softly
“…we want this to wind up just as closely to real life as possible. It’s what 愛 is all about after all, right? あなた jump the sharp without knowing what’s head of yourself….and take a real chance on someone…”
“…you get a little dimple right here” he had added, pointing to the 宇宙 right over her nose between her eyes.
She had rolled her eyes upwards, following his finger, as if she was trying herself to spot that tell she didn’t know the existence of, but she had ended up smiling in mild embarrassment, blowing up a wisp falling off her eyes to lose the tension.
Her own tension of course.
“I’m fine…Just having some troubled nights with Kaplow lately, that’s all…” she had lied “he’s sick again…”
“Really? I thought you’ve taken him to the vet last week?” he had asked surprised in an undertone.
She had breathed out, wondering whether he ever forgot something of what she told him “I did, but…”
Suddenly, they had heard someone clearing his throat, loudly “Erm, erm…”
They had turned their heads, simultaneously. Everyone was looking at them.
“Sorry to interrupt あなた guys…but…have you, for any chance, happened to hear a word of what I said?” David’s tone had been far from reassuring. He sounded moderately vexed at them. And moderately was euphemistic.
She had アナと雪の女王 on her seat, instantly wishing the ground would 飲み込む her up, but to her surprise Hugh had promptly stepped up for both of them, this time fighting back, so to speak, witty as usual.
He had straightened up, motioning to the table, a funny grimace on his face “Could somebody please switch that cup of cold coffee, lying abandoned in front of him, with some chamomile please?”
This new tension-loosing, nonchalant overconfident attitude was one of the reasons she had started feeling so troubled around him, lately. Part of the reason he had started making her even もっと見る uncomfortable than she already used to feel.
The scowl on David’s face had deepened, though, so Hugh had pretended to cave “Ok never, mind the beverage switching…”
He had let himself fall backwards, smirking sideways at her, and lifted his hand up “Sorry Dave… zips lips. We’re catching up already …” he had said, searching for the first time ever for the sheets he had passed him earlier. He had gotten them out from under his legs and passed one to Lisa, smiling innocently back at David “You see? We were just getting there…”
She had chocked a laugh, almost spilling her coffee. What she had just said: this cunning, false bravado he displayed from time to time was something that, in truth, stirred her up, no matter how convincingly she lied to herself.
David had eyed them up, suspiciously then sharing a knowingly look with Katie: she seemed rather inclined to let him play the bad cop “Really?!…let’s see, what was the last thing あなた two heard me talking about?” he had asked, resting on his hands against the table.
He was definitely in character.
Lisa had bitten her bottom lip on one side, looking at Hugh. He had squinted, ruffling his hair “I think…I think something about a magic wizardly trio?” he had asked tentatively, still trying to downplay it. She had stifled a giggle, but this one had quickly died out under David’s intimidating look. She had averted her eyes, then and looked down at the page, finally for the first time focusing on it, her eyes moving distractedly to the conclusive words.
And that was when her ハート, 心 had skipped a beat.
She had heard David sighing heavily, and so slowly, she had lifted hear head up and seen he had dropped his head down and was letting it dangle in between his arms, exasperated “Guys I’m begging you, I know you’re sleepy…and Hugh I know あなた won’t have your summer any time soon but….I called あなた two SPECIFICALLY to have a look at this. TOGETHER. This is maybe the most serious shot in the dark we have taken so far on this show…” He had lifted his head up looking at them at that point “No slips are allowed here. We gotta nail this, otherwise we might get axed, あなた understand me?”
Katie had dared to speak, shaking her head “Take it easy Dave, no ax is gonna fall over anyone’s neck …there’s no such thing as the Moonlighting curse …”
He had widened his black pair of drowsy eyes. They had rings around them “I know that Katie, but if あなた don’t mind, I’d like the two of them to be aware of the stakes…” he had 発言しました gesticulating “This Huddy hook-up…”
Suddenly Hugh was sitting on the edge, having lifted his torso up in one quick moment “Whoa…what…what….wait a second” he had 発言しました stammering lightly. Lisa had peered sideways at him. He mustn’t have seen this coming. Not this season anyway. He was just as speechless “What…what do あなた mean Huddy hook-up?”



