Page 68 of The Little Greek Guesthouse

George was waiting for her outside, the car engine off so that he didn’t disturb anyone this early in the morning. He grinned as she climbed in.

‘Get out without waking the others?’ he asked.

She nodded. ‘They’re both pretty good sleepers, quite honestly. You?’

‘Nope, you know Yia-Yia. She was up at the crack of dawn, complaining that I wasn’t bringing her with us.’

Nina laughed. ‘I think climbing’s beyond even Maria these days.’

‘Yep. But you can be the one to tell her.’

She pulled a face. ‘No thanks.’

Everything felt easy between them again, the moment on the beach forgotten, and Nina was relieved. She tried not to watch the muscles in George’s forearms flex as he drove, the hairs on his arms golden against his tan, his long lashes brushing his glasses as he concentrated on the road. She cleared her throat and looked out of the window, determined that things wouldn’t become awkward again. He seemed perfectly relaxed in her company, and if they were going to stay friends and climbing buddies then she’d have to stop thinking about him like this.

They drove to the same cliff face as before, the roads clear in the low morning light. Nina focused on the climb, adrenalin buzzing through her as she anticipated the challenge of finding her route, the high of reaching her target. It was all she could do to stop herself bouncing in the seat as George drove.

They were soon ready, in their shoes and with their equipment and supplies on hand. ‘You want to climb first today?’ she asked.

George shook his head. ‘No, it’s fine, I’ve climbed it a few times before.’ He grinned. ‘And I can tell you’re excited.’

‘I’m fine, I’m chill,’ Nina protested.

He laughed. ‘You were practically dancing in your seat on the way here. Come on, let’s get you sorted.’

He checked her rope, and she poured a little chalk onto her hands from the pouch she carried, patting it onto her palms.

He nodded. ‘All set.’

They smiled at each other, and for an absurd moment Nina felt her heart skip.

She pulled herself together, realising that they’d been standing staring at each other for several moments. ‘You okay?’ he asked, his voice gentle, his hands on her arms. ‘Ready?’

‘Yes.’

Still she didn’t move, and neither did he. He simply stood, looking at her, his gaze lingering on her lips. Her breath began to come fast and shallow.

Then he smiled, stepping back, and the moment was broken.

‘Right,’ she said. ‘Let me at it, ha!’

She cringed inside. She was talking nonsense, somehow unable to remember how to act normally around him. Her hands shook a little as she stood looking up, considering the cliff face.

She must be really excited about the climb.

All went well to begin with.

Her mind focused in on the route, leaving no room for anything other than this, picking out footholds, taking note of places where she could cling on and haul herself up. Everything went according to plan; she felt strong and confident, swinging herself onwards and upwards until the ground, and George standing looking up at her, feeding out the rope, were far below.

And then it happened.

A rainfall of rocks tumbling over her, dislodged by a goat clambering above, skidded past and bounced off the surface, thumping against her shoulders and back, stinging blows that sent a burn of pain flaring through her. Nina clung to the rockface, tucking in as much as she could, head down.

The next blow to her back was hard and heavy, smashing into her and causing a sickening pain that she couldn’t fight. The force of it threw her from the surface and, terrifyingly, she found herself swinging in the air, the world lurching as she fought the nausea that surged inside her, fought to focus beyond the pain that screamed through her head and neck. She was anchored only by the rope that George held far below.

Chapter Thirty-One

Her breath came so fast she couldn’t catch it, pinpricks of panic cascading down her body, her heart thumping, as she swung around helplessly, aware of the great drop below her. At last her vision cleared of the shadow that had descended over her eyes and she became aware, over the sound of her crashing heart and panicked breathing, of George’s voice coming from far below.