Chapter 28 #2
Vicky turned to the people ranged in front of her.
In the short time she’d been here, they’d become her crew.
People she cared deeply about and who cared about her.
She didn’t want to think too much about how deeply she cared about Alex.
She certainly wasn’t looking for a relationship, and seeing Ian again had brought it home to her what a lottery the whole thing was.
Best to just stay friends with Alex. Not that her body seemed to understand the concept of friendship.
Maybe friends with occasional benefits would work, but nothing more.
‘Thank you all so much. Sorry you had to see that.’
Seamus blew her a kiss, and Maeve stepped forward and enveloped her in a hug.
‘Come in for a cuppa, love. You need to sit down.’
Vicky nodded.
Aoife also came forward and reached up to hug her.
‘You were so brave. And you’ve helped me more than you’ll ever know. I’m so pleased you’re staying.’
The tears were threatening, but she still had to thank Alex for taking a stand.
Their eyes met over Aoife’s head, and her stomach turned over.
She mouthed the words ‘thank you’, but he waved it away.
‘I’ve got to get back to a sick hedgehog. I’ll see you tonight as planned.’
Suzie paced the flat for the umpteenth time but still jumped at the noise of the doorbell.
Christian was on time for once. She’d prepared a little speech in her head, wishing him well for the tour.
She just had to get through the next few minutes, share a quick drink, harden her broken heart against him, and then she could get back to normal.
The bedroom door was firmly shut, so he didn’t get any ideas, and her plan was to whisk him straight out onto the balcony.
His panting at the door after climbing the stairs was uncomfortably reminiscent of last night, and she hurried him in. He’d come armed with a bottle of Limoncello. She hoped he didn’t think it was some sort of magic elixir that would have her knickers off in seconds.
‘You didn’t finish yours last night, so I’ve brought you some more.’
‘Thanks. Shall we take our drinks out onto the balcony?’
He seemed in no hurry to move, casting his eye around every corner of the flat.
‘Nice place you’ve got here.’
Suzie sloshed some ice into two glasses, poured generous measures of Limoncello on top, grabbed a packet of peanuts and loaded a tray before replying.
‘Wait till you see the view from the balcony.’
‘You certainly seem very keen on me seeing it.’
Suzie ignored his comment and opened the French doors.
The view did shut him up for a couple of moments, as they took their seats side by side and sipped their drinks.
‘OK, Top Trumps to you. This is spectacular.’
‘Do people still say that?’
‘Not sure. But we still do.’
It hit her again that there wasn’t going to be any ‘we’ once he went off on his travels.
‘Great news about the tour.’
Christian turned towards her. ‘Is it?’
Her heart hammered in her chest. ‘Don’t you want to go?’
‘I’ve not agreed to anything yet. It was only a preliminary chat.’
‘I see.’
His eyes met hers, and she was powerless to look away.
‘I want to stay more, much more, than I want to go… But only if you want me to.’
‘What do you mean? What’s it got to do with me?’
His blue eyes were hypnotic.
‘Suze. I have absolutely no interest in going on tour. I’ve already turned it down. I was trying to smoke you out. Do you seriously think I’d let you go, now I’ve found you again after all these years?’
‘I don’t know…’
‘Why do you think I agreed to go to Athens in the first place? All that way for one night?’
Suzie shook her head.
‘Because I knew damned well that you’d be there. I’d seen your name on the bill, and I asked Frank to keep my appearance a secret because I didn’t want to scare you off. Of course, all that cloak-and-dagger stuff appealed to his weird side.’
She could scarcely believe what she was hearing.
‘Yes, it would do.’
‘As soon as I saw you, all the old feelings came rushing back, feelings that had never gone away, feelings I’d had to push deep down…’
Suzie held her breath.
‘I never expected to find that I had a son I knew nothing about. A son we’d created together out of love.
I was angry at first, bloody angry, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised you were right.
It would never have worked out back then.
We both had to do what we had to do to get to this point. ’
Suzie let the breath out bit by bit as he reached for her hand.
