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“The sea is flat as a pancake, Ali, how sick are you going to feel, really? Just keep your eye on the horizon, think of all the fun we’re going to have, and try not to puke on my new Converse trainers,” Jack says, wrinkling his nose as he pulls their suitcases from the boot of the car.
“Sympathetic much,” Alice mutters, her eyebrows pulling together in a frown.
“Not exactly boyfriend material is he, talking to you like that? He should be offering to hold back your hair and cooing sweet nothings in your ear whilst you empty your stomach into the ocean,” I say with a lowered voice, nudging her with my elbow.
Alice’s mouth gapes as she gives me a little shove. “How many times do I have to say it, we’re justfriends,” she hisses under her breath, checking that Jack hasn’t heard what I said. He hasn’t, or if he has, he doesn’t show it.
“Yeah, and my name’s Katie Perry and I’m marrying Orlando-fucking-Bloom,” Georgia laughs, glee lighting her hazel eyes.
“Oh, shut up,” Alice retorts, striding over to Jack and snatching her suitcase from his hand.
He frowns, making a kind of tutting noise before turning his attention to Georgia and me. “What’s got her goat?” he asks as she strides away, her blonde curls blowing in the breeze.
“Nothing, she’s just overexcited,” I say quickly, feeling instantly guilty. Georgia and I really should stop winding her up. It’s not fair. “Have fun, Alice!” I call to her retreating back.
She simply lifts her hand and gives me the middle finger. I pull a face.
“She’ll get over it,” Georgia says, pulling me in for a hug before grabbing her bag and jogging after Alice.
“Well, have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” I say to Jack, grinning.
“Sure you don’t wanna come?” he asks me for the billionth time this week.
“Nah, I’m good. See you in a few days?”
He gives me a searching look, opens his mouth to say something then clamps it shut and gives me an awkward, lingering hug instead. “I really wish you were coming,” he says gently before pulling back and looking at me strangely. “I’ll miss you.”
“Yeah, sure,” I respond, laughing off the suddenly tense moment. “Like a hole in the head.”
“Seriously, Connie…”
From the deck of the boat, Alice calls to him and whatever he was about to say is lost to the roar of the ferry engine firing up.
“Well, I’d better go. Don’t get into too much trouble whilst we’re gone…” He pauses, giving me a strange look before continuing. “Oh wait, of course you won’t, because on this island nothing excitingeverfucking happens.”
“That’s just the way I like it,” I murmur, and as he jogs away from me I can’t help but feel grateful for the predictability that this island affords me.
