Page 47 of An Island Promise

He could see her. She flushed. ‘I, er, Cara was concerned she’d not heard from you, not that she expects you to talk or anything like that, she just wanted to make sure you were okay. Diego too.’

‘They sent you out here to check up on me?’

‘I offered because they’re worried about you. I am too. And they’re your friends.’ Belle found herself holding her breath when he didn’t reply straight away.

‘I’ll message her now.’ Caleb’s voice filled the night and the gate buzzed open. ‘And don’t just stand there, come on in.’

29

A solar-lit driveway led to a landscaped parking area with only Caleb’s Jeep in it. He met her at the wooden double doors set in a white wall. He looked relaxed in dark grey joggers and a white T-shirt which made her feel too dressed up in her green leopard-print maxi dress. His feet were bare and his hair tousled as if he hadn’t properly got up, which, given the significance of the day and the fact that he’d hidden himself away, was probably right on the mark. She’d anticipated being turned away with a gruff ‘leave me alone’, and certainly not invited in. Perhaps he needed company even if he hadn’t realised.

Belle marvelled at the clean lines of the villa. The white walls continued inside but were complemented by touches of dark wood panelling and a beige-grey tiled floor, sleek and masculine. The open-plan living area with its floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors onto a terrace took her breath away. To be wealthy enough to live somewhere like this was insane, but her overriding feeling was how empty it felt, as she looked past the large sofa to a dining table that could seat ten in front of an industrial-style kitchen. She could imagine him knocking about here, a bit of a lost soul on his own in a home that should be filledwith laughter and love. Perhaps she was making assumptions; perhaps he held parties with the place heaving with people, but from everything she’d learned about him she thought not.

An overwhelming sense of having invaded his privacy came over her. ‘I’m really sorry if you wanted to be alone, but Cara was worried enough to message?—’

‘I’ve been completely unsociable, I know,’ Caleb cut in. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘You have nothing to apologise for.’

He gestured to the sofa that faced the open terrace doors. ‘Make yourself comfortable. Would you like a drink?’

‘Oh, only if you’re having one.’

While Caleb headed to the kitchen, Belle went and stood on the threshold of the terrace. The gentle sea breeze and peaceful night was a tonic after the heat and thumping beat at Ushuaïa. She’d never been more mindful or appreciative of how special the two extremes of the White Isle were than tonight. The velvety black sky mirrored the sea except it was scattered with stars. Her eyes drifted across the terrace, taking in the different areas for lounging and dining, plus a breath-taking infinity pool.

She returned inside and sank onto the deep sofa. Caleb’s lifestyle was luxurious and enviable but also lonely, the place sparsely furnished, the only hint of him in the books that filled the shelves behind her and a couple of framed photos.

Caleb placed two steaming mugs of peppermint tea on the coffee table and joined her on the sofa. His face was pale, while his broad shoulders hunched inwards. Belle didn’t know what to say because there was an unspoken tension, either because it was an emotional day for him or due to Gem’s awkward revelation.

She decided to try and clear the air. ‘I know we’ve not seen each other since that evening in the bar when Gem, well… said a bit too much. Are you angry with me?’

Caleb frowned. ‘Why would I be angry?’

‘Because you seemed to storm off.’

‘I’m not angry.’

‘Disappointed, annoyed then? Pick an adjective.’

Caleb glanced away and let out a sigh. ‘Confused.’

‘Because you were surprised?’

‘Not that Diego slept with two friends on the same holiday, no.’

‘Oh, you know about that as well.’ Her heart fluttered. ‘So you’ve talked to him.’

‘Yeah, I talked to him. He’s always been like a younger brother and we usually talk about everything?—’

‘Oh God.’

‘But he didn’t say a thing about knowing you till I asked.’ He leaned forward and lit the candle on the coffee table. There were soft touches here and there: board games stacked beneath the coffee table, geometric-patterned cushions on the sofa and candles softening the hard edges and neutral colours. He blew out the match. ‘I like you, Belle, and I didn’t know what to think. The way Gem talked about you and Diego. There was a bitterness there that I didn’t understand until he told me he’d slept with her too, but I was upset because I could see you were upset.’ He breathed deeply. ‘To be honest I wasn’t keen on the idea of you and Diego together like that.’

Belle tensed, her breath hitching as she tried to decipher what that really meant. That he liked her as a friend and didn’t want to see her get hurt? Or that he liked her enough to be jealous of her and Diego together? Confused was the perfect word to describe her swirling feelings; he wasn’t the only one feeling that way.

‘I should have told you that I knew Diego, it’s just…’ Belle wrinkled her nose.

‘It wasn’t the easiest conversation to have with your boss, that ten years ago you’d slept with his brother-in-law?’

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