“…but nothing’s happened so far…and nothing will Steph…We’ve been spending some very nice hours in each other’s company, lately,that’s certainly true” Hugh was saying scratching his neck “and we’ll keep doing it, hopefully. But this is…this is just work. And it’s quite different” he cut short, still pacing back and forth in front of him.
Stephen lifted his eyebrows, puffing “Well, this has been quite a follow-up to a very simple question, I must say” he said, wryly.
Hugh stopped looking at him, realizing that perhaps he had let himself been carried away. Just a little bit
“You asked me how was she…I started from the beginning…” he shrugged.
Stephen made a face “Yep I did…” he admitted “…and twenty-five 分 after a rather long-winded, pretty confusing recount of the last three months…" he said, floundering his watch at him “…the only thing we have established is that you’re not back together and you’ll be back キス her 次 week…am I correct?”
Hugh flushed up “Good Lord no! No, no, no, no. I mean…yes…we have this…thing…scheduled for 次 week, but…no, nothing like that. We’re friends…"
“Right…” Stephen nodded condescendingly again “...just to be clear, though: フレンズ who happen to spend an awful lot of time together, both on and off-set, and who are attracted to each other, right? Those kinds of friends?” he said, pinching his tone slightly higher, allusively.
Hugh rolled his eyes, dropping himself 次 to him once again. He scratched his neck, staring to the lake “Yeah that kind of friends…thank あなた Psych.” he said, giving him a half-joking crossed look “I’m so glad あなた called me…next time, 次 week, same hour?”
Stephen laughed jovially “My pleasure, my friend!! あなた know I 愛 stopping によって to tease あなた when I happen to be in town…”
“Yeah…” Hugh sighed, folding his arms across his chest.
He leaned backwards against the bench, pensive.
Stephen watched him “You know, I didn’t just happen to call you…” he started, hesitantly.
“What do あなた mean?”
“I was actually a little bit concerned about you…”
“Me? Why?” Hugh asked turning to him.
Stephen kept quiet staring at him. He didn’t know whether he was doing the right call によって mentioning this, but…it was worth a try. After all, it was his best friend’s life they were talking about.
“Well…with this divorce thing you’re jumping in…”
“I’m not…jumping in it…” Hugh interrupted him.
“I know, I know…I know you’ve thought this through…that was not what I meant…”
Hugh stared at him, waiting.
“I mean…with everything that happened to あなた last year…I just wonder…" he gave up "I talked to Robert” he confessed “He called me…”
“Oh Jesus...” Hugh sighed, standing up. He rubbed his nape with both hands, tossing his head backwards “You must be kidding me…I’ll kill him…I’m fine…”
“Hugh, sit down please, let me talk…" Stephen told him quietly.
Hugh stopped moving, gesturing now “There’s nothing to talk about. I’m fine!! I happen to have taken a decision…” he 発言しました goggling “Why doesn’t anyone want to respect that? It’s so much better like this…for her, for everyone…why does Robert think I haven’t 与えられた this enough thought already?” he snapped, starting pacing nervously.
Stephen kept watching him in silence.
“First…” he kept on, like at this point he had been charged and couldn't help but getting everything out of this system “…Rob tells me I’m a jerk ‘cause I keep doing my dance around her and I’ve not the guts to do anything about my sucking life…” he said, gesturing nervously and looking at him wide-eyed “…then, when I DO happen to do something…he tells me that that wasn’t what he meant!! That maybe I’m being hasty, that I should let her decide whether she still wants to be ‘a part of it'…”
He didn’t even know himself how much he needed to talk about this with someone who wasn’t actually involved until this very moment: Robert, Lisa, him, Jo, the show, the press, his lawyers...it was all a mess. He did need a fresh perspective to rely on. “In truth…” Hugh added almost warn-out “…how could she possibly want something like that?”
Stephen started at him, pensive.
“It’s still a mess…” Hugh 発言しました finally, kicking the grass.
Stephen pondered for another 秒 “That’s all true Hugh…but...anyway, have あなた asked her?”


“NO!!! I didn’t ask, are あなた insane!!!!” Lisa laughed, deflecting on Karen’s question.
