Chapter 20
WE FOLLOW BILL through the slippery tunnels and walkways of the caves where Clementine and Alexander were forced to hide for weeks while they were hunted because of Alexander’s criminal dealings.
The cave is also where they first have sex.
Talk about steamy. And awkward because I was sitting on the couch with my parents when I first watched it.
Dad was so uncomfortable that he kept talking throughout the scene and then eventually got up to make a cup of tea and never returned.
‘Rhinoceros bones, mammoth, lion,’ Bill says as Uncle Max questions him about archaeological findings in the cave. ‘The Celts of the Iron Age used these caves as a burial site. And bones were discovered in that chamber we just passed that are rumoured to belong to a witch.’
‘A witch?’ Amelia’s squeal echoes around the domed chamber Bill leads us into.
I tip my head back and move in a slow circle, my eyes raking over every beautiful inch of the cave.
Stalagmites jut up from the cave floor like sharp talons, stretching towards the stalactites that hang from the ceiling of the dome.
They glisten with water droplets in an eerie way, like the cave is baring its teeth.
There are places where they meet and form a complete column.
‘Those are called stalagmites. And the ones up there are stalactites,’ Uncle Max explains to Amelia.
‘They’re made of limestone,’ he says and then launches into what I know is a well-rehearsed explanation of how the shells of sea creatures became the hardened rock of the cave. Dad hangs on his every word.
Aunt Carol, decked out in a Mr Bean T-shirt, grips Mum’s hand and leads her over to edge of the stream.
‘Look, Dianne, this is where Clementine stood when Alexander made the fire: even though she was furious at him, she couldn’t take her eyes off him, remember.
And then she reached out and brushed her fingers over the back of his neck because she simply had to touch him. ’
I swallow. Hard. That was totally nothing like this morning when I touched Adam while he slept. I swallow again. That was completely different.
‘Yes,’ Mum breathes and clutches at her chest. Reese jumps to attention.
‘It was so romantic,’ Mum continues.
Accepting that the clutch was a response to how romantic the scene was and not chest pain, Reese slinks back to Amelia’s side.
Amelia is still rattled by the mention of the witch.
Someone should’ve given Bill the heads up that my niece and witches do not mix.
The poor girl can’t even watch The Wizard of Oz.
‘Now, who can tell me why Alexander went from beloved to loathed in this cave?’ Bill asks. His deep growly voice was made for the acoustics in here.
Aunt Carol thrusts her arm into the air, her fingers wriggling like she’s trying to catch something. Mum’s arm is a fraction of a second behind and that delay will eat at her, I know it.
Gabi huffs. ‘You don’t need to raise your hand,’ she mutters.
Bill tips his hat to Aunt Carol.
‘Clementine told Alexander she loved him and he didn’t say it back,’ she says. ‘And when it was safe to leave the caves, Clementine knew she couldn’t be with him anymore, and then she met Charles.’
‘Correct.’
Aunt Carol puffs out her chest.
‘Now, the secret I teased is about that very moment,’ Bill says. ‘Any guesses?’
Mum and Aunt Carol shake their heads as they close in on Bill, the two of them like eager children on an Easter egg hunt. If Bill’s secret is a flop, blood may be spilt.
‘Alexander was supposed to say it back. It was in the script.’
Mum and Aunt Carol gasp and clutch at each other’s arms as though they need the other’s support to stay upright, and then pounce on Bill for the details.
Adam, who is still ignoring me, has wandered away from the group and squats over the stream, trailing a hand through the water.
Natalia swoops on him like a zealous magpie. ‘Are you doing research for your book?’ Her bubbly voice echoes off the cave walls. He stands up, and her hand rests on his back as she leans towards the water.
He must respond because she laughs, and if her voice bounced off the walls, her laugh makes them pulse. While I get lectures about speaking up, he’s a freaking joke factory with her.
A tendril of jealousy flares in my stomach as her hand remains on his back.
He walks over to the right, examining the plaque on the cave wall.
She waits a beat and then follows. There’s not enough room for her to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him so she stands just behind him, rising on her toes and leaning in to read the plaque, her perky breasts far too close to his back.
