Chapter Twenty #2
‘No worries.’ They sat down, their shoulders brushing against each other.
Ellie crossed her legs beneath her maxi and sipped her rum punch, staring blankly out into darkness and enjoying the sounds of the surf.
The stars and torches cast glittering shadows on the cresting waves, and a few faint lights shone in the distance from the surrounding islands.
‘I’ve never been anywhere as beautiful as this.’
‘It’s nicer in the daylight.’
‘Maybe, but you see the true heart of a place at night, and this really is paradise.’
They sat in companionable silence for a while until the quiet darkness gave her the confidence to speak.
‘How do you want to play it, this week? If you want to avoid them like the plague, I don’t mind, but we’d probably need a plan of action. It’s a small island.’
‘I’m ashamed of how I acted earlier. I shouldn’t have made you worry like that. I think I just needed to get some of that bitterness off my chest, you know? It drives me crazy that they keep pretending like nothing happened, but I guess they just want to move on, and I should do the same.’
‘Hmmm.’ She wasn’t convinced. If anything it made her worry that there was a lot more emotion hidden beneath the surface. Not just for Alex, but for the entire family.
‘Honestly, I’m feeling a whole lot better about it. We don’t have to avoid them.’
‘You’re honestly okay about your ex marrying your brother?’
He paused, considering, then the air rushed out of his lungs in a sigh of relief. ‘Yeah, I think I am. I have to be – not just for them, but for me too.’
‘Did the matching pink outfits help?’
They both started laughing and Alex bumped her shoulder with his.
‘Definitely.’
The following morning, after awkwardly shuffling around each other getting ready, they met everyone for breakfast downstairs. This time in the formal dining room, as the staff were busy cleaning up the sun room, informal dining room and garden from the night before.
The formal dining room was bigger than her family’s shop, but so were most of the rooms in this mansion.
A continental buffet was laid out for them.
Everyone was there, including Richie, in what she supposed was his attempt at leisure wear – tailored shorts, a muted Hawaiian shirt, a Bloody Mary in one hand and his phone in the other.
Apparently he’d arrived during the party, although she didn’t really remember seeing him.
Alex’s family, as well as the rest of their entourage, were decked out in a variety of safari and hiking outfits.
If she was to take a quick guess, she’d say they’d had some serious plans for the day.
‘We’re going to see Savannah and Liam’s island after breakfast. Would you two like to join us?’ asked Jessica, sipping her coffee delicately.
She glanced at Alex, but by the look on his face the answer was a definite hell no.
Alex’s father looked up from some business documents, saw the lay of the land, and quickly returned to burying his head in the sand.
So, there was no help there either. Everyone else had dived into their pastry selections as if they were backpacking around Europe and this was their only meal for the day.
The tension in her shoulders eased when Alex finally piped up.
‘No, I think we’ll just have a quiet day today.’ He then surprised her by adding, ‘But what are your plans for the rest of the week? It’s Ellie’s first time in the Bahamas, and I’d love to take her to see Big Major Cay. Maybe go snorkelling too. Just let us know when you’re not using the boat.’
His mum bit her lip with a pained expression. ‘Maybe I should buy another boat… There are a lot of us, and it might make things easier.’
Jesus, one look at me and they need a bigger boat.
‘Oh, don’t do that,’ cried Ellie. ‘Honestly, I’m fine. This island is beautiful. Why go anywhere else, right?’
‘You can’t come all the way to the Bahamas and not see Pig Island,’ said Holly enthusiastically. Was Ellie imagining it or had she emphasised the word pig?
Savannah looked tentatively at Alex, her husky voice hopeful and earnest. ‘We were thinking of going tomorrow. It would be great if you guys came along. We could get to know each other better…’
‘Pig Island?’ Ellie asked tentatively, half-afraid she was back in school and any minute now Savannah or Holly would shout, ‘Pig Island, that’s where you’re from!
Oink, oink!’ But thankfully Savannah wasn’t a stupid teenage bully who abused others to make themselves feel better. Holly on the other hand…
Caitlyn and Keira were nice, but she had the impression they weren’t very interested in getting to know her, and Tony was the quietest man she’d ever met.
He’d said fewer than two words to her – or anyone for that matter – and yet people still fawned over him like a prince.
She supposed he’d directed enough blockbusters to justify his silence.
