Chapter 45
45
The house still looks alive, as the taxi drops me outside. It’s late – the early a.m. – and the night before the wedding, so I’m surprised to see that all of the lights are still on.
The gravel path crunches beneath my feet, as I head for the front door, but I can see Bea on her phone in the hallway, so I decide to slink around the back instead, and head in through the back door.
Of course, once I’m around there, I realise that the large sliding doors are wide open, and the grown-ups are hanging out in there, drinking and chatting. Now there’s a group of people I don’t want to hang around with right now.
I suppose a bit of air might do me good. I could walk through the garden, down to the beach, maybe dip my feet in the sea and try to wash away my stress.
As I walk through the multilevel, perfectly manicured garden, something catches my eye by the pool – or rather, someone catches my eye. It’s Ethan.
‘Hello, you,’ I say cheerily as I approach him.
He’s lying on a sunlounger – not that there’s any sun – with his hands behind his head.
‘What are you doing here?’ I ask.
‘Just vibing,’ he says with a smile.
He looks and sounds about as drunk as I am – enough to feel it, but still sober enough to feel everything else.
‘Are the others still out partying?’ I ask.
‘No, they’ve both gone to bed,’ he tells me. ‘Posh boys can’t handle their drink.’
I laugh as I linger next to him.
‘Thanks for taking them out,’ I tell him. ‘And for encouraging me to take Seph out. I can confirm: posh girls can handle their drink.’
‘I know – I’ve seen you drink,’ he says with a smile.
‘Oi, I’m not a posh girl,’ I insist.
He looks me up and down and smiles.
‘No, you’re nothing like your family,’ he says. ‘And I mean that in the best possible way of course.’
‘Don’t worry, it’s music to my ears,’ I reply.
‘Although an earl does seem like the kind of bloke you should end up with,’ he adds, revealing what’s really on his mind.
‘Is that really what you want for me?’ I ask.
‘I just want you to be happy,’ he replies.
I chew my lip for a second or two.
‘What if I could be happy with you?’ I say. ‘What about that?’
He smiles ever so subtly as he stands up, walking over to me.
‘I thought you said we were cursed,’ he reminds me.
I don’t say a word. I just beckon him closer with my finger – alcohol is great for stuff like this.
He stops in front of me, his lips just inches from mine, so close I can almost remember what they feel like.
‘I don’t care about curses tonight,’ I tell him, my voice breathy and hopefully inviting.
A cough drags us out of our moment. It sounds like it came from one of the balconies, maybe.
‘Quick, let’s go in here,’ Ethan suggests, opening the door to the pool house.
He takes me by the hand and pulls me inside with him, closing the door behind us.
Finally safe inside, hearing nothing but the sound of my heart beating in my ears, I look around.
The room is all decked out for the wedding ceremony tomorrow. Ceremony here, and then the reception in a marquee in the garden. Rich people, I swear, they have the money to get anywhere and then do it at home – although I guess they do have very nice homes.
Rows of chairs are lined up neatly, ready for the ceremony. Everything is covered with ribbons (black or white, of course) – I’ve just realised we’re technically walking down the aisle.
‘I thought this place was locked,’ I say.
‘It was,’ he replies. ‘I got the key, to get a cushion out of the storeroom, for one of the sunloungers. I was thinking I might sleep outside tonight.’
‘Don’t you want to sleep with me?’ I ask him.
For a second or two nothing happens and then, all at once, it’s like the starter pistol has been fired. Our bodies snap together. We kiss for a few seconds before I leap into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist. Ethan drops to the floor – in what I think was supposed to be a controlled way – but we knock over a bunch of chairs in the process.
‘I’ll stand those back up, I swear,’ he mumbles, his words almost inaudible as I pepper his lips with kisses.
Now that we’ve started, it’s impossible to stop. It’s for the best though, that we’re reuniting out here.
Down in the garden, in the dark pool house, with the ocean roaring nearby, it’s sort of like a horror movie: no one can hear you scream.