Chapter Twelve #2
Molly nodded, folding her manicured hands in her lap. “I know. I’m sorry.” The hush of the waves rolled in the distance before her voice softened. “I just didn’t know what to do.”
At the change of tone, Faye glanced at her, noting her pinched eyebrows, her bottom lip threatening to wobble. She looked away, following the zigzag path of an orange butterfly while she waited for Molly to continue.
“Have you ever woken up and felt like you couldn’t breathe?
” Molly asked. “Like you’re in someone else’s life and not your own?
Everything was wrong. I realised I was going into the final year of a degree I didn’t want, and I had no idea what I did want.
” She shot her a shy look. “You were included in that. So I quit. Everything. Overnight. Packed up and went back to my dad’s house.
I didn’t want to speak to anyone. I couldn’t.
I was too embarrassed. How could I talk about it when I didn’t really understand it myself? ”
Molly’s words hung in the air as Faye tried to process them. She understood how it felt to wake up and feel like her life wasn’t her own. Despite everything, she didn’t want Molly to be sad. She’d always assumed she’d just found somebody better than her.
“Assumptions can be very damaging.” Maybe Senhor Arenoso had a point.
The butterfly landed on a flower tangled around the pergola before fluttering away over the cliffside.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Mol. I wish you’d talked to me. Maybe I could’ve helped you through it, but…” She sighed. “I guess it doesn’t matter now. I do appreciate the apology, though.”
“It does matter.” Molly reached for her hand, and Faye flinched. “Don’t you think there’s a deeper meaning to this? I mean, what’re the chances of us being here at the same time?”
A slow swell of nausea rose in Faye’s throat. “What? What are you talking about?”
“Us, silly. Surely, this is a sign for us to try things again.”
She pulled her hand away. “I…er—I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
Faye’s mind fuzzed. A few months ago, she might’ve welcomed this reconciliation. Anything to feel like a real human who someone desired. But as she sat here with Molly, she knew it wasn’t what she wanted anymore.
“So much has happened since then, Molly. We can’t just jump back into things. As much as I appreciate your apology, it doesn’t change what happened.”
“Right. Yeah, of course.” Molly tucked her hands into her lap.
“Maybe we could try being friends, though?”
“Wow.” She scoffed. “Friends?”
“Why not?”
Molly huffed again. “And what, have little tea parties where we tell each other the latest gossip and braid each other’s hair?” Then a small smile crept onto her face, and she glanced at Faye.
Faye shrugged, feeling a grin on her lips as well. “Sounds good to me. If we throw some cupcakes in there.”
“Vanilla ones?”
“Oh, I don’t know, vanilla is quite, you know, vanilla.”
Molly really smiled then, revealing the cute gap between her teeth. “Then I take back what I said before. It must be the island doing crazy things to me.”
“Maybe it’s Princesa Inês Teresa writing you some poetry.
” Faye imagined the princess at the window of the belltower, calling out to them below.
She grinned, remembering Diana reciting Shakespeare, and how she’d glided around the ruins like she owned every stone.
She had the same presence in the bedroom.
Another flash of heat jolted through her, and she crossed her legs.
Molly scrunched her face like she’d just bit into a lemon. “Princess who?”
“From the…oh, never mind.” Faye bumped her shoulder with hers. “Really, though. How are things now?”
“I’m here, so about as good as I imagine you are.” She laughed, flipping curls behind her shoulder. “But now I don’t have the university stress, it’s a little better. I never liked law. I only did it because I thought it’d make my mum happy.”
The mention of her mum caught Faye’s attention. Molly had never spoken about her much, and Faye had only met her dad, Jason, the once, and he’d left a lot to be desired. He didn’t even look up from the TV to greet her because a football match was on.
“Have you seen your mum recently?” Faye asked. “I remember you didn’t speak with her a lot.”
Molly sighed. “She’s trying. That’s why we’re here. To work on our relationship and ‘give my life direction’.” She punctuated the words with her fingers and a roll of her eyes.
She’s here? Have I seen her already?
“Speak of the devil,” Molly muttered, casting a sideways glance as someone stepped into the courtyard.
Faye looked up, locking eyes with Diana. She had her hands tucked into the pockets of a mint-green playsuit, the hint of a smile playing on her lips.
What…?
Faye glanced around the stone paving, the fountain, the steps, hoping to see someone else—anyone else—but when she came up empty, her gut twisted.
Diana’s gaze passed between them, curious, before she decided to approach, that flirty swish in her step.
No. This isn’t happening. Nausea tumbled in Faye’s gut, dipping and diving and threatening to erupt. It can’t be her. All the colour drained from her face when Diana stood in front of them. If Faye weren’t already seated, she would’ve passed out.
“Hey, Mum,” Molly said, casually. “Wanna walk there together?”