Karen kept prompting her “Oh come on, Liz!!!! あなた can’t possibly be serious!!! あなた can’t gloss over something so juicy! What kind of scene is it?” she asked, enthusiastically “Come on spill the beans, give me something I’m not gonna tell anyone…there must be something on that script remotely revealing…”
Lisa suddenly froze, bringing a hand to her mouth “Oh God, I shouldn’t have told you! This was supposed to be a secret! David is gonna kill me…”
“Oh cut the crap! Who am I gonna tell? My kids!? Relax, I’m far もっと見る interested in the details…why kind of scene is it this time, come on? Another wild, hot making-out against doors and cupboards, または another melting, slow full-mouth, stolen キッス with lots of face stroking?”
“Karen stop it!” Lisa whispered laughing “We were acting!”
“Yeah…your tongues are pretty talented, then…” she ragged, ignoring Lisa’s embarrassed look of disbelief “Come one…which one?!”
Lisa sighed in the end, but もっと見る in exasperated amusement, than in irritation. She remembered even too vividly each one of those kisses, what she had done and the way she had felt. Before. During. And After.
“So…” Karen prompted her again “How’s gonna be this time?”


After Hugh’s question, silence had grown deeper and it had been like watching a slow-mo sequence during which many tiny, different things happen all at once, each one preparing for the great outburst. Greg had wiggled on his seat, uncomfortably, while Peter was pretending to be very interested in revising his own script; Garret had folded one arm against his chest, rubbing his jaw, whereas Katie was silently moving her lips, eyes rolled up to the roof, like she was mumbling counter-spells. At last, David had taken a long deep breath, nevertheless having the frightening appearance of a time-bomb that had been just set up.
Suddenly, though, a soft tinkling had crept in breaking the silence, startling them all: Russell had just started stirring his half-finished cappuccino, again.
He had looked up, eventually feeling watched “Oh, sorry…” he had 発言しました quickly, stopping it already and putting his cup away up over the shelf at his side. He had shrugged, clenching his teeth “My bad…” Greg’s attempt at a soft, ironic whistle had been quickly silenced によって Katie’s wide-eyed–head-shake.
Slowly, David had sat down again, leaning フォワード, 前進, 楽しみにして over the table, hands folded. He was smiling a strange sort of tiny, half-smile, as if he was working very hard on watching his temper.
Early morning was definitely not his best time of the day.
Let alone in this period of the year.
“Hugh…Lisa…I understand this comes as a…”
But Katie had cut him off this time speaking over his voice “What David is trying to say here guys…” she had said, placing one hand onto David’s, reassuringly “Is that….we’re sorry we didn’t share our plans with あなた earlier” she had flashed an eloquent look at him, pausing for a moment “but it’s vital to us this finale remains completely under wraps till the night it airs”
She had dared to speak at that point “The モル, ほくろ thing?”
David had nodded, seriously “I swear I’m gonna flush out this son of 雌犬 who’s…” Katie had patted on his hand, so eventually he had ended up lowering his voice, finishing his sentence in a snorting mutter “…making my fandom go into a tailspin….”
“Precisely” had 発言しました Katie, turning half turn to them “But もっと見る to the point, this is also a fan-thing-kind-of-thing, if あなた know what I mean…”
Hugh had nodded briefly, pensive as if he knew already what she was hitting at.
“We can’t afford having the ones who dislike this turn in the story-arc at our throats beforehand and we can’t afford Huddies making up expectations that inevitably will end up being frustrated ‘cause….first, this isn’t gonna be corny at all and secondly, we are gonna do this our way…Housian way…”
“That’s understandable…” Hugh had muttered.
David had lifted his eyes up, meeting theirs again. He was dead serious about this; hands still tightly folded in front of his “We have just a few days to discuss this. Figure out the best way to handle it and shoot this long-awaited hooking-up. It has to be emotional and it has to be Housian…” he had clarified, casting a quick sly look at Katie. She had nodded, motioning him to go on “We’re gonna shoot this 次 week on Friday night. 3 am sharp. House’s flat location. It’s gonna be just me, Katie, Greg and a couple of trusted guys from the set. The bare essentials” They had covered it all, thought this through in any details.
