Page 71 of An Island Promise

‘Oh bugger, think I woke Mum up.’ Cara stood and paced to the door.

‘Cara!’ The same voice, high pitched and more insistent.

‘I’m downstairs, Mum, what’s up?’

‘It’s your dad.’ Her mum’s voice was panicked and breathless. ‘He’s not breathing.’

‘Oh shit.’ Cara’s face reappeared on the screen. ‘Caleb, I’ve got to go.’

45

The first moment Belle knew anything was wrong was late that evening when Caleb knocked on her apartment door.

She couldn’t mask her surprise at seeing him standing there. Her heart beat faster and heat pooled in the pit of her stomach.

‘Everything okay?’ She noticed frown lines creasing his forehead and how washed-out he looked.

‘It’s Cara’s dad, he died earlier today.’

‘Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry.’ Belle opened the door wider to let him in.

‘I can’t stay,’ he said, making her heart drop. ‘I’m going out to Australia to spend a few days with her. Help them out.’ He reached for her hand. ‘I’m flying first thing tomorrow. I just didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.’

Was he running away? Belle immediately dumped the thought, because of course he wasn’t. A neediness and desperation was creeping into her head that she didn’t like one bit. His best friend was grieving. He wasn’t running away from potentially difficult emotions here but he was going to comfort a friend and support her when she needed him, exactly as Cara had done following Paloma’s death.

Belle desperately wanted to be with him; she didn’t want any distance between them, let alone for him to be on the other side of the world. Last night had meant everything, but it was more than that. He was someone she wanted to confide in as much as make love to, someone to bounce ideas off as well as talk late into the night with.

Belle closed the distance between them and put her arms around him. ‘Have a safe flight and send my love to Cara. And don’t worry about anything back here; it’ll be in safe hands.’

‘I know it will be.’ He tugged her close and kissed her passionately.

Being with his best friend and her family while they grieved made Caleb look back on his own loss. This time he was the strong one comforting Cara.

The time away gave him clarity about his feelings for Belle because she was in his thoughts constantly, a companion to his memories of Paloma. But Belle was back at Spirit alive and beautiful, sexy and wonderful. The time apart was a good test because understanding his true feelings would have been harder if he’d been around her all the time. He longed for her and desperately missed spending time with her, chatting and laughing, sharing ideas and talking through challenges. He missed kissing and touching her, and more than anything he missed waking up with her. It had only happened once but he wanted it to happen again and again and again.

They messaged each other every day but he’d held off phoning or video calling her because the time apart was helpful, at least for him. He was worried how sleeping together then him taking off may have looked to her, but Cara reassured him thatif Belle really had feelings for him then she’d understand. Most of all, he was glad to be able to support Cara and help her wade through the aftermath of losing her dad. He met her family for the first time: her mum, sister, niece and nephew. Her friends too, including Naomi, who was as perfect for Cara as he’d hoped she would be and was there for her as much as he was. What would happen to their relationship when Cara returned to Ibiza would be a worry for another time.

Ten days was too short a time to be with Cara and her family, but far too long to be away from Belle. Returning to Ibiza was filled with mixed emotions, particularly as he was heading home to decisions and a potential new start. Jetlag combined with his arrival back at Solace at an unsociable hour made night and day merge into one and he didn’t wake until late in the afternoon when Maria phoned, inviting him and Belle over for Sunday lunch the next day.

After getting off the phone with Maria, he messaged Belle and invited her over.

Despite the lightness Caleb felt in his heart, the August evening was oppressively humid, and when Belle arrived they retreated to the terrace and plunged their feet into the cool water of the pool. She looked radiant in a white maxi skirt and sleeveless top with a bikini beneath, which conjured up memories of her in his T-shirt in the pool…

They caught up on their time apart and it felt good to be home. Even better to be with Belle.

‘Being away from you was helpful.’

‘You should explain yourself quickly, Caleb Levine!’ Belle leaned back on her hands and gave him an appraising look, although she couldn’t completely disguise her smile.

‘I mean, the distance allowed me to work out my feelings. About you.’ It was all coming out in a muddle, but then being back in her presence was having that effect. ‘What I’m tryingto say – badly – is that time apart made me certain about wanting to be with you. Here. Right now.’ He tugged her close, planted a kiss on her forehead and breathed her in. She smelled of summer. ‘I’m not worrying about the future, or what comes next.’

‘I’ve never been someone who’s looked too far into the future apart from where I want to be in my career,’ Belle said, snuggling closer to him. ‘Relationship-wise I’ve always focused on the past which hasn’t been healthy. The things I’ve wanted to change and can’t. You’re right to not worry about what comes next. And I’ve actually found the time apart helpful too. It’s given me space to think.’

Caleb raised an eyebrow, wondering if she was going to elaborate.

‘Oh, you want to know what I’ve been thinking about?’ She laughed. ‘Our night at Eddie’s – that’s been on my mind a lot and how good it was and how much I’ve missed you. I don’t want to change anything because it feels so right. I’ve come to the conclusion we should live in the moment.’

‘Day by day, like you said.’

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