Chapter Thirty-Seven
‘You look nice.’
Heather’s image on the phone was pale, her nose red. Nina didn’t like to mention it, given that her friend was complimenting her.
‘Thanks.’ She and Theo were going out for dinner, and she’d made an extra effort for this evening, curling her hair and painting her nails.
These things that she used to do daily, but now only when she wanted to.
It had been a few weeks since he’d tricked her into seeing Maria, and she’d finally forgiven him.
‘Seeing anyone special?’ Heather asked.
Nina shook her head. ‘Not unless you count my dad. I’m going to end up a hermit at this rate,’ she said glumly. ‘Where are you when I’m in desperate need of pink wine and cheese puffs?’
Heather held up her hands. ‘Say the word and I’ll hop on a plane and be there at the weekend.’
Nina smiled. ‘Well, I’ll try to wait till half term.’
‘It’ll be okay,’ Heather said. ‘Things will work out for you, I know it. And for now, you’ve got the house and Theo and that gorgeous place.’
‘I know.’ The house was almost ready, and they were preparing to welcome their first guests soon.
She was excited, and this had been exactly the distraction she needed.
Until that morning when the turtle handles had arrived, sending her stomach plummeting as the dreams she’d tried so hard to forget resurfaced.
‘You know, I’m still not convinced about this wife of George’s. He’s such a good guy, I just don’t think he’d do that to you.’
‘Well he did. Just because he likes turtles doesn’t make him a flipping saint.
And I can assure you, his wife was pretty bloody convincing when I saw her standing there in the flesh.
Telling me she was his wife.’ They were getting dangerously close to arguing, and they hadn’t argued since they were seventeen.
Nina wasn’t keen to start again now. And it wasn’t really Heather she was angry with.
George had continued to message her, on and off.
She deleted them all without reading, and had finally blocked his number the week before, her heart breaking just a little bit more as she did so.
‘How’s work?’ This was a sure tactic to distract Heather; she loved her job, and was soon rabbiting away about the cute things the children in her class had done.
And Nina found herself laughing as she listened to stories of sneezes into cake mixtures and breadsticks up noses and children making lists of all the people they wanted to bite.
Heather sneezed.
‘Oh no, you’ve got the back-to-work cold.’
Heather rolled her eyes and nodded, blowing her nose loudly.
It was the same every year – a few weeks in, she came down with a cold passed on from one of the little tots she worked with.
Even this never dampened her enthusiasm for the job.
‘Yeah. Rosie’s quarantining me, she’s sick of catching them. ’
‘Oh dear. Hope she’s looking after you too.’
Heather nodded. ‘Plenty of soups and Lemsips, I just have to sit on my own sofa.’
‘Hope you feel better soon.’
Heather nodded, and said something that sounded like ‘hang in there’ as she ended the call. It was hard to tell because she was overcome with a coughing fit.
Nina sighed. Missing Heather was the worst part about the move to Metalios. The only downside, truthfully. She braced herself and went to fetch the turtle handles and her screwdriver; the job needed doing, and she had time before they needed to leave for dinner.
Just as she was about to start, Theo burst in. ‘Antheia, you must come.’
‘What is it, Baba? You okay?’
He looked a little wild-eyed and she had a flashback to the night of his panic attack, the fear she’d felt for him.
‘Yes, yes, I’m fine. It’s Maria.’
Nina almost dropped the handle she was holding. Her stomach plummeted. ‘What’s happened?’
‘I don’t know, I think she’s had another accident, she’s hurt.’
‘Oh no.’ Nina was already reaching for her trainers, her hands shaking as she put them on.
She was imagining Maria lying hurt and frightened, and regretted bitterly her anger with the old woman.
Why had she been so stubborn? She’d missed out on time with her friend, and now she was hurt. ‘Where is she?’
‘The beach.’
They ran all the way, Theo puffing behind as Nina raced ahead, skidding on the steep path. As she reached the beach she saw Maria, not lying on the ground as she’d feared, but standing waiting.
Nina called her and ran to her, into the embrace of Maria’s open arms, sick with relief.
‘Are you okay? What happened?’
‘I’m fine, moro mou.’
‘Thank god. But Baba said you were hurt, he – he said you’d had an accident, are you sure you’re all right?’
Maria beamed. ‘Not a scratch on me.’
