Page 31 of The Island of Hopes and Dreams

‘Thank you,’ she said, clutching his arm tighter. They reached the path beneath the trees that led down to the marina and took the left fork away from Jarek.

‘What do you want to do?’ Rhys asked.

‘I don’t know,’ she said quietly. ‘But get away from here.’ Even in Porto Cervo, surrounded by summery-looking people, she desperately wanted to be somewhere she felt he couldn’t invade. ‘Do you mind if we go back to the villa?’

‘Of course not. I’ll message Barnaby so they don’t wonder where we’ve gone.’

* * *

Lola didn’t say a word during the short drive back to the villa and Rhys didn’t try to engage her in conversation, and it wasn’t just because he didn’t know what to say. Only a couple of days ago, Lola had opened up about how controlling and manipulative her ex had been, but him showing up here had left her shaken. The confidence she’d exuded had been extinguished. What he was struggling with most was not knowing what to say to make her feel safe. If he was feeling unnerved by Jarek going to such lengths to upset her, then he could only imagine how much it had affected Lola. She’d held her nerve while talking to him, but the moment they’d walked away, Rhys had felt her trembling. Violence was never the answer and, until punching Freddie at the stag do, he had never hit anyone in his life. He’d controlled the urge to wipe the smirk off Jarek’s face because it would have done more harm than good with a sociopath. The more attention they gave him, the more they’d play into what he wanted and fuel his desire to control and manipulate, but Rhys had never felt such loathing for someone before.

The villa was empty and quiet, a sanctuary that he hoped Jarek either wasn’t aware of or wouldn’t dare infiltrate. At least Lola would never be alone here.

They reached the central living area that opened onto the garden and Lola sank into the sofa while Rhys went over to the bar. He joined her, their fingers brushing as she took the bottle of Ichnusa lemon from him.

‘Thank you,’ she said quietly. She took a sip of the light and zingy beer. ‘Not just for this, but for being there. For helping me to hold it together.’

‘Are you okay?’

‘Yes… Actually, no.’ Lola shook her head. ‘Oh, I don’t know. I knew what he was like, yet I still didn’t expectthis.’

Rhys nodded, except he didn’t understand. It was hard to get his head around someone behaving this way when the relationship was clearly over. He breathed deeply. The herb-scented air wafting through the open doors seemed out of kilter with the conversation. ‘He’s seriously come all the way out here just to get under your skin?’

‘I know he has.’ Lola put her drink on the coffee table and rubbed her fingers over the sides of her forehead. ‘There’s no such thing as coincidence with him. He’s calculating and purposeful. He can swear blind that he’s here on holiday, but I know he knew I was here. However careful I am, it’s impossible to block him from all the stuff my friends share on their socials. And then there are the messages?—’

‘Messages? More than the one he sent yesterday evening?’

Lola flicked her attention away from Rhys to the garden.

‘He’s messaged me a few times, nothing too worrying until the hen do, and then of course last night. I should have said something, I just didn’t know how to, and I certainly didn’t want anything finding its way back to Mirabel. By acknowledging the message and talking about it – feeling anything, even anger, annoyance. Fear’ – she drew in a long breath, her lips pursing – ‘it would feel as if he’d got the upper hand and won.’ She shifted until she was facing him. ‘I want him out of my life. Every message is a reminder of what he put me through, how trapped I felt. He’s always found a way to chip at my confidence. By the time I left him, I had zero romantic feelings remaining, but I underestimated the damage he’d done.’

Rhys took her hand and held it tight, his heart splintering at the tears lining her eyes and the way she was still trembling. ‘You need to report him to the police, Lola. As soon as you get back, file a report, plus apply for an injunction – Barnaby will help you with that – you’ll need to give as much information and evidence as you can, if you still have stuff?’

‘I’ve kept the messages, yes.’

‘And I’m witness this time.’ He reached for his phone and showed her the photos he’d taken of her talking to Jarek before he’d joined her. ‘I promise you’re not alone.’

19

Those words, steadying and heartfelt, meant everything and confirmed Lola’s thought about Rhys being there for her. As a friend, she trusted him completely, but would it be possible to continue trusting him if he was more than a friend? The idea that she was even considering letting someone close again scared her.

Lola gulped back a sob as all the stress of the last two days bubbled over. The tears fell and not just because of the shock of being confronted by Jarek, but at the realisation that she was no longer on her own dealing with him.

Rhys wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, whispering that it would all be okay as his fingers threaded her hair. The desire to trust and believe him scared her as much as it soothed, yet she allowed her pent-up emotions to overflow, sobbing against his chest until her tears had dried tight on her cheeks.

* * *

After Lola had cried her heart out, they talked a bit more and Rhys promised to keep what had happened with Jarek between themselves. He probably thought not saying anything was a bad idea, but she’d been adamant that nothing should get back to Mirabel. It might have been wise to give Fabs a heads-up about what was going on, but Lola convinced Rhys not to, because there was no way that Fabs would keep anything from Mirabel.

At least them leaving together early from Porto Cervo didn’t need explaining when everyone assumed they’d come back for some alone time before that evening’s gathering.If only, Lola thought as the villa filled up with friends. Doing something pleasurable with Rhys would have been preferable to having to deal with the fallout from Jarek. He’d hijacked her emotions and diverted her attention away from the conversation she’d meant to have with Rhys about their kiss. Now her thoughts were straying into territory she was uncertain how to navigate, thinking about Rhys in a completely different way. What was real and what was pretend had become entangled.

Lola’s first impression of Rhys had been that he was nice-looking in an understated way. He had a James McAvoy vibe about him, whereas she usually went for men who had more of a Chris Hemsworth build. Muscles over personality, perhaps. Although Jarek had seemed to have it all: looks and personality – until he didn’t. Six-packs and sexiness didn’t mean a thing if someone was cruel. Rhys was handsome in a way that had crept up on her, perhaps because his personality shone through his soulful eyes.

There were even more people at the villa than usual with Fabs’s Italian friends joining them for drinks. Although Gareth had backed off with his flirting, Lola was conscious of Valentino’s attention in particular, because she’d noticed him looking her way with come-to-bed eyes.

‘I didn’t think anyone could be more handsome than Fabs, but hell,’ Deni said under her breath as she leaned close to Lola, ‘he has some damn fine-looking friends. To be that good-looking should be illegal.’

‘Missing your husband by any chance?’ Lola quipped, knowing her tone was clipped but not caring because she was annoyed with herself for being attracted to Valentino’s dark brooding looks when he reminded her of Jarek.

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