Katie had taken the floor again then, crossing her arms over her chest “You can’t tell anyone. Neither to Robert または any other…especially to the people at work, but watch out for your フレンズ and relatives please…just to play it safe”
“It’s irrelevant whether あなた trust these people または not, actually…” David had butted in “The surprise outcome is crucial….for everybody. Hopefully, this is gonna make the ratings soar 次 year, for the premiere. This is our goal. Keep them watching and intrigued, and keep being a 狐, フォックス hit, got it?”
Hugh had rubbed his nape, nodding but she had felt a drop of cold sweat running down her spine already at the thought of a premiere. Let alone a whole Huddy season…
Eventually, she had nodded too, forcing a trembling unconvincing smile on her lips.
Katie had clapped her hands together, cheerfully standing up already “Good. Ok, everything’s set then” she had said, collecting her stuff from the 表, テーブル “I think we can call this meeting off for now and get started with our daily routine, right?”
Everyone had started to stand up, even David. He was looking a little calmer but had kept speaking quite excitedly “Sure thing. We have a collapsed building location to reach and some high drama to get on tape” he had 発言しました busily, heading to the door “Greg, Hugh, come on. On Set. Now. We have no time to waste” he had called out gesturing for them to follow.
Greg had sprung on his feet, immediately “Yes, boss!”
The room had started to clear out and finally Hugh had turned his head at her, meeting her eyes. He was still rubbing his neck with one hand. He had hinted at a tiny, wary smile like - rather rushing out of the room as everybody else - he was silently trying to ask her with his eyes whether he had her approval for this thing to get done.
And she had ended up smiling a little encouraging smile at him, with pressed lips, wondering whether she was being truly able to look at him with real nonchalance…


“You sure she’s so cool with it?” Stephen asked him, questioning his judgment.
Hugh shrugged, feet still playing with the 草 blades “I don’t know Steph…she looks fine to me. It doesn’t really strike me like she wished または wanted me to do something…and besides, what should I ask her? Whether she feels like swimming into this huge mess with me again?”
Stephen stood up, silently. He collected his stuff and started pacing again down the paths, looking around. He stepped into the 草 and Hugh followed him quietly, one thousands different fighting thoughts cramming in his head.
They reached one of the big, tall trees in the middle and lay against it sheltering from the sun.
Stephen was panting a little “Sun drives あなた crazy here…huh?” he said, fluttering his hat.
Hugh gazed up at the sky, squinting “Yeah…it’s just too damn sunny, isn’t it?” he said, pensively remembering a time when he used to miss his rainy London. Now he wasn’t even sure he could live without such sun…but it didn’t really felt like he had any choice, did it?
Stephen stopped floundering his hat and started to clean his glasses “You sure あなた want to give up on this? あなた absolutely sure you’re not just…” he hesitated, weighting his words “…avoiding taking a real decision here? Running away again, in your own way?”
Hugh kept his head down, hands in his pockets, pensive “Of course not…” he admitted at last. Stephen kept quiet, waiting “I don’t know Steph…I feel like a self-conscious teenager, courting the pretty front-desk little girl he had a tremendous crush on…”
Stephen took a sip of water “Maybe it’s time あなた push this courting a little further…don’t’ あなた think?” he said, offering him the bottle.
He gestured a no with his head “No thanks…What do あなた mean pushing? What should I do? I mean, it’s not like we have no history, so I may just happen to ask her out, don’t あなた think?"
“Well, perhaps it’s time あなた do something a little bit もっと見る explicit…” Stephen hazarded, eloquently “…skipping the asking her out part and going right to the point…”
“Well, but…” he paused, realizing he didn’t know which his buts were anymore. It was getting a mess inside him lately, between his thoughts and feelings and yearnings and fears; what she deserved and what he wanted and wished he could give her; what she told him and what sometimes he dared to hope she really meant…
It was twisted even just put one’s mind around it.
“I don’t know Steph…she’s moved on…maybe it’s just fair like this…I really don’t think she feels nothing もっと見る than….I mean…she’s with this guy at the moment…I want to respect her choices” he trailed off quietly, trying to convince himself, even if something couldn’t help roaring inside him.
