Page 118 of Best Summer Ever

‘You’ve obviously found your place in the world, Daisy,’ came his voice close behind me. ‘And you’re radiant as a result.’

Did he really think that some honeyed words were going to make up for his infidelity, and why was he suddenly so keen to tell me that he thought my new direction – or return to an old one – was a good thing?

‘Well,’ I said, stopping dead and turning to face him, ‘I feel better now, knowing I’ve got your seal of approval.’

‘Good,’ he said. ‘I hoped you would.’

It was all I could do to stop myself from pushing him off the path.

‘And it’s wonderful what you’ve done for Algy too,’ he carried on as I turned back around and continued the precarious descent. ‘Your mum said he’s like a changed man since you arrived back.’

‘Did she?’ I would be having a word with Mum.

In the future, she would be banned from telling Laurence anything.

‘Yes,’ Laurence said as I jumped down the final couple of feet, ‘she did. She also said he couldn’t sing your praises highly enough and I can tell from the photos of the pair of you together that you’ve posted online, just how fond he is of you.’

‘And I’m very fond of him too,’ I answered.

Had Laurence ever listened to a word I’d said about Algy before, he would have already known that, but for some unfathomable reason, he was only interested in my relationship with my summer saviour now.

‘He hasn’t got any family of his own, has he?’ Laurence then ventured and a part of the real motive behind his unexpected appearance and praise immediately slid into place.

Thanks to his fancy footwear, he was a little slower getting down than me and I turned round to look at him as he gingerly, and rather pathetically, hopped down on to the sand.

‘So, what do you think?’ he asked, once he’d caught his breath and I hadn’t filled him in on Algy’s family history.

‘About what?’

‘You,’ he said, pointing at me. ‘Me,’ he said, pointing at him- self. ‘Us. You and me getting back together.’

I shook my head.

‘You’re actually being serious, aren’t you?’ I said numbly.

I turned away and walked quickly in the direction of the village.

‘Of course, I’m being serious,’ Laurence insisted as he rushed to catch me up. ‘Why else would I be here? Who else in the world would I ruin these shoes for?’

I looked down at his feet.

‘They’re not ruined,’ I said. ‘They’re just sandy.’

‘Daisy!’ he snapped, sounding frustrated.

I was pleased to finally get a rise out of him rather than the other way around.

‘What?’

‘That’s not an answer.’

‘Hey!’ hollered a voice from further along the beach. ‘Daisy! Hey!’

It was Josh. He was waving like a loon and I could tell from his tone that something was amiss. I jogged towards him, with Laurence muttering, hot on my heels.

‘What’s wrong?’ I called, when I was close enough for him not to have to shout back.

‘Who’s that?’ demanded Laurence, sounding put out.

---