He cupped her face, his pulse leaping at the feel of her soft skin against his. ‘It’s okay. I understand and I’m sorry too. All that rubbish hitting the fan with Cassandra, and me not telling you about speaking to Sibyl back in London, it was too much, I get it.’
‘I know. I know you do.’ Her bright smile soothed away every moment of pain, every second he’d missed her in the last week. ‘Now are you going to kiss me?’
‘In front of everyone?’
She laughed and looked around. ‘Everyone’s gone, Rowan. You don’t think I would’ve been saying all that personal stuff in front of an audience do you? I haven’t changed that much.’
Lila
Rowan looked around him in shock and Lila realised something else. That bubble she’d thought they’d existed in when they were dating in secret – it wasn’t just the secrecy that made it exist. It was this. Them. Wrapped up in each other. In this special connection where they understood each other and were honest with each other, knowing each other like no one else did.
And wanting to get each other naked too. That wasn’t to be underestimated as a distraction from the world around them either.
He looked back at her and in his eyes, she could see all the same things. He bent down and pressed a kiss against her lips, pure heat and joy running through her in response to his touch. She opened her mouth and tiptoed up, needing more, shivering as his tongue slid against hers, in a hungry caress. But he pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. ‘The things I’m thinking about doing to you feel very wrong to contemplate in a church.’
Her skin flushed and she slid her arms around his waist. ‘We better get you out of your costume and somewhere less religious then.’
‘Sounds like an excellent idea. Are you all right to come with me?’
‘Yeah. I can walk the gauntlet. I did it on the way in.’ She took a shaky breath and steeled herself for the looks, for the whispers.
And for remembering all the things she wrote down on the tables she’d filled out on the plane from her social anxiety book. Ones that made her break down her thoughts, think of the worst-case scenarios, and challenge those notions. To remind herself that she was not a mind reader. It had been terrifying, but she had survived it.
And it would be even easier with Rowan by her side. His arm around her shoulders, hers around his waist, nestled into the heat and strength of him. He couldn’t fix the thoughts in her head, but he could be her anchor in the storm.
They stepped out of the church and the small town, lit up peach and pink with the setting sun, spread out before them, small buildings falling away down the hill, opening up the view of the sky behind and the strip of sea between. All the magic of their summer wasn’t gone. It would carry on and stay with them.
The other thing she’d done on the plane was look out of the window when Sicily came into view – just like she had the first time. Only this time when she’d looked at the sea, she’d known what it felt like to swim in it, and she knew she wanted to do it again but now it was all the beautiful towns with their rich history and vibrant modern life, carrying on beneath the slumbering volcano that called to her. She knew she wanted to get out there and explore them too. With Rowan and her friends.
Ruth met them at the foot of the steps. ‘Hey, Colin,’ she joked.
‘Huh?’ Rowan cocked his head and looked between them as Ruth grinned across at Lila.
Oops. It looked like Lila had inadvertently given him a nickname. Ruth gave a laugh that was easily fifty per cent cackle. ‘I’ll let Lila explain later. I take it all is tickety-boo in paradise again?’ Ruth grabbed a wipe from her pack, scrubbing at some makeup Rowan must have transferred to Lila’s face.
Lila’s face flushed. God, she’d almost walked through the crew with Rowan like that. They may as well have kissed in front of everyone.
But everyonedidknow anyway, or they would know, and what did that matter? They already had their opinions – good, bad or completely uninterested – so it made very little difference.
‘Yes. All “tickety-boo”. And thank you,’ she whispered to Ruth, taking the wipe herself and cleaning off the rest of her face.
‘That’s what friends are for.’ Ruth gave her a hug and it felt like Lila had been given another power-up like an avatar in a computer game. An extra lifeline. ‘But I’m also your boss, so come and help us tidy up yeah? You can meet lover boy back at the base. I take it you’re going back to his villa for a proper reunion?’
‘Ruth – seriously – you have no boundaries, do you?’ Rowan laughed.
‘What? I just want to know if my roommate is coming home with me or not. No need to act coy is there?’ Ruth shook her head and rolled her eyes. ‘I’ll see you at the van – you can fill me in on the way back.’ She hurried off, heading across the square and down the hill.
Lila laughed, still blushing but grateful to Ruth for making it feel so normal. Maybe she was right – people would get bored of it and move on to talk about more interesting things soon enough.
‘So…are we going back to yours or do you already have plans?’ Lila asked, as they paused underneath a street lamp.
Rowan gave a little wince. ‘Actually…it’s a bit of both.’ He turned to face her, taking her hand. ‘I know it’s early days – but how do you feel about meeting my mother?’
A flare of panic erupted inside her. ‘Like it’s not something I was expecting and am not even slightly prepared for.’
‘We can leave it if you like. She’s flying back to London on Monday—’
‘No. I want to. I just hope she likes me.’
Rowan squeezed her hand and lowered his head towards hers. ‘She’ll love you, Lila, because you’re the best thing that ever happened to me.’ He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and her heart sung, because finally there was a part of her that believed it was possible.
She could be liked.
She could be loved.
She could make life better for someone. And for herself.
