Chapter 33
I couldn’t work out what the expression was on his face. Yes, he seemed sad. But why? Because I’d turned up and found him out? Because his double life was going to come out in the wash? Because Makis had told me the truth?
I went back to the restaurant and ordered myself a stiff brandy. It felt like the couple who I’d spoken to earlier had seen the exchange between us and decided not to make small talk. Thanassis came over and placed the brandy on the table and whispered, ‘On the house.’
As I sipped at the drink, he and his wife Callie seemed to be watching me from behind the bar. Eventually she came over with another.
‘Want to talk?’ she asked.
I shook my head. ‘Thank you, but no.’
‘I understand. But if you change your mind I’m right here.’ She placed her hand on my shoulder as she walked away, and it was her kind gesture that unfolded me. I slumped down in my seat and I silently cried as my heart broke.
Eventually, when the tears subsided and I could see once more, and had pondered every situation possible while nursing my drink, I reached for my phone to see what the time was.
It had been an agonising two and a half hours since he’d walked away and I’d expected to maybe see that he’d messaged me.
As I glanced down at the screen, my heart fell. Nothing.
Was I supposed to just wait here indefinitely? What if his mother really had taken a turn for the worse and he couldn’t leave? Should I look for the bed and breakfast that Makis had given me the details of?
I fired off a message to Makis. Perhaps he’d be able to shed more light on the situation.
Hi, not sure what’s going on here, but I arrived and found Demetri!
He replied immediately.
And?
And he was with Katrina!
This time there was no response straight away. Three little dots appeared several times and a good few minutes had passed before the next message from him came through.
Oh!
Oh indeed! And Athena was there too.
Oh!
His reply to that particular message got my brain in a complete tizzy.
He clearly knew all about Athena. I shook my head in disbelief and anger began to build rapidly within.
Had everyone been keeping all this important information from me?
Had they both been hiding the truth? I had confided in Makis about my feelings for Demetri.
He even gave me advice and helped me to get to Amarissa.
All the while, he knew his brother’s secret and didn’t tell me. I was furious!
What is going on, Makis? He’s had to dash off and has asked me to wait. I don’t know why I came. He’s been lying to me all along.
What are you going to do?
I don’t know. I don’t see what staying will do but how do I get back? I’m going to be stuck here on this island.
The ferry leaves at 6pm. If you leave now, you could catch it and get back to Rhodes. Once you are there, you could get a hotel and a flight to Cornwall tomorrow.
I glanced at my watch. It was 5 p.m. My heart started to race again.
I thought the ferry was only once a week.
It is, but the day it comes in, it leaves again on the same night.
I was already on my feet, reading his messages.
I looked at my watch. The walk here earlier took me around twenty-five minutes.
The walk back would be all uphill and that would be a jaunt in itself without even considering the luggage I’d be dragging with me.
I’d have to set off now if I was likely to make it.
I waved to Callie for the bill and she came over and shook her head, to say they were on the house.
‘You needed those drinks. Can I get you anything else?’
I scoffed. ‘Ha, how about a lift?’
She smiled. ‘Where to?’
‘The ferry?’
‘Come on then.’
‘Really?’ I asked. ‘I was only joking.’
‘You won’t have been joking by the time you climbed up to the top of that hill with your wheelie case, lady. Let me go and bring the car round. I’ll have you there in less than ten minutes.’
‘You are very kind, Callie. Thank you.’
‘It’s nothing.’
‘It’s very much not nothing.’ I put my hand on the door handle when she uttered her next words.
‘He’s a good man, you know!’
‘Who?’ I asked, stalling for time, knowing exactly who she was talking about and wondering what she knew.
‘Demetri.’
‘Oh.’
‘He’s done such a lot for that little girl. He’s been such a good father to her. He’s been good to Katrina too.’
Had I made a fool of myself in front of everyone on this island?
I hated the idea that everyone thought I was the stupid, gullible idiot that followed someone she thought loved her halfway across the world, not knowing that he had a perfectly formed family.
My thoughts were darting all over the place.
Had I been ignoring any signs? Had Demetri given me any indication that he had a daughter in all the time we’d been together?
Had Makis alluded to it? I didn’t think they had but I couldn’t be sure.
I took a deep breath. I had an opportunity to have the truth from someone who clearly knew the family.
I wondered if I should lay my cards out on the table in front of Callie.
Tell her everything. Woman to woman. But she would be biased, because she knew them and knew nothing about me and our history.
I needed to work it all out in my own head.
For myself. I’d been looking after myself for years and this was just one more thing that made me realise that I could only ever rely on myself.
I needed to get away from this island as quickly as I possibly could.
Get away from this disaster. Trying to hold it together, and not crumble in front of Callie, I pulled back my shoulders and took another deep breath.
‘Thank you for the lift. I appreciate it very much. You are very kind.’
Callie gave a faint smile.
‘I hope you come back one day, my dear,’ she whispered. ‘Once you’ve been to Amarissa it has a habit of having a very special place in your heart.’
‘Yeah, but hearts get broken, Callie. People take them and they lull you into a false sense of security. They lure you in and you let them do it.’
‘They do,’ she agreed. ‘Love is hard and messy and complicated and there’s a lot of different ways to love someone. All I will say to you is that you shouldn’t always believe all that you think you see. Sometimes it’s all just an illusion.’
‘Yeah, I understand that, but when you see something and then someone else confirms what you see and there’s no possible explanation for it, then hearts get broken.
Hearts are so delicate, as if they are made from the finest of glass.
Then the very same person who encouraged you to open yours up and love them, hand your heart to them on a plate, comes along and smashes it apart with a sledgehammer.
And you’re back to square one again. You’re better off on your own.
I was right all along. Thank you for your kindness, Callie.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget this day. ’
I gave her a smile that didn’t reach anywhere near my eyes as I got out of the car and headed to the ferry. I had no more words.
* * *
As I sat on the upper deck of the ferry back to Rhodes, I sent a message to Makis to say that I’d made the crossing in time and that I’d speak to him soon.
Then I turned my phone off. I was absolutely gutted and annoyed with both of the brothers.
I couldn’t believe that it was only me who didn’t know that Demetri was a father. What a fool I’d been.