‘No,’ Seb says. ‘It’s not too late to—’
‘To what?’
‘I don’t know.’
Another silence. Clara sniffs.
‘I think it is too late,’ she says. ‘I thought the film would help, but it’s made everything worse.’
‘So that’s all this was?’ Seb says. ‘An experiment?’
‘You weren’t always so bitter.’ Clara spits out the words.
‘And you used to talk to me.’
‘That makes one of us.’
A creaking floorboard. Eric is disoriented. Is Seb stepping towards Clara, or is he walking away?
‘It would have been different,’ Seb says. ‘If he wasn’t here.’
‘You need to get over this,’ Clara says.
‘How can I?’ Seb says, suddenly animated. ‘You created this situation. No one forced you to cast him. You could have said no to Nico, or Agathe.Youwanted him here. Now every time I see you, he’s there, too. Following you around. Giving his opinion. Making you laugh.’
‘God forbid somebody makes me laugh,’ Clara says. ‘It’s been long enough.’ She adjusts her tone. ‘He is not the problem with this film. He’s actually made it better.’ She half hiccups, stomps her foot. ‘Despite what you may think, Jacob Steele is not the root cause of everything.’
‘Then who is?’
Eric imagines the look on Clara’s face. He can’t help but pity Seb.
‘Oh, come on,’ Seb says. ‘He’s made you think like this.’
‘Oh my god!’ Clara’s voice finally cracks. ‘Listen to yourself. Since when did you get so controlling?’
‘He’scontrolling you.’
‘Oh, really?’ Clara says. ‘You’re the one who cares about keeping me to yourself.’
‘I care about youbeingyourself,’ Seb says. ‘You’re acting like a person I don’t recognise. You used to be more than just a fucking director. Now that’s all you are, all the time.’
‘People change,’ Clara says.
‘I’m the same as I’ve always been.’
‘No, you’re not,’ she shouts, unable to match Seb’s level of calm. ‘And the problem is that you think you are. Not growing up is not the same as being the same person.’ Clara is almostout of breath. ‘Everyone changes. Even you. And you’ve become someone selfish.’
‘Selfish?’ Seb’s voice rises an octave. ‘I’ve given you everything you wanted,’ he says. ‘All I’ve asked for is one thing.’
‘But it wasn’t one thing, was it?’ Clara says. ‘It was everything. And it would have taken over everything.’
Seb takes a moment to respond. ‘You’re already talking in the past tense.’
‘What else do we have?’ Clara’s voice is still raised. ‘I’ve spent the last three years watching you retreat.’ Eric can tell that Clara is holding back tears. ‘I needed you.’
‘You’re the one who’s been away all the time.’
‘I’ve beenrunningaway!’ Clara yells. ‘Being anywhere else has been better than being around you. Being your constant source of disappointment.’