‘I love you, Suzie Sessions. I always have, and I always will. Other people may have passed through my life, but it was never the same with anyone else. Hand on heart, it’s always been you for me.’
The silence that fell was sudden and deep. It was what she’d wanted to hear since the moment she’d seen him standing at the side of the stage, terrified that he’d never forgive her for keeping his son away from him. But could she trust him now? Had he really changed that much?
‘Suze. Don’t leave me hanging.’
‘Can I ask one question?’
Christian sighed.
‘Of course. This guy’s just cut out his heart and laid it on the table for you but ask anyway.’
‘Can you promise me that it’s not just because you’ve acquired a son and a future grandchild that you’re so keen to stay?’
She watched his hands curl into fists.
‘For Christ’s sake, Suze. What do you want me to do to prove how much I love you?
Of course, finding Gianni is a fantastic bonus, the best, but it’s you I came for, and you alone.
You are more than enough for me. Please, let’s not waste a moment of the time we have left on this planet…
I want us to be together, to build a life together, the life we could have had if we’d been a bit older and wiser, and I want to do it right here on this gorgeous island, as long as you feel the same. ’
The hopeful expression on his face was the final straw. The tears rushed into her eyes, and she nodded once.
‘What was that?’
He was smiling at her, that delicious smile that promised so much.
‘Yes, OK, I love you too. Always have, always will. You’ve forced a confession out of me.’
Christian picked her up and swung her around, pulling her close to kiss her thoroughly.
‘At long bloody last.’
He walked her back into the flat, still in his arms, and picked up the Limoncello bottle on the way through.
‘Am I right in thinking this door leads to the bedroom?’
Suzie nodded, unable to keep the grin off her face.
Alex had asked Vicky to meet him at nine in the sanctuary car park, and prepare for a trip to the beach, which had confused her. The poisoner had been caught and dealt with, so it couldn’t be anything to do with that.
He was waiting for her, as usual. There was a full moon tonight, so she could see his long, slim body clearly, leaning against a tree.
They’d not spent any real one-on-one time together since the night that Bruce had died, and she didn’t know what she was hoping for from the meeting.
He’d been extremely helpful earlier in the day with Ian, making it virtually impossible for her ex-husband to come back to the island.
But Alex could have just been doing what he’d do for any colleague.
Maybe he wanted to have a go at her about investing in the sanctuary and not telling him, as Angeliki had mentioned how shocked he was. But there was no point in her usual catastrophising; she’d find out soon enough.
‘Where are we going then?’
‘It’s a surprise.’
‘I’m not big on surprises, especially after today…’
‘This, I assure you, is a nice surprise. Follow me.’
She’d just have to trust him. He hadn’t let her down yet. That was a surprise in itself. Being let down by men, or rather one man in particular, was something she’d got far too used to.
Dropping down from the headland to the beach, Alex used his torch to search the sand for something, although they could see quite well by moonlight.
Eventually he beckoned to her to sit down and pulled out a rug from his backpack, along with a Thermos and some pieces of her favourite spanakópita.
He passed her a cup, which she was pleased to find contained wine, not coffee, rosé in fact.
She seriously needed a drink after the day she’d had.
He poured water for himself. The fact that he’d brought drink along to the picnic showed he was making a major effort to please her. It gave her a warm feeling.
‘Yamás!’
‘Yamás!’
They ate and drank in silence for a while, until Alex spoke again, a puzzling excitement in his voice.
‘Now, watch the shoreline carefully. Any moment…’
Vicky focused on the beach in front of her. Maybe her eyes were tired, because it had started rippling. Very slowly, little scaly heads were emerging from holes in the sand, followed by squirming bodies, all making for the sea.
Alex took her hand and guided her forward so she could see better.
‘They’re sea turtles, or thalássies chelónes as we say in Greece. They hatch in the evening or overnight when it’s cooler, and there are fewer predators around. I got the word from some conservationists earlier today that the process had started on this beach.’
More and more sea turtles came out from their hiding places and started their epic journeys to the sea. Vicky was moved to tears by the little creatures and their fight to get to the water.
‘They’re gorgeous. So tiny and cute.’
He still had hold of her hand.