‘It’s a must,’ Savannah said eagerly.
‘You have to go,’ agreed Alex’s mum, giving Alex an agree to take her or else glare.
Alex shifted in his seat. ‘It’s an uninhabited island with native pigs. They’re quite tame and paddle about in the sea. People feed them and pet them.’
Ellie gasped. ‘Oh my God. We’re close to it? I think I read about it in the plane’s brochures.’ Her excitement was closely followed by guilt. Alex would probably find a day trip with his family awkward. ‘Although, honestly, I don’t mind either way.’
To her surprise, Alex grinned. ‘I think that’s a yes.’
Savannah sank back into her chair with visible relief, exchanging a pleased smile with Liam. The whole table seemed a little lighter in spirit, and Ellie was proud to sit by Alex’s side.
After the rest of the household left on the boat, Alex and Ellie spent their morning properly exploring his parents’ island.
Well, Ellie explored, Alex was just joining her for the ride.
After lunch the heat of the day crept up to unbearable levels, and they lounged in hammocks on the beach and chatted about Ellie’s career.
She’d read through the information she’d printed off and had narrowed down her options.
But talking them through with Alex was the boost she needed.
She didn’t think there was anything nicer than top-and-tailing in a hammock with Alex, chatting about possible futures with a tropical fruit juice in hand, provided by staff who seemed to pop out from nowhere and then disappear with equal speed.
The rest of the party returned bright-eyed with excitement in the late afternoon.
After everyone had showered, they returned to the dining room to eat a delicious meal of rock lobster with a creole sauce and plenty of fresh crisp salad.
This was followed by juicy fruit platters and yet more rum punch on the porch.
Caitlyn and Keira were as excitable as teenagers and constantly talked at Tony about how much they loved his films. Ellie was beginning to suspect that they were after roles on his next project.
Holly, in contrast, seemed a little quieter than normal, as if she’d not been quite as pleased with visiting her sister’s new island as the rest of them.
Savannah was treating her like a grumpy child, with forced joviality and constant praise.
Ellie found them more than a little strange, but also fascinating.
She’d always thought beautiful, successful people wouldn’t have a care in the world, and in some ways they didn’t.
They talked about luxury travel, flashy cars and designer handbags with carefree abandon.
Work was a passion and a lifestyle that they had to maintain daily.
None of them had any idea about struggle, but they were also like little birds with broken wings.
Fragile and desperate to avoid falling from the nest.
The afternoon stretched slowly into evening, the sun dipping to a burnt orange as it sank below the horizon and the insects began to sing their lullaby.
The mood of the group was content and relaxed.
As lamps automatically switched on, Ellie went to the loo.
On her way back to the porch she noticed several people making their way up to bed, and found herself returning at the same time as Liam, who was carrying two herbal teas from the drinks cart back out onto the porch.
‘How’s your new island?’ she asked even though all she’d heard about for most of the evening was him gushing enthusiastically about his little slice of heaven and making plans to renovate the house.
Apparently, it was dated, and she’d grinned at Alex and whispered, like the embassy? Alex had laughed. I doubt it.
‘All right as islands go.’ Liam smiled, his perfect teeth flashing in the dim light. It made him look a lot like Alex and it disarmed her for a moment.
‘No native pigs?’
‘No, afraid not.’
‘Ahh well, there’s always a compromise.’
Her teasing wasn’t lost on him, and he gave her a wink as they walked out onto the porch together. She would say this for the Kings, they didn’t take themselves as seriously as she might have expected from billionaire celebrities.
Alex was sitting on the porch swing, and he looked up with narrowed eyes as they approached.
Oh dear, fraternising with the enemy.
‘I might head up,’ she told him. They’d agreed that morning to stagger their bedtime routine so they each had time alone to change, and, in Ellie’s case, hide her underwear from eager Eddie. He’d already washed her slippers and pyjamas twice, and she’d still not spoken to the man.
Alex gave her puppy-dog eyes. ‘I’ll be up in a minute, darling.’ He looked at Liam pointedly as he said the endearment, and Ellie tried not to roll her eyes.
‘Okay, hun,’ she said with a yawn as she sloped away, then realised belatedly that her endearment hadn’t been a ruse. She had to be more careful. She was leaning further and further over the precipice, and if she fell, their friendship and her last shred of hope would be lost for ever.