Page 17 of The Forbidden Fling

Sensing her opportunity, she glanced at Quin, hoping they wouldn’t mind walking alone for a few minutes. She wanted to avoid messing up any more relationships if she could help it. “Hey, can you excuse me for a minute? I’ll catch up to you.”

Quin uttered a “sure, no problem”, casting Faye a curious glance as she slowed her pace. Two older men overtook her—Quin inviting them into a conversation about turtles—and Faye joined Diana at the back. Her heart kicked up a gear, and all of her earlier eagerness swept away on the breeze. How did people start conversations again?

“Hey.”

Hey? Women like Diana deserved more than a “hey”. More like a sonnet, or an anthology of sonnets.

“Nice to see you again,” Diana replied.

Did she mean that? Or was she being ironic because the last time Faye saw her, she’d kissed her and run away?

When Diana met her gaze with a soft smile, those deep, chocolatey browns reflecting the sun, Faye knew she meant it. Her attention fell on her black-and-white striped jumpsuit with its bandeau neckline, revealing smooth collarbones and a delicate neck. She relaxed a little, letting their steps fall into rhythm, the murmur of the group’s conversation drifting around them.

“Planning on staying for a few days?” Diana asked, nodding to Faye’s oversized rucksack clunking against her back.

She laughed nervously. “Yeah…you never know what you might need. Prepare for the worst and never be disappointed.” She chewed her lip. Come on. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“You don’t need to, Faye.”

That caught her by surprise, and she squinted at Diana in the sunshine, having left Carla’s sunglasses at home.

“We had a lot to drink, and you changed your mind,” Diana went on. “That’s okay.”

“What? That’s not what I was going to say.” Their eyes locked. Diana’s eyebrow rose slightly. “I don’t regret it,” Faye continued. “Only the way we ended things.” Below them, frothy waves lifted up to kiss the rocks. “I’m sorry for running out on you. I had a shit year… My body changed, and it was the first—”

“Alright, everybody!”

A fierce whistle pierced the air. Faye stumbled on a rock as the group stopped walking and almost pushed one of the older men over the edge. She mumbled her apologies, but he grumbled and moved away.

Ella and Riley stood at the front, the ruins rising behind them. Stone steps embedded in the hillside, leading up to the tall, towering stonework. Green vines snaked between the cracks, blending history and nature together.

“Welcome to the ruins,” Riley started. “The historic home of the royals and Princesa Inês Teresa’s final home. Like a lot of you, she came to escape. Her controversial split from her betrothed caused an uprising on the mainland. Some say she watches over the island, helping heal the heartbroken souls that wander upon it, as repayment for how the island healed her. We hope you feel some of that energy on your journey.” Riley and Ella shared a loving glance, and Ella linked her pinkie finger with hers.

Those two are so cute.

A small sliver of envy wrapped around Faye’s heart. She wanted that. The little touches two people shared. That instinct of two bodies leaning towards each other like sunflowers, soaking up the warmth. The kind of love her dads had.

In her experience, she’d just end up in the shadows spinning in circles, like a dog chasing its own tail.

Riley and Ella led them up the steps, and Faye fell in step beside Diana. When they walked under the stone arch, she turned to take in the view. The sea sparkled below, white-crested waves cutting through the blue until they washed up the cliffs. Birds chirped all around them, dipping and diving over the water.

Wow. Is this place available to rent?

The crumbling structure only added to nature’s impressive presence. Sure, it didn’t have a roof or windows…but Faye had seen worse student accommodation.

As the others ventured farther into the remains of the building, talking among themselves, Faye started her assessment of the grounds on autopilot, starting with the outside.

Her attention was drawn to the greenery flowering through the holes in the stonework before moving further out. She recognised some plants—the blue hydrangeas, the orchids—but was unsure about others. A particular pink plant with bell-shaped petals caught her eye, growing out of one of the cliff faces, and she leaned closer. It reminded her of purple foxgloves. She wished she’d brought her botanical book with her, but she’d opted for a spare change of clothes instead, in case of a bag emergency. She searched in her pockets for her phone, but she’d left that on charge at the cabin too. Dammit. So much for Pankhurst preparations.

She leaned closer to the flower, gently stroking a petal with her finger. Waxy but soft. God. How could I not bring my book?

“What’s wrong?” Diana asked. “You look concerned.”

Faye didn’t know how long she’d been watching her, but she gave the petal one last brush before straightening up. “Not concerned. Annoyed I forgot my phone, so I can’t take any pictures.”

“What are you looking at?”

Faye hesitated, mulling over how best to explain. She decided to keep the answer simple. “I think it’s one of the endemic bellflowers, but I can’t say for sure.”