Chapter 25
Lola and Mirabel had never lived together, but they’d been friends for nearly a decade and had crashed at each other’s flats on numerous occasions.
It was like old times, sitting cross-legged together on the bed – except they were in Fabs’s luxurious bedroom, which resembled a suite in a five-star hotel.
Mirabel’s eyes were red and puffy, her earlier joyful drunkenness extinguished, much like the promise of Lola’s passionate night with Rhys, which she was trying her hardest not to think about.
Lola took hold of Mirabel’s hands. Her diamond ring glinted in the lamplight. ‘It’s all going to be okay.’
‘You don’t know that.’
‘No, but it wouldn’t help things if I said “it really has all gone to shit” now, would it?’
Mirabel smiled, except it looked more like a grimace.
‘Giada’s in the best place right now, so try not to worry about something you have no control over.’
The huge windows framed the velvety black sea that glinted silver in the moonlight. Lola could make out the wooden jetty where she and Rhys had first chatted. It was hard to believe that had only been a week ago.
Lola turned back to Mirabel. ‘How long are you planning on living here once you move to Sardinia?’
‘For as little time as possible,’ Mirabel said, but then shook her head. ‘Forget I said that. Considering what’s happened to Giada, I don’t mean it like that.’
‘I get what you mean. Even if you have space here, you and Fabs need a place of your own.’
‘We need to find a place that’s right for us, that feels homely rather than ostentatious. It’ll be easier once we’re here and can look at places properly rather than online.’
‘You and Fabs don’t agree on what you both want?’
‘It’s not that; he’s in no rush, while I’m desperate to have our own space.’ She waved her hand towards the bedroom door, which Lola took to mean space away from Fabs’s parents.
‘She’ll be okay,’ Lola said again, softly this time. ‘It sounds as if everyone acted fast and the paramedics got here quickly. She’s in the best place right now.’
‘I keep thinking I added to her stress by running away, then getting Fabs to join me, leaving everyone in the lurch.’ Mirabel fisted the silk sheet, her face once again scrunching with worry.
‘ You aren’t the cause of Giada’s heart attack – even if that was what it was. We don’t know anything yet, apart from she’s okay and they’re running some tests.’
‘No news is good news, I suppose.’
‘Exactly.’ Lola squeezed Mirabel’s hands. ‘It’s really late and you’re getting married in thirty-six hours, so why don’t we try to get some sleep.’
Mirabel bit her lip and glanced at her phone, which was on the bedside table.
‘He’ll call if anything happens.’ Lola scrambled up the bed and plumped up the pillows. ‘Not that you need any beauty sleep, but being tired as well as hungover in the morning isn’t going to make you feel better about things.’
Lola slid under the covers on Fabs’s side of the bed, although her thoughts turned to Rhys on a sofa bed in the study.
With everything that had happened, she’d not had time to consider how far things would have gone between them.
Kiss for kiss, stroke for stroke, their passion had matched each other’s.
He’d captivated her completely, the abrupt stop leaving her desperate for more.
But not tonight, she told herself. Not tonight.
Mirabel got into bed next to her with a sigh. ‘Thanks for staying.’ She gave her a sideways glance. ‘I know this isn’t how you wanted your night to be, but I do appreciate it. It’s not that I can’t cope being on my own, it’s just everything’s got too much and I need my friend.’
‘Always.’
‘I’m going to miss you.’
Lola nodded and tried to swallow the sudden lump in her throat. ‘I’m going to miss you more.’
* * *
While Mirabel fell asleep almost instantly, it took a while for Lola to nod off.
Everything was changing; both her life back home and how she was feeling inside.
After staring at the mirror-black sea glistening in the moonlight for what seemed an age, she was tempted to message Rhys, but didn’t know what to say or what she wanted from him.
Eventually, she drifted off to the memory of Rhys gliding his hands up her body, warm and firm, and how surprisingly and wonderfully sexy he was.
Lola woke to Mirabel reading a message from Fabs, which said his mamma was fine and they’d all returned home in the early hours of the morning.
While Mirabel shot out of bed to go and find him, Lola showered, found a spare toothbrush, borrowed toothpaste and deodorant and got dressed again in the clothes she’d been wearing the day before.
She picked up her phone and messaged Rhys.
Are you up?
He replied immediately.
Yes, just spoken to Fabs. Going to find coffee. Want to join me?
Lola thumbed a quick reply.
Be down in five.
Lola finished drying her hair and borrowed some of Mirabel’s delicious-smelling hair product to scrunch it into waves.
Voices drifted up from downstairs, less panicked than when they’d arrived the night before, which boded well.
She followed the sounds through the sprawling villa to where most of the family were milling around in the main living area that opened onto the outdoor terrace shaded by olive trees.
She spotted Rhys clasping a cappuccino cup and talking to Fabs’s youngest sister. When he caught sight of her, his smile made her insides go squirmy and immediately filled her with the memory of bare skin and sensual kisses.
‘Morning,’ he said as he reached her.
‘How soon do you think we can get out of here?’ Lola whispered, nodding towards the gathered family.
He leaned in close, wafting a zingy cologne her way. ‘It does very much feel like we’re in the middle of a domestic.’ His breath was a mix of coffee and mint. ‘Mirabel’s okay though?’
Lola nodded. ‘Just about. Fabs?’
‘Shattered but mightily relieved his mamma didn’t have a heart attack.’ His arm brushed against her shoulder. ‘How about you?’