‘I’m sorry, Maria. I’m sorry I cut you off.’ She held tight as the older woman hugged her. ‘I missed you.’
‘I missed you too.’ She smiled mischievously. ‘And I hope you will forgive us.’ She glanced at Theo as he caught up, panting and pressing a hand to his side.
Nina glanced from one to the other. ‘What are you two up to?’
They both looked as pleased as punch, like two naughty children who’d got away with some naughty plan.
Maria stepped aside, and waved her hand towards the shore.
Nina saw the candles first, flickering in the sand. The picnic basket, the bottle of champagne.
George stepped out from behind a rock, holding his hands up as though in surrender.
Nina turned to Maria and Theo, but they were already walking away.
She should go, too. She should catch up with them, she should be angry that they’d tricked her. She should walk away from this beach, from George, and put him out of her mind for good. But she found herself moving towards him.
There were so many times she’d imagined this moment, so many things she’d wanted to say. But now she found herself struck dumb.
‘Just give me a chance to explain,’ he said. ‘Please.’
It felt so long since she’d seen him and yet, as she gazed into those blue eyes, it felt like no time at all. As though he’d never been away.
‘I – I was married and –’
She stepped back, about to leave. His chance was over.
He caught her arm. ‘I should have told you, I know. I’m sorry, Nina.
You deserved better.’ He gazed at her, desperation burning in his eyes.
‘But it was all over, before I even came here to look after Yia-Yia. Susan – I found out that she was cheating on me. And I walked out, I came here. It was done, as far as I was concerned. We were separated, I thought we were getting divorced; I’d never have got involved with you otherwise.
I told everyone we were, I told my parents, told Yia-Yia, as far as she knew, as far as we both knew I was separated, so please don’t be angry with her. I was single. I promise.’
Nina studied his face, looking for any hint of dishonesty. She found none. The breeze lifted his hair, gold in the setting sun.
‘But Susan, she – she wanted us to try again, that’s why she came, and I thought . . . I’d made promises. You know? I felt – duty bound – to try.’
Nina swallowed. This was painful to hear. ‘And?’
‘And I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t be with her after she hurt me like that, after she lied and – I couldn’t trust her.
And I thought – I thought I didn’t want anyone, that I couldn’t trust anyone, I’d just get hurt again and it wasn’t worth it.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about you, this woman that I met, this brave, exciting, funny, gorgeous woman.
And I – I couldn’t believe my luck that I met you, and I thought I’d blown it.
’ His voice shook a little and his chest heaved as he breathed heavily.
Nina’s mind was reeling. She could barely take it all in. She hardly dared to believe in it. But everything in her longed to close the gap between them, to feel his strong arms around her, his lips against her own.
‘And now?’ she asked.
‘And now I’m here. To find out . . . to ask how you feel about me.’
A question that was impossible to answer, and the easiest thing to answer in the world. She had felt everything for him: irritation, infatuation, trust, betrayal. Dare she even think the word that was in her mind now?
His eyes searched hers. ‘And I – it’s over, totally over between me and Susan now. Just so you know. I’m not – married, anymore.’
Nina wanted so badly to believe him. Surely, he wouldn’t have come all this way, wouldn’t have arranged all this, if he was lying. Surely Maria and Baba wouldn’t have tricked her into seeing him.
‘You’re divorced?’ she asked tentatively.
He nodded. ‘Paperwork’s all at Yia-Yia’s, I can show you.’
‘You’re divorced.’
She found herself smiling, and he smiled back.
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I’m free, to be yours, no complications. If you’ll have me.’
She stepped into his arms, and he pulled her in, his lips finding hers in a kiss that was so tender she felt dizzy, and soon became so passionate she could barely breathe.
At last they broke off, holding onto each other, smiling as though they’d never stop.
‘I can’t believe you brought a picnic,’ she said. ‘And candles!’
‘Thought I’d go old school, pull out all the stops. Bit traditional for us, I know. But I also brought these.’
He leaned down, and grabbed a couple of snorkels from behind the picnic basket. He grinned. ‘In case you fancy it?’
She laughed. ‘Can’t wait.’
And so, stripped to their underwear on the deserted beach, they ran into the sea hand in hand, diving under into the clear waters.
George reached for her and pulled her in until she was held against the warmth of his muscled chest. And, as they kissed again, a turtle swam peacefully past, safe in the seas of Metalios.