I allow myself a moment to wonder where she bought her push-up bra before the annoyance at her boldness forces all thoughts of lingerie shopping from my mind.
Is Tommy seeing this? Nope. Tommy is scrolling on his phone and paying zero attention to his girlfriend being inappropriate with my b—with Adam.
I cross my arms, jaw tensing as her breasts remain mere millimetres from him, and I have this sudden urge to run in and fling her across the cave. My feet start to move, but then my brain catches up and I stop.
He’s not my boyfriend. I don’t want him to be my boyfriend or think I’m jealous.
Adam turns, his arm connecting with her chest and he jolts like he’s just touched a live wire. Taking a huge step away from her, his eyes dart in my direction. I spin around and scurry back to Amelia and Riley.
‘Would this be a good location for the movie?’ Natalia’s words echo around the cave. Is it just me or has her voice suddenly taken on the sultriness of a 1940s movie star?
‘There isn’t a cave in the book,’ Adam says.
I feel his gaze prickling my skin. ‘Look at this,’ I say and point at the ground.
‘What is it?’ Amelia bends over to look at the rock, but Riley wanders off and plonks herself down on the ground as far away from the rest of us as she can get. ‘What is it?’ Amelia asks again.
I nudge my shoe against the rock. ‘Sorry, I thought I saw a…uh…a lizard.’ I glance back over to Adam and Natalia and find him watching me, clearly amused by my pathetic attempt at pretending I don’t care about Natalia.
‘Adam, I started reading The Sleeping Bones last night,’ Reese says. ‘I just chose it for our book club and the women are so excited about it. Maybe you can do a virtual call with us when we get together to chat about it.’
Adam remains silent.
‘We’ll work around your schedule,’ Reese continues, oblivious to how uncomfortable he is.
‘You’ve just given me an idea.’ Natalia claps a hand around Adam’s wrist, her red nails vibrant against his pale skin. ‘What if I do a read-along of The Sleeping Bones with my followers and get you on for live discussions? Oh my gosh, I love it,’ she says, practically squealing.
Adam looks like he’s about five seconds away from hightailing it out of this cave and never returning.
Reese puts a hand on Adam’s shoulder and turns him away from Natalia.
‘I have a question about the chapter I read last night. When Damon was talking to Kenny and he said that thing about not being able to escape your past when you drag it everywhere with you, was that about his past or Kenny’s?
No, wait, don’t tell me. I want to be surprised.
’ She shakes her head with a wide grin. ‘I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to pick it up.
Although’—she leans in closer to him and glances over at me—‘I have to admit that it was Sabrina who got me to read it.’
Huh? I never told her to read it. Adam must think the same thing because his eyebrows dart up as he glances my way again.
‘I’m usually more of a romantic comedy kind of girl. Sabrina and I have that in common,’ she adds with a wink at me. ‘She’s actually passed on some of your recommendations to me and they’ve been so good.’
His eyebrows rise even higher and I want to dig myself a giant hole. Now he knows that I’ve passed on book recommendations to Reese and told her that they were from him. That my little white lie about having a boyfriend has had a lot of follow through.
Reese stays beside him, asking questions and offering her thoughts on what she’s read so far. She talks so much that Natalia grows bored and returns to Tommy.
‘You’re a stronger woman than I am,’ Reese whispers to me as we head back to the bus, umbrellas shielding us from the downpour. ‘If Natalia was cosying up to Gabi like she was with Adam I would’ve marched on over there and yanked her off.’
‘Is that why you attached yourself to his hip?’
‘Of course. And I’ll keep doing it. Don’t you worry, I’ve got my eye on her.’
‘I’m not worried,’ I mutter. But if I’m not then why did I want to launch myself across the cave and throw myself between them?
‘He doesn’t seem to like talking about his books, does he? If I’d written something that became a huge hit I wouldn’t shut up about it.’
I’ve noticed that about him too. I have no idea why he’s not shouting his success from the rooftop, telling everyone who he is and what he’s accomplished. But getting anything out of him about it is like pulling teeth.
‘Is he always like that or is it because he’s meeting the family?’
‘He’s just really humble. And shy,’ I throw in because I have no idea.
Reese nods, accepting my answer.