Stephen scoffed “My dearest friend, あなた really are quite a cliché, aren’t you? I knew 愛 made あなた blind, not dumb…” he mocked him “The woman wouldn’t be certainly letting あなた spend so much time around her if she didn’t still feel something too…”
“But she said…”
“Never mind what she said, for heaven’s sake!” Stephen cut him off, exasperated this time “That was months ago!! Women can change their minds, あなた know…women always change their minds…”
It didn’t look like Hugh was buying this. Stephen took his time and sat down on the 草 crossed-legged “…they have a master in voicing the exact opposite of what they want, あなた know…” he added, staring quietly ahead of himself.
“Lisa isn’t like that….” Hugh muttered. She wasn’t, was she?
Stephen scoffed amused “Oh, you’ll be surprised at how much she might be exactly like that. And not because she’s changeable または anything, but because she probably cares just as much as あなた do…”
Hugh didn’t answer at first. He just sat down on the 草 次 to him, cross-legged too, thinking. Then he began to rip some 草 off “You don’t know that…I MYSELF don’t know that…”
Stephen looked at him “Or maybe you’re just scary to know for sure….”
Hugh felt a new wave of anxiousness flooding him.
“Time’s up, my friend. It’s truth time. The End of the Game in the words of the immortal Sir. Beckett. Deadline is looming…”
“Ok, I got it, Steph…thank you” he snorted “You just drew a fairly vivid picture of it. It’s not like she’s leaving for war あなた know…”
Stephen played along “Of course not! We don’t want to sound overly-dramatic, do we? It’s not like the future of the world is resting on your shoulders…”
“Precisely, thank you…” he nodded, nevertheless not feeling any better.
“Yeah, but what about your world?” Stephen asked “Are あなた ready for your little world to be shattered and stolen away from you?” Hugh didn’t answered, keeping his eyes down on the ripped 草 “’Cause while あなた keep wasting time here, making up your mind, she’s leaving her life and sooner または later, she’s jump in it with both feet …”
Hugh snapped “What should I tell her, then? ‘Hey Liz remember that little convo we had a few months ago…well would あなた be willing to reconsider, ‘cause あなた see I’ve proven myself inherently selfish and I can’t stop thinking about you. Oh によって the way, I’m trying to get a divorce but we are still in the middle of it and well…my life is still a mess, press is on my hills as usual….but HEY! what can I do? It’s the thought that counts right? So…wanna jump in?”
“I always say あなた remain quite a clownish comedian deep down inside, regardless of your latest dramatic feats…”
“Be serious Steph, please…”
Stephen laughed “I’m being sure Hugh. I’m dead serious here. You’re right, it’s all still a mess. And yes, it’s fairly accurate to say she has a right to send あなた to hell and call herself out of it. That would be fair and probably well-deserved, 与えられた how much it took あなた to realize what あなた wanted…”
“Thanks that’s quite comforting…”
“I’m not here to be comforting…”
“No that’s obvious…” Hugh snorted.
Stephen leaned backwards, resting on his forearms “You’re back to square one, my friend…” he stated simply.
Hugh arched an eyebrow looking at him “Since when あなた mix chess metaphors from Beckett with baseball ones?”
He laughed jovially again “Well, people change…you too have changed my friend! あなた wouldn’t be here talking about this if あなた hadn’t…” Hugh thought about his words “Once, あなた were the man who would let himself get swallowed によって the bustle of things and look at あなた now!” he 発言しました gesturing proudly to him “…now you’re here, questioning yourself at every turn”
Hugh tossed himself backwards and lay on the grass, gazing up at the sky. He didn’t know what to say. All this time he had just assumed desperation was the key; that the fear of losing her, once and for all, had kept pushing him forward, chancing his luck over and over again but maybe Stephen was right, maybe he had already changed somehow, slowly but consistently. He just needed to take the final leap.
Find the courage to take it.
“Seriously Hugh, I don’t know how she did it, but this woman made something on you, I swear…” Stephen continued “She….awoke something” he 発言しました gesturing vaguely “…and god knows whether あなた old depressed, self-deprecating self needed that…”
Indeed. She’s been always there, at every step along his way for the last six years, slowly but enduringly drifting her enthusiasm upon him, her optimism…her light.
His personal whirl of gleaming breeze...
“What should I do?” Hugh asked him in the end, discomforted.
