Page 24 of The Island of Hopes and Dreams

Zoe fixed him with a glare. ‘I had to wait two years before we even moved in together and that was becauseIsuggested it. How long would I have had to wait for anything more?’

His heart dropped into his stomach, remembering how close he’d come to asking her to marry him. ‘You’re honestly telling me you’d have said yes if I’d proposed? You gave me no indication that was what you wanted and the fact you left so abruptly only makes me think it was actually the last thing you desired.’

‘At least Freddie is decisive and knows what he wants.’

Rhys snorted and leaned his hands on the railing so he wouldn’t have to look at her. Despite being outside, it was claustrophobic with the houses opposite looming close, but at least the touch of cooler air was helping to temper his rage.

‘You never did understand me,’ Zoe said.

‘No, I didn’t,’ Rhys swung back. The balcony light cast shadows across her face, but she looked tight-lipped, angry, bitter, and all for what? ‘I didn’t understand you then and I sure as hell don’t understand you now.’

‘Well, that makes two of us. When we were at uni you were fun and up for a laugh. You took risks – what the hell happened?’

‘And yet you still slept around behind my back.’

‘You’re too straight-laced for your own good. Try living a little, Rhys. It’s the only way you’ll end up keeping a woman like Lola. Everyone can see she’s way out of your league. Probably just wants to have a bit of holiday fun. Although maybe you have learnt a thing or two if you can make her scream like that.’ She downed the rest of her drink, thumped it on the table and stood up.

‘I only wanted you to be happy and truthful,’ Rhys said softly. ‘I wish you’d left me well before you did instead of leading me on. Make sure you don’t do the same to Freddie when you get bored of him.’

He turned on his heel and strode back inside, closing the door as quietly as he could manage when he wanted to slam, smash and rage.

How had he ever loved her? Had she been that good an actor or was she skilled at playing games to get what she wanted? He couldn’t comprehend how he’d once thought of her as a friend, a lover, a partner, someone he had envisaged spending his life with. He didn’t recognise the person she’d become – actually, she’d always been like this, she’d just hidden it well and played him for a fool for too long. Freddie was welcome to her.

Rhys knew he was better off alone, rather than being trapped in a toxic relationship. Zoe was in the past and he would no longer wallow in the what ifs or live with regret. It was time to move on for good.

14

Something had changed. Lola couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but Rhys was subdued the next morning. Even the glances in their direction from Zoe and Freddie over breakfast did nothing to lift her niggling worry that she’d made Rhys uncomfortable last night. Although she’d struggled recently to be confident in big social situations, she knew Rhys wasn’t an extrovert. That was who she was – at least who she used to be.

Rhys was far chattier, funnier and more open when there were only a couple of people around. She could see him shutting down when he was in a large group, suddenly going quiet. Perhaps she had pushed things too far last night. She imagined it through his eyes and grimaced at how idiotic she must have looked banging her feet against the headboard to pretend that they were having… Ugh, she didn’t even want to think about that. She’d come to care about Rhys as a friend, a feeling he seemed to reciprocate. She hoped she hadn’t messed up their friendship, not when they’d bared their souls to each other.

Lola wasn’t alone in her worry because Mirabel looked pensive over breakfast, as if she had stuff playing on her mind too, which wouldn’t be surprising after the tension between the two mothers yesterday.

Much to everyone’s relief, the day had been planned out with the friendship groups sticking together. Rhys was heading on a boat tour along the coast with Fabs and his friends, while Lola would be joining Mirabel and her friends and family for a stroll through Bosa for a spot of shopping, lunch and sightseeing. If there was any awkwardness between her and Rhys, they wouldn’t have to deal with it until they returned to Villa Capparis later that evening, although she didn’t envy him having to spend the day with Freddie and Zoe.

By mid-morning Lola was exploring the medieval heart of Bosa. The narrow cobbled streets made her want to hold her breath when a car squeezed by. She’d only got as far as having a handful of driving lessons in her early twenties and had never got round to taking a test, but her anxiety soared at the idea of navigating a car through streets that had only been intended for a horse and cart. Some buildings were so close together that Lola imagined people could reach across to each other from the opposite balcony. In the really narrow streets, leafy green plants decorated the doorsteps instead of colourful flowers, probably because the sun rarely reached the cobbles with the houses so close together. With potted palms outside doors and trailing foliage cascading from balconies, the backstreets were an oasis of green amid stone walls, some crumbling in patches. Lola was enjoying strolling through the town, getting a sense of the real Sardinia away from its picture-perfect beaches.

One of the reasons for coming to Bosa – besides Giada wanting to show off more of her beloved island – was for Mirabel to choose her wedding jewellery, and Lola was pleased that Giada had sensibly allowed Felicity to take charge. The excitement for the upcoming wedding ramped up the moment the friends stepped inside the jewellers to find a treasure trove of earrings, rings, bracelets and necklaces. Filigrana Vadilonga specialised in traditional Sardinian filigree: delicately textured small spirals reminiscent of embroidered gold that gave each piece of jewellery a unique and eye-catching look.

The love and pride on Felicity’s face was heart-warming as they browsed the display cases, all of them pitching in with ideas about what Mirabel should go for.

‘How about a heart-shaped one?’ Deni suggested as they wandered round the compact shop.

Lola’s eye was drawn to the ones without any jewels: a threaded gold pendant sun and a tiny round filigree pendant designed with four concentric circles.

Sarah spun round. ‘This four-thousand-euro choker is so me, don’t you think?’ She gestured to a display cabinet containing a statement necklace made from gold rosettes and delicate tear-drop pearls.

Mirabel baulked at the price.

‘This is our gift to you,’ Felicity insisted as she tucked her arm in her daughter’s. ‘We want you to choose what you love. Forget about the price. It’s something we want to do for you. From us,’ she stressed.

‘Perhaps not the choker though,’ Sarah whispered.

After the hotel lobby stand-off the day before, they understood how important buying the wedding jewellery was for Mirabel’s mum.

With all of them coveting something different, Mirabel eventually chose a delicate pearl and yellow-gold pendant with a teardrop blue topaz at its centre and earrings to match that was expensive but not eye-wateringly so.

They left the shop in a flurry of voices, their shopping spree a much-needed reminder that they weren’t just on Sardinia for a holiday.

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