‘Tired, relieved, needing coffee and eager to change my clothes. You?’
‘Ditto.’ The way he grinned at her made her heart flip, and she realised her eagerness to get back to the villa was less about getting away from the family drama and more about having time alone with Rhys.
Not that there would be much chance of that with Polly, Deni’s husband Mark, and Jenny from the hen weekend and her husband arriving today.
Lola was about to say more when Fabs clamped his hands on their shoulders and steered them towards the terrace with its view across the pool to the jetty and the sea beyond. ‘Have breakfast with us before you head back.’
‘That answers your question,’ Rhys whispered once they’d sat down and Fabs had joined Mirabel on the other side of the table.
Lola didn’t know what breakfast with the family was usually like, but there was a subdued air this morning, although no raised voices or arguing.
A refreshing breakfast of fruit, yogurt and a honey-sweetened wholemeal bread was brought out by the chef, and Lola was grateful when a coffee was placed in front of her.
Mirabel’s parents, Felicity and Michael, were sitting across from her, their tiredness apparent in the yawn Mirabel’s dad failed to hide.
Giada and Lorenzo were the last to join them, Giada looking pale but otherwise her usual pristine self. Lola wouldn’t have believed she’d been in hospital for most of the night if she hadn’t known.
Giada remained standing at the head of the table. ‘I feel foolish.’ She spread her hands wide. ‘To disturb your sleep and all for nothing.’
Next to her, Fabs splayed his hands on the table. ‘It wasn’t nothing, Mamma.’
‘I’m with Fabs on that,’ Felicity said, gently adjusting the spoon and fork on her napkin. ‘You had the symptoms of a heart attack. That should never be ignored.’ She glanced at her husband. ‘If we’d ignored Michael’s symptoms we’d never have known he’d had a mini heart attack.’
Mirabel’s head shot up from her plate. ‘What heart attack?’
‘ Mini heart attack,’ her dad said pointedly. He flashed a warning look at his wife before turning back to Mirabel. ‘I had a little health blip at the beginning of the year. We didn’t want to worry you when you had so much going on with work, the wedding and planning the move.’
‘Something like that is exactly what you need to tell me.’ Although anger flared across Mirabel’s face, it was layered with concern. Fabs reached for her hand. ‘You start withholding things, then it’s only going to make me worry even more.’
‘I understand your parents not telling you,’ Giada said slowly, her eyes sliding along the table to Mirabel’s parents, who were sitting straight-backed, their hands clasped.
‘It is what we do as a mother, as a father, to protect our children, even if we do not always make the best choices. Or behave the way we should.’
Lola noticed quite a lot of shuffling in seats, particularly from Mirabel’s and Fabs’s closest family.
‘I did not have a heart attack, but bad – how you say in English? – acid…’
‘Acid reflux,’ Fabs said.
‘ Sì . Acid reflux. Heartburn. I had heartburn. We eat much, we drink, we argue, we have many late nights. We are all stressed. That is why I feel the way I did. It is clear I need to slow down, to take it easier, to be kind to myself. To everyone.’ She looked around the table again, her eyes pausing on Felicity and Michael, then Mirabel.
She clutched Fabs’s shoulder. ‘Tomorrow is Fabrizio and Mirabel’s wedding.
We have much to celebrate, but perhaps we take it a little quiet today. ’
‘I’ll second that!’ Michael raised his coffee cup and laughter trickled around the table.
With a flourish of her hand, Giada sat down. ‘Now, we eat.’
* * *
Giada’s thoughtful words and Felicity and Michael’s honesty over breakfast seemed to put an end to the animosity and power play between the parents.
Revived by coffee and food, Lola and Rhys were ferried across the bay to Villa Capparis, but any chance of spending time alone was snatched away the second they stepped inside.
Their friends pounced on them with a million questions about their overnight disappearance, and they were forced to catch them up about Mirabel running away and Giada’s health scare.
Eventually, Lola escaped to her room to get changed – although with Polly’s imminent arrival, it would soon be hers no longer.
The huge bed had been separated into two singles with chocolates left on the pillows.
Lola should have felt elated at shortly seeing her friend, at Giada being fine and Mirabel less stressed, yet niggling uncertainty was still burrowing into her.
Swept up in Mirabel’s drama and off her feet by Rhys, Lola’s own concerns had briefly been forgotten about.
Now her thoughts returned to the one person she didn’t want to think about.
When life felt as if it was back on track, that would be when he would strike.
She didn’t want to consider how closely he was keeping an eye on her.
At least here she was surrounded by people; it would be back in London when she’d be at her most vulnerable.
A knock on the door dragged her away from her spiralling thoughts. Sarah was standing in the doorway holding a bunch of flowers.
‘These just arrived for you.’ She raised an eyebrow and handed them to her.
The flowers were striking, but not in a good way. Yellow and mauve were Lola’s least favourite colours and she knew before she’d even opened the attached card who they were from.
A night away with your new bloke, eh? What was his name again? Rhys, that’s it. Rhys Strickland, lives in Bristol, teaches kids. He’s seriously your rebound choice? I do hope you were thinking about me the whole time. Forever yours, J
‘Do you have a secret admirer or are they from Rhys?’
Sarah’s words barely computed as Lola stared at the black-printed words. It was if he’d known her thought process.
Sarah plucked the card from her hand. Her chatter abruptly stopped as she read, then reread the card. Her head snapped back up to look at her. ‘What the hell, Lola?’