Stephen smiled looking up at the sky “That’s really up to you, my friend. I can’t tell あなた what to do…it’s not my place. It’s noone’s. But you’re at a crossroad I’m afraid….”
“Change または die…” he mumbled. Sounded like the topic of the year…
Stephen laughed “Well, now who’s been overly-dramatic?” he asked teasingly to cheer him up.
“It was a figure of speech…” he muttered, smiling sadly “…but it’s fairly accurate to say that I feel like some part of me would die if she turns me down again”
“Well, you’ll never know if あなた don’t try…”
“Yeah…” Again, another everlasting topic 2010.
“How long do あなた think she’ll keep waiting for you?” he prompted him, leaning on one hand to push himself up right.
“If she is…” Hugh said.
Some part of him couldn’t still believe she was. または maybe as Stephen had said, he was just afraid to find out. It was much もっと見る comforting believing they kept sharing something special that they had had and ロスト - but that nevertheless would always be there somehow - rather than finding out that what they shared wasn’t so special at all. Not anymore.
Stephen grabbed his walking stick, tapping his leg, motioning him to get up “If she’s, yes…but this is not the real point here and あなた know it. You’re too smart for such self-induced delusions, are you?”
Hugh kept looking up at the sky, arms crossed behind his head, motionless “What’s the point then…?” he asked flatly.
Stephen’s head peeped out right above his, clouding the sun “The real 質問 is, my friend….do あなた really want her enough to go all-out または you’re too scared あなた might fail to even try?”


Karen puffed, faking annoyance at her repeated deflections “Oh, for the 愛 of God, what happened to the Lisa who used to brag about how lucky she was in being FORCED to make out with the sexy Hugh Laurie?” she asked, teasingly pushing her forward.
Lisa gaped at her “I DIDN’T BRAG!!”
Karen giggled “Ok not brag…more like glow-all-over-while-friendly-raving-about-him…how brilliant he was, how sweet he was, how funny he was, how uncommonly handsome he was…”
“Things change…” she said, a nostalgic, blissful smile breathing across Lisa’s face. It felt like a lifetime ago, when she still felt like she could talk about him that way
Karen frowned, stopping abruptly. She made a funny, panicked face “Did he get ugly?!”
“Nooo!” Lisa laughed, rolling her eyes at her.
Karen brought a hand to her chest, sighing in relief “Oh God, あなた almost gave me a ハート, 心 attack. Such a man can’t really go wasted with time…”
Lisa bit her lower lip, smiling. Indeed, sexiness comes with age had never been truer. Something pushed to get out of her chest and she felt her cheeks getting warmer.
“I can assure you…” she found herself saying, as if some part of her couldn’t take this press-silence about him anymore “…there’s not a single thing about him that’s going wasted…rather the contrary, he keeps getting hotter…”
She couldn’t believe she had just 発言しました that, that she was seriously talking about him like this once again. This was all Karen’s fault.
“I believe you…” Karen told her, nonchalantly “I met him just once but…God the things a woman would do to that man…”
“Karen! You’re married! With two kids! Behave!” she reproached her, goggling amused.
“Ahahah! What? A woman can dream right?” she laughed “Or…is there another reason why I shouldn’t be having sexy dreams with him?”
“Don’t be ridiculous…” she told her, her ハート, 心 suddenly thundering a little faster “That was ages ago…we are not there anymore…” she cut short.
“You two really back been friends, then?” Karen asked squeezing her hand, affectionately.
Slowly and unconsciously, another little smile began creeping on her lips “Yes, we are…”
Karen snuggled her, giving her an eloquent look “Tell me he still has that crazily adorable English humor of his that makes あなた feel like…ok…behaving…” she trailed off, meeting the half-reproaching look Lisa was giving her, already “Come on anyway, does he?” she prompted her, giving her another snuggle.
She found herself beaming even widely. It didn’t happen very often she had the chance to talk Hugh with someone and she wasn’t expecting this, but it sort of felt liberating. She didn’t even know she needed it to up to now.
“Yes he does” she chuckled to herself “He still cracks me up as noone else…and he’s adorable at times…always a great guy, a great friend” she added lovingly “we went shopping yesterday…”
Karen let go of her arm, pretending she was offended “You traitor!!! あなた go robbing around LA with him and leave your sister home??”
