Jacob
and waving their phones in the direction of the skyline.
Who could blame them? Seeing the magnificence of the palace floating on the water was one thing, but set against the backdrop of the ruby-red and deep ochre sunset, it was breathtaking.
It looked as though the entire sky was set ablaze, a beautiful inferno; a fittingly dramatic exit for the majesty of the sun.
‘So.’ He leant in closer to Olivia, who had been equally as quiet. ‘Was it worth skipping those boring temples to come and see this?’
‘Definitely,’ she whispered, the smell of peanuts and sweet vanilla cake still heavy on her breath. ‘Was it worth doing all that running for?’
‘I don’t know. You’ve seen one sunset, you’ve seen them all, am I right?’
The joke came out before he could stop it, his humorous reflex kicking in automatically. If only he could take back his stupid comment and tell her honestly that it had been one of the best things he’d done for a very long time.
Olivia simply tutted and rolled her eyes, shifting her gaze back out on to the water, and Jacob knew the moment had passed.
For the rest of the journey the pair remained silent, Jacob watching Olivia, mesmerized at the sights before them.
Her eyes, so deeply blue in the daytime, had now become almost haunting in the darkness, and her skin glowed milky white in the moonlight.
He wasn’t sure which view was more beautiful, and for the briefest of seconds he had the overwhelming urge to reach out his hand to hers.
… the utterly selfish and careless human being that I know you to be.
His dad’s words came out of nowhere, a sucker punch to
the gut. Jacob snatched his hand into his lap and held it close to his body. What the hell was he doing? Who did he think he was? Some loveable rogue from a romance novel, sailing around at sunset with a pretty girl he could just reach for?
‘Are you all right?’ Olivia’s voice dragged him back to reality. ‘You look strange all of a sudden.’
‘Do I?’ He feigned surprise, slightly embarrassed that she’d been looking at him. ‘Probably just a little bit of seasickness, that’s all.’ He shuffled away from her, hoping physical space would help settle him.
‘Well, don’t worry, we’re nearly back on dry land.’
‘Good.’ He shifted another inch, his mind still spinning with thoughts. ‘That’s good.’
Less than ten minutes later, the boat pulled up at the jetty.
The moon was now at its full height in the sky, bringing with it a chorus of blinking stars and making the lake look even more enchanting.
With the last few flashes of cameras, the passengers began to disembark, both Olivia and Jacob moving in silence, maintaining a good distance between them.
‘Are you feeling any better?’ Olivia asked, as the pair finally touched down on solid ground.
‘A little.’
‘Whenever we felt nauseous growing up, my dad would give us ginger beer. I don’t know if it did anything, but it tasted good all the same!’
‘My dad would have probably given me a slap and told me to get on with it.’ The words tumbled out of his mouth, much to Olivia’s horror.
‘Would he really?’ She stopped walking.
Jacob tried to force a laugh but found he was too weary to muster it. ‘Yeah, he isn’t a very nice guy.’
‘I’m sorry.’ And the look on her face told him she was.
‘Thanks, but it’s OK. I’m just happy I didn’t turn out too badly, given he contributed to 50 per cent of my make-up.’
Olivia reached for him, her hand landing softly on the top of his arm.
‘I think you turned out great.’
The smile on her face made his stomach flip.
‘I mean, annoying and arrogant at times, but still great.’ She shrugged, releasing her hand and continuing to walk.
‘I think my charm must be rubbing off on you. That’s probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.’
‘That’s not true!’
‘It is!’ He grinned. ‘But I’m not complaining, I’ll take any compliment I can get. I don’t imagine you give them out lightly.’
‘Too right.’ She looked away shyly, as she so often did.
Silence fell over them again as they made their way through the slightly quieter streets. He didn’t know where they were headed, and he was sure she didn’t either, but the thought of bringing the evening to a close made a terrible sadness come over him.
‘You fancy getting some dinner? I think we could both do with a little more than a supermarket picnic for sustenance?’
Olivia looked at her watch, and instantly he knew what her answer would be.
‘I would love to, but I should be heading back. I have an early train tomorrow and I still need to pack.’
‘Ah, I see.’
Ask her to stay.
Just one more day.
No! You know you can’t.
‘And I couldn’t possibly persuade you to miss the train
and stay a couple of extra days?’ His inner world was screaming out in protest at his offer, but somehow, he managed to ignore the voices just a little longer. ‘You’re the best tour guide I’ve had. It would be a shame to have to explore the city without you.’
Even in the dark, he could see the depths of her blue eyes finding his. She opened her mouth and then closed it, a pained expression on her face. The seconds of quiet felt like they stretched out into days. He knew she was tempted, a battle raging on in her head, as much as it was in his own.
‘I can’t. I have to go.’
The flicker of hope in his heart snuffed itself out immediately as his voice of reason cheered in victory.
‘But I can send you my recommendations if you’d like?’ she added.
‘Sure.’ He couldn’t help but be touched by her offer. ‘It’s a poor substitute for your presence, but it will have to do.’
The pair remained frozen; neither one, it seemed, was quite ready to be the first to leave.
It’s over. Just say goodbye and go.
‘Well then.’ He clenched and unclenched his fists, swinging his arms by his side. ‘Until next time, Miss Jackson, I guess this is goodbye.’
‘I don’t know if we’ll be so lucky as to have another next time.’ Her voice was small and full of sorrow. It made his heart hurt to hear it.
‘You never know …’
He took a step towards her, closing the space so that they were toe to toe.
‘If you dare finish that sentence with anything about the universe, I will kill you,’ she teased.
They were so close now; he could feel her breath on his face, the heat from her skin pouring into his.
‘I don’t doubt that you would.’
‘I’m glad you take me seriously.’
‘I would be a fool not to.’
Stop! You have to stop right this second.
One more inch, that’s all it would take.
She deserves more.
Remember why she deserves more.
And with that, a switch was flicked, sending a series of images rushing through his brain. Engulfing him in memories, clouding his vision to the point where, for the briefest of moments, he thought he’d gone blind.
‘Jacob?’ Olivia’s voice centred him. ‘Is everything all right?’
‘I’m sorry.’ He pulled away, the moment shattering with one simple move. ‘I think I’m just tired.’ The excuse was feeble and flat, and it felt shameful to speak it out loud. ‘You should be getting back.’
He closed his eyes, unable to stand to see the look on her face as he bent down and planted the lightest of kisses on her cheek.
‘Goodnight, Olivia.’ He walked away without even so much as a backwards glance. His heart begged to turn, but his body marched onwards.