by Beth O'Leary
Mo and Gerty x
P.S. He asked me to say that he didn’t ask your father’s permission, on account of that being “a bit archaic and patriarchal,” but he feels “fairly confident Brian is on board.”
I laugh shakily, wiping the tears from my cheeks. My dad adores Leon. He’s been calling him “son” in embarrassing social situations for at least a year.
My hands tremble as I reach for the cardboard box. The sellotape takes an agonizingly long time to work loose, but when I manage to get the lid off I start crying in earnest.
There’s a ring inside, nestled in a bundle of rainbow-colored tissue paper. It’s beautiful: vintage, a little wonky, with an oval amber stone in its center.
And there’s one last note.
Tiffany Rose Moore of Flat 3, Madeira House, Stockwell,
Would you like to be my wife?
Take some time to think about it. If you want to see me, I’m at the Bunny Hop Inn, room 6.
I love you x
When I can, when my shoulders have stopped shaking from happy-crying and I’ve wiped my eyes and blown my nose, I head back up the beach to the warm light of the Bunny Hop Inn.
He’s waiting for me on the bed in room 6, sat cross-legged, fidgeting. He’s nervous.
I take him at a flying leap. He lets out a happy sort of oof as I roll him back onto the bed.
“Yes?” he asks after a moment, pushing back my hair so he can look at my face.
“Leon Twomey,” I say, “only you could find a method of proposing that means you don’t actually have to be there.” I kiss him hard. “Yes. Absolutely, definitely, yes.”
“Sure?” he asks, pulling back to look at me properly.
“I’m sure.”
“Really?”
“Really really.”
“It’s not too much?”
“Bloody hell, Leon!” I say, exasperated. I look round and reach for the hotel stationery on the bedside table.
YES. I would love to marry you.
Now it’s written down it is unequivocal and probably binding in a court of law although check with Gerty because I literally just made that up right now. xx
I wave the note under his nose so he gets the gist, then tuck it in the pocket of his shirt. He pulls me in and presses his lips to the crown of my head. I can feel that he’s doing one of those lopsided smiles, and it all seems too good, like we can’t possibly deserve it, like we’re taking too much happiness and not leaving enough for everyone else.
“This is the bit where we turn on the telly and a nuclear war has started,” I say, twisting to lie down next to him.
He smiles. “I don’t think so. Doesn’t work that way. Sometimes the happy thing just happens.”
“Look at you, with all the sunny optimism! That’s usually my jam, not yours.”
“Not sure what’s brought it on. Recent betrothal? Bright future? Love-of-life in arms? Hard to say.”
I chuckle, nuzzling into his chest, breathing him in. “You smell like home,” I tell him after a moment.
“You are home,” he says simply. “The bed, the flat…”
He pauses, the way he always does when he’s looking for enough words for something big.
“It was never home until you were there, Tiffy.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My first thank-you goes to the incredible Tanera Simons, who gave Tiffy and Leon a shot before anybody else, and then kickstarted the craziest, most wonderful time in my life. The next thanks goes to Mary Darby, Emma Winter, Kristina Egan, and Sheila David for everything they’ve done to take The Flatshare out into the world. I am so lucky to have found a home at Darley Anderson Agency.
You might not believe it after reading about Martin and Hana, but in reality the publishing industry is full of truly wonderful people—and the bunch who’ve brought The Flatshare into the world are particularly incredible. To Emily Yau and Christine Kopprasch, my amazing editors at Quercus and Flatiron: Thank you for making this an infinitely better book with your edits, and for the countless other things you’ve done to make The Flatshare the best it can be. Thanks to Marlena Bittner, Nancy Trypuc, Keith Hayes, Bryn Clark, Steven Seighman, Vincent Stanley, David Lott, Sara Thwaite, and all the people I won’t have ever spoken to, but who I know have done so much to make this book a reality. And thank you to my wonderful international publishers for believing in Tiffy and Leon so early and making this experience even more of a dream.
My next thank-you’s go to: Libby, for being my muse; Nups, for being my rock, battling toilet mushrooms with me, and telling me (very emphatically) that this book was The One; and Pooja, for being a wonderful, generous friend and giving so much time and expertise. Thank you to Gabby, Helen, Gary, Holly, and Rhys, for the early reads, the bright ideas, and the messy nights at Adventure Bar, and to Rebecca Lewis-Oakes, for giving me a good talking-to when I was too scared to send out queries. Sorry for keeping the name Justin, Rebecca!
To my wonderful family, and the fabulous Hodgson family, too: Thank you for always being there for me, and for getting so excited about all things “Flatshare.” Mum and Dad, thank you for your endless support and for filling my life with love and books. And Tom, thank you for your help with the details. I love you and think of you every day.
To Sam. This is the hardest part, because I feel just like Leon—I can’t find the words for something this big. Thank you for your patience, your kindness, your puppylike enthusiasm for everything life brings, and thank you for reading and laughing when it mattered most. This book is dedicated to you, but really it’s not just for you, it’s because of you, too.
Finally, a huge thank-you to every reader who picked up this book, and to every bookseller who helped make that moment happen. I’m so grateful and honored you did.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Beth O’Leary worked in children’s publishing before becoming a full-time author. The Flatshare is her debut novel. The idea for The Flatshare came to Beth when her doctor boyfriend was working long night shifts as part of his training and they could go weeks without seeing each other—but she could track his life by how many cups of coffee were left on the counter, by how much he’d eaten, and whether the bookmark in his novel had changed locations. It made her wonder: What could you learn about someone if you lived together but your lives never overlapped?
Visit her online at betholearyauthor.com, or sign up for email updates here.
Thank you for buying this
Flatiron Books ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content,
and info on new releases and other great reads,
sign up for our newsletters.
Or visit us online at
us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup
For email updates on the author, click here.
CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
February
1. Tiffy
2. Leon
3. Tiffy
4. Leon
5. Tiffy
6. Leon
7. Tiffy
8. Leon
9. Tiffy
10. Leon
11. Tiffy
12. Leon
April
13. Tiffy
14. Leon
May
15. Tiffy
16. Leon
July
17. Tiffy
18. Leon
19. Tiffy
20. Leon
21. Tiffy
22. Leon
23. Tiffy
August
24. Leon
25. Tiffy
26. Leon
27. Tiffy
28. Leon
29. Tiffy
30. Leon
31. Tiffy
32. Leon
September
33. Tiffy
34. Leon
35. Tiffy
36. Leon
37. Tiffy
38. Leon
39. Tiffy
40. Leon
41. Tiffy
42. Leon
43. Tiffy
44. Leon
45. Tiffy
46. Leon
47. Tiffy
48. Leon
49. Tiffy
50. Leon
51. Tiffy
October
52. Leon
53. Tiffy
54. Leon
55. Tiffy
56. Leon
57. Tiffy
58. Leon
59. Tiffy
60. Leon
61. Tiffy
62. Leon
63. Tiffy
64. Leon
65. Tiffy
66. Leon
67. Tiffy
68. Leon
69. Tiffy
70. Leon
71. Tiffy
72. Leon
73. Tiffy
74. Leon
September, Two Years Later
Epilogue. Tiffy
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE FLATSHARE. Copyright © 2019 by Beth O’Leary Ltd. All rights reserved. For information, address Flatiron Books, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.flatironbooks.com
Cover design by Leah Goren
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-29563-7 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-24517-5 (international, sold outside the U.S., subject to rights availability)
ISBN 978-1-250-29564-4 (ebook)
eISBN 9781250295644
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First U.S. Edition: May 2019
First International Edition: May 2019