Lisa smiled widely, rising up her hair in a little bun “He asked me first…” she justified herself, blushing faintly “…and it wasn’t even planned. We were supposed to meet for breakfast and then he just insisted to go with me…” she said, shrugging.
Karen narrowed her eyes at her, pretending to be vexed. She could be quite an annoying clown sometimes. But maybe this was one of things she mostly adored about her. She loved her spirit: Karen was the one who made her feel better when she didn’t feel like being as bubbly as she usually was. She shook her head, though and reached on the large benches in the middle of the hall, sitting down on it, crossing her legs “Tell me when have done with your 表示する Karen…” she teased, getting her i-phone out.
Text message. It was really John this time. And he had gone to ベッド already. She would reply later to this. Actually she’d better call him as soon as possible. Yesterday morning she hadn’t even been answering his calls. She looked up, then and saw that Karen had quite a knowingly smirk on her face.
“What?” she asked bewildered.
Slowly Karen sat down at her side and leaned forward, overlapping her hands. She rested her chin on them, glancing sideways at her with a smug look in her eyes “So…summing-up…so far the man…his Evergreen Sexiness, we’ll call him…” she 発言しました bating her eyes and making her laugh “…so far he’s is still deliriously sexy, あなた two are doing great, he doesn’t wear his ring anymore and he volunteers to take あなた shopping...” she said, making it sound like she were depicting the New-Prince-Charming-Millennium-Edition.
“How do you…”
“The ring?” Karen forestalled her, lifting an eyebrow “You for real girl? Haven’t あなた been on-line? Huli fandoms are going nuts over this…”
She blushed. She did know there was something like that around. But she preferred ignoring their existence “Well, what about it?” she asked, smiling with pressed lips in the end.
Karen shook her head, thrusting her lower lip out “Oh nothing, nothing…” she 発言しました as if it was really a matter of no importance “…it’s not like the rest talks によって itself, after all…”
Lisa sighed. This conversation had already gotten a little bit too far. She shouldn’t have 発言しました a word about him. This was exactly why she had stopped talking Hugh during interviews. She tended to let herself being carried away and then people noticed.
“One thing I don’t get, though….” her sister said, pensively looking ahead of herself.
“…which would be?” she asked, without thinking a little edgy now.
Karen made a puzzled, pondering face this time “If you’re still clearly so much into him - and don’t あなた dare denying it to me….” she admonished with one of her fingers without even looking at her. Lisa closed her mouth, dropping her shoulders down “…and if he’s still so serious about his marriage being over…and again, don’t あなた dare telling me he’s not cause otherwise he would have put that ring back on, によって now….” she 発言しました in another one single breath, silencing her again “…then, 与えられた the evidence at my disposal…”
Lisa scoffed “Am I allowed asking which evidence…at least?”
She dismissed her question, with a vague movement of her hand “Shush! The evidence he’s still smitten for あなた of course….” she explained quickly “…do not interrupt me, I’m formulating my final question…” she joked, patting a finger on her lips.
Lisa smiled, rubbing her face with one hand. She leaned on her elbows, joining hands and rested her face on them mimicking the way Karen had looked at her just a few 分 前 “…which would be?” she asked again, recklessly, still smiling but this time wondering whether she really wanted to know.
Karen smiled sideways at her, like she had just asked the most predictable thing ever “Why the two of あなた are not together again…of course…”
Lisa straightened up. She was right. She didn’t want to know.
She shook her head smiling with pursed lips, her eyebrows slightly arched as she always did when she felt hit and sunk already “What if I don’t want to?” she pointed out, firmly giving a little shrug.
Karen leaned forwards, resting on one hand “What if あなた are too scared to find out whether あなた two might truly work, instead?” she countered promptly, shrugging lightly in turn.
Lisa couldn’t do anything but watching her, speechless; too astonish to counter something that might even make sense at this point. Hit and sunk.
Karen softened her stare, smiling caringly at her this time “I know…it’s annoying when your sister can see through あなた so much better than あなた do…right?” she 発言しました patting her hand.
Lisa dropped her shoulders down, giving up “Indeed…”



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