One Greek Summer Wedding

Chapter 37

It was barely the afternoon, but Cara had chosen this traditional-looking bar and ordered a glass of white wine. It was cool inside, apparently a former butcher’s shop. What was she going to do? What was she even doing here in Santorini being some kind of stooge in whatever situation Margot decided to concoct? And, once again, her aunt had signed her up for something she knew she found terrifying, something she had only just begun slightly testing the water with again.

She took a sip of the drink and let the cool fruitiness attempt to soothe her. It was then that her phone began to ring.

She looked at the name on the screen. Whimsy. It was her mum. And yes, pathetically, she had updated the contact to a name that wasn’t the new name she said she was now called… She watched as the call continued to ring until it rung out. She couldn’t handle talking to her now. It wasn’t like her mother had been the person to confide in when things were going wrong before. As soon as Moldova happened, Wissy and Nettlewood had got on a plane to Bolivia.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Perhaps her parents had assumed at the time that Seb was going to be there for her. That’s what you would imagine a fiancé would do, wasn’t it? Be the one to wipe tears, lick wounds and bolster confidence. And, when the opposite had happened, when they’d already connected with fellow planet-saving enthusiasts, it was too late to jet back. And Margot had picked up the slack. A lot of slack. But did that mean she should be forever indebted? Always ready to do something she felt uncomfortable with because she owed her?

As if sensing her thoughts, her phone began to ring again. This time it was Margot. No doubt ready to give her some kind of pep talk. She wasn’t going to answer that call either. She was in this bar on her own, in Santorini and she didn’t want to talk to anyone.

Except, then Akis came to mind.

She had never sent him that text. But then he hadn’t texted her either. When he had dropped her at the hotel after they had sung together, they hadn’t arranged a firm time to meet again. She had assumed it wouldn’t be a one-time thing, but had he? And why was she thinking about Akis so hard when an imminent concert was on her horizon? That was unless she went full-on head-to-head with Margot.

She picked up her phone and scrolled to his contact. Maybe she could…

Suddenly, ice flowed through her veins as the sound that haunted her broke into the easy vibe of the bar. Barking. Loud. Ferocious even. She slid, slipped, possibly fell from her stool and within seconds was backing up against a stone wall. The dog wasn’t on a lead. It was in the bar. Marauding. And she was shaking. Terrified. Half of her needing to keep a view on its trajectory, the other half wanting to face the wall, close her eyes and pray.

‘Cara!’

Someone was calling her. It sounded like… As the barking ripped through the air again, she sank to the floor, lungs bursting, breath stalling.

‘Cara!’

Hearing her name for the second time she realised the voice was coming from the phone in her hand. Somehow Akis was on the line and she didn’t know what to do apart from draw her knees up to her chest and try to make herself as small as possible.

‘Cara, put me on speakerphone.’

The dog was bouncing around, jumping up excitedly at tables where other people seemed to find it endearing, patting its head, encouraging its presence…

Her thumb hit the icon on the screen.

‘Akis…’

‘Cara, listen to me, where are you in Santorini? What place?’

‘There’s… a dog. It’s real. Can you hear it?’

‘Yes, I can hear it. Now, listen to me. Remember what I said to you about people only seeing you if you let them?’

Her brain felt like someone had put it in a pan and was frying it like eggs. She couldn’t focus.

‘Listen to my voice,’ Akis continued. ‘Listen only to my voice. Breathe. Think of somewhere else, somewhere safe.’

Somewhere safe? She tried to find her breath, tried to tap into her rational thoughts. Where did she feel safe? She closed her eyes and drew on the memory.

‘Everything is OK,’ Akis told her. ‘You’re safe. No one can see you. Nothing can hurt you.’

She leaned hard into her memory, settled against it, let it whirl around her, enveloping her softly, easing into her conscience, erasing the fight or flight response. She could feel her heartbeat again, slowing, not pumping so furiously in her neck. Everything was quieter again.

‘You are OK,’ Akis said softly.

‘I’m OK,’ Cara murmured. The hum of a motorbike engine purred in her ear.

‘The place, Cara, where you are in Santorini.’

‘Oia,’ Cara breathed almost on reflex.

‘I’ll find you,’ Akis said firmly. ‘I’m coming.’