Page 85 of Girls Just Want to Have Sun

‘Newly-weds?Newly-weds?’ We turn to see Alex thumping over. ‘Newly-weds? What are you talking about? Matteo, what is going on here?’ she shouts above the music blaring out.

‘I can explain,’ I say, swallowing a lump in my throat.

I absolutely cannot explain.

‘Matteo ismyfiancé,’ Alex says to me, her voice full of ownership. ‘Not yours. No matter how much you keep singing about it.’

‘Alex,’ Matteo says quietly, clearly horrified at having this discussion in public.

‘For fuck’s sake, Matteo. It was a blip. Pre-wedding nerves. No reason to call it off!’

Alex launches into rapid Spanish while I step away from them.

‘I think we’d best leave them to it,’ says Martha, appearing at my side to take my elbow and steer me away. She has put two and two together. ‘So, I’m guessing that you and he aren’t married?’

I shake my head. ‘Sorry. I was about to tell you. I only just found out that he has an ex-fiancée.’

‘No worries.’ She winks at me. ‘I’d pretend he was my husband too, if I was single.’

‘What’s she saying?’ I ask. Martha glances back briefly at the warring couple.

‘Sounds like he caught her cheating on him and he called the wedding off. What must she have been thinking to cheat on someone like that?’ Martha tuts. ‘Where do you fit in?’

‘It’s complicated,’ I say sadly. ‘More complicated than I thought. I guess he’s got a lot of unfinished business.’

‘I guess he has. Come on, best give them some space. I’ll get you a strong coffee and show you the apartment upstairs. I’d like to persuade you to stay here with us’ – she grins at me – ‘seeing as you two aren’t actually married… yet.’

Martha shows me upstairs while the Dollz are belting out hit after hit to a roaring crowd. She points out the air conditioning and patio doors, which flood the room with light. There’s lots of chunky wooden furniture and a cosy feel about the place. I like it instantly.

‘And there’s a roof terrace with magnificent sea views,’ Martha says before suddenly spinning me around to face away from the sea. ‘And mountain views!’ she shrieks. ‘Aren’t they spectacular?’

I peer over her shoulder down to the street below, curious to see what she is hiding from me.

‘Don’t look!’ she yells, but it’s too late.

Matteo and Alex are huddled together on The Strip. She is talking passionately to him, leaning into him, clutching at him, and he has his arms around her, cradling her head with his hand just like he did with me. He is speaking into her ear, and she is nodding her head against him. They look like a couple in love. A couple making up. A couple like all the other couples.

I’m wrestling with my moral compass. The respectful thing to do would be to not sully the waters and get right out of the way. He is obviously going to work things out properly with Alex. I’ve been nothing but a distraction.

Martha puts a gentle arm round my shoulder, which reminds me of my mother. I smile sadly at her.

‘Don’t let that set you back, love. If you want to build a life here, it must be because it’s what you want. Not because you’re doing it for a man. Not even one that gorgeous. That’s what I told my Dan when he wanted to move to Ibiza to be with DJ Rizzlestix and live in his yurt.’

When I glance back towards Matteo and Alex, they’ve disappeared.

27

Back at the villa, I toss and turn all night, unable to get Matteo out of my thoughts. By next morning, I’m unbelievably down about it all, even though Matteo sent me a text to say that he was sorry the evening had turned out the way it had, and he would explain, but he’d need a little time. Time. That’s the one thing I might not have. We have our final gig tonight and then decisions have to be made. I wander through to the pool to find some of the girls up.

‘So it’s all off again, is it, honey?’ says Big Sue knowingly. ‘Can’t be easy finding out your fiancée has cheated on you. Christ, I wonder what sort of hottie would out-hottie him?’

‘Must have been Chris Pratt or Thor or theBridgertonbuttocks guy,’ Liberty is speculating. ‘Or all three at the same time. I can’t imagine why else you’d even think of doing such a thing. Connie, you are so lucky to get a jump on those bones,’ she says dreamily. ‘What was it like?’

I sigh dramatically. How could I explain that it was like roaring flames, crashing waves and a thunderbolt to the heart all at the same time? She wouldn’t believe me anyway. At the thought, I’m reminded of my second big conundrum. Marthawas very convincing last night. I loved the apartment she showed me. It was gorgeous. And right on top of The Strip. I could imagine myself sitting on the roof terrace gazing down to the sea, reading books and writing songs. It was small but perfect in every way with the many bookshelves, the kitsch wallpaper, cute little open-plan kitchen into a sunlit lounge, and it had a lovely Spanish vibe.

I let out a huge groan.

‘What do I do? I feel like I’m on the edge of a precipice,’ I say. ‘I’ve spent so long doing nothing. Absolutely nothing. What a waste of all that time. And now I finally have the chance to do something, this happens.’

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