Chapter 51
Cara knew immediately that something was wrong. The second she spotted Akis coming back into the room she could see his whole demeanour was off. Gone was the brightness of his eyes, the pride in his expression from when she had sung her heart out. She was walking towards him before she even knew her legs were moving, not seeing or hearing anything else on this party boat.
‘What’s happened?’ she asked him.
She watched him swallow, saw concern tear across his features. ‘It’s nothing. Everything is fine. You need to carry on enjoying the party, people will want to speak with you.’
‘Akis, I’m not stupid,’ Cara said. ‘Tell me the truth.’
He sighed. ‘It’s my yiayia. Anastasia called. She is… not very well.’
He took a breath and Cara knew it was much, much worse than he was letting on.
‘We need to go,’ she said immediately.
‘I need to go,’ he replied. ‘Horatio is arranging for someone to get the boat to get me off this boat.’
‘What’s going on? What is the Horror arranging?’ Margot had appeared at Cara’s shoulder.
‘Akis needs to go,’ Cara said. ‘Irini is sick.’
‘It’s probably living in close proximity to that vile donkey,’ Margot said.
‘No,’ Cara said firmly. ‘She’s very sick, Margot.’ She did her best with her expression to make it clear that this was not a joking matter.
‘Right,’ Margot stated. ‘Completely understood. No time to waste. So, where’s your little friend gone?’
Akis sighed. ‘To call for the boat to take us back to shore and then we can get a taxi to the airport and see how quickly we can get back to Athens and on to Corfu.’
Cara could see it written in his expression. This trip to Santorini he had made for her could be the reason that he wasn’t going to see his grandmother in her far more important time of need. She had never felt more guilty. All these sacrifices he was making, for her, for his family…
‘Oh no,’ Margot said in her furiously determined tone. ‘That will take far too long, won’t it?’ She put a hand on Cara’s arm. ‘Call our apartments. Get them to gather our things.’
‘What?’ Cara asked.
‘I will find the Horror and then I will fix us all transportation.’ With that said, Margot went speeding across the deck looking like she was on a mission.
‘I do not know what to do,’ Akis admitted, his hands in his hair.
‘Listen,’ Cara said. ‘It’s going to be OK. If Margot says she’s going to fix us transportation that’s exactly what she’s going to do. And there’s no question, we’re coming back with you.’
Akis reached for her hand, entwining their fingers and Cara held on tight, knowing he needed the comfort and wanting to give that to him.
‘She was the only one, you know, that understood how the family can be. The oldest generation are usually stuck in their traditions yet she listened to me, she understood that times change and?—’
He stopped talking, as if trying to settle himself with what was happening yet still very much trying not to panic.
‘Akis, she’s still here and everything will be OK,’ Cara told him.
‘But, what if it’s not?’
‘Whatever happens,’ Cara said seriously. ‘I’m going to be right there beside you, OK? Exactly like you’ve been for me since the minute we met.’ She squeezed his hand.
‘OK,’ he said. Then a little bolder, more convincing. ‘OK.’
‘Right,’ Margot said, bustling back into the space. ‘We need to go up to the upper deck for our ride.’
‘What?’ Cara asked. ‘But what about the tender to shore?’
‘We aren’t going to be needing that,’ Margot said. ‘We’re taking the helicopter.’