Page 53 of The Island of Hopes and Dreams

Rhys faltered, but at Freddie’s intense look and serious nod, he set off, both him and Barnaby matching his pace through the meadow.

* * *

‘I thought you weren’t interested?’ Valentino said to Lola the moment Jarek had stalked off.

Lola pulled away from his hold. ‘I’m not,’ she replied, swivelling in her chair to search the terrace. She spied Rhys still by the bar tight-jawed and rage-filled. He shoved his drink into Barnaby’s hand, then weaved between the tables in the direction Jarek had gone, not once looking her way. Without a doubt he’d seen her performance with Valentino. That was all it had been, a performance to put two fingers up to her ex in an attempt to unsettle him, while trying to get his focus away from Rhys. And yet…

‘You mess around with me, that is it?’

She was now treading a fine line between making a scene with Valentino or pacifying him with an explanation.

The confusion on his face when she turned back to him made her soften her retort. ‘I’m sorry. I did just use you.’ She waved her hand in the direction Jarek had gone. ‘That was my ex-boyfriend, who’s stalking me.’ There, she’d said it out loud, the truth of what Jarek was actually doing and the lengths he was prepared to go. ‘I’m really glad you were here with me. He’s not someone I want to be left on my own with.’

Valentino opened his mouth as if to snap back, then nodded. ‘I’m glad I was here.’

Deni flew into the seat that Jarek had vacated. ‘Barnaby said something’s up.’ Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at Valentino, then back to Lola. ‘What’s going on?’

‘Jarek’s here.’

‘Oh my God.’ Deni’s face fell. ‘Are you okay?’

‘He is unhinged,’ Lola hissed. ‘And he can’t – he absolutely can’t ruin this wedding.’

‘We won’t let him,’ Deni said fiercely.

Lola loosed a long breath. ‘I think Rhys went after him.’Looking like he was going to punch his lights out, she thought. Oh God, he wouldn’t punch Jarek, would he? ‘Shit. I was trying to get Jarek’s attention away from Rhys. I have to find him.’

Deni placed a firm hand on her shoulder. ‘You need to stay here. A reaction from you is presumably what he wants, so don’t give him the satisfaction. Barnaby went after Rhys. Freddie too. He’s not facing Jarek alone.’

31

The way Rhys’s friends rallied around him meant so much. By the time they caught up with Jarek on the far side of Il Giardino’s grounds, Lola’s ex was more than ready for a fight. With Jarek in his face spitting vitriol and talking shit about Lola, baiting him with ‘she’s going to tear you up and spit you out’, Rhys realised he was the one in control. Jarek was alone, while his friends were supporting him. However much he wanted to lash out, he wouldn’t, because Jarek was in the wrong, no one else; Jarek was the one cornered and fighting; Jarek was the one who Lola loathed.

Rhys didn’t snap, not like he had at the stag do with Freddie. This was different because he didn’t want to make things worse for Lola, because he cared deeply about her, even if she didn’t think of him in the same way. There was nothing more he’d like than to punch Jarek’s viciously handsome face, but he restrained himself. His friends only stepped in when Jarek continued to provoke him, almost as if he wanted to get hit, manipulating the situation so he would be the one wronged. Rhys wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. To protect her, he’d walk away. And this time with countless witnesses, Jarek had messed up.

Freddie and Barnaby elbowed their way in-between them and Rhys allowed them to take charge.

‘You’ve gate-crashed this wedding; you’re leaving.Now,’ Freddie growled as he clamped his hand on Jarek’s shoulder. Barnaby closed in on Jarek’s other side.

Jarek was playing it cool. He shrugged Freddie off and held his hands up, seemingly unruffled as he looked between them all, his focus zoning in on Rhys, which made his skin crawl. He refused to flinch from his hateful gaze. It was clear to see how easily he could turn on the charm and how effortlessly he’d been able to reel Lola in.

‘I was leaving anyway,’ he said breezily as if he hadn’t turned up purely to upset. With his hands in his trouser pockets, he strolled towards the exit, Freddie following a few steps behind. Before closing the gate, Jarek turned and looked at Rhys. ‘Tell Lola I’ll see her soon.’

Rhys nearly lost it at that, but Barnaby grabbed him before he could charge forward.

‘He’s not worth it.’ Barnaby’s firm words and pleading look was enough to make Rhys pause. ‘Walk away and find Lola. We’ll make sure he doesn’t come back.’

Rhys wanted to do anything but find Lola. That was a conversation he didn’t want to have, because the emotions that had been stirred when he saw her kissing Valentino had left him feeling downright confused. But Barnaby insisted, so he left.

The spiralling negativity tightened its grip as he retraced his steps through the meadow. Darkness had descended and lights glittered through the trees up ahead. The garden terrace was now awash with colour. The craggy mountains were silhouetted against the midnight-blue sky, while the horizon was tinged amber and gold. A breeze rustled the grasses and sent the shepherds’ bells jangling. The music, laughter and light was inviting and he knew Lola was in amongst it somewhere, her friends rallying around her. Valentino may well be comforting her too.

Rhys clenched his fists and the knot in his chest tightened. How had he ever believed he’d be good enough for someone like Lola? The look Jarek had given him, one of pity and disbelief at the possibility that Lola had replaced him – a handsome, rich investment banker – with a plain, shy teacher was laughable.

He wanted to stay concealed in the darkness on the periphery, like he so often was. Not that he could continue leading his life like that. He was putting his career, his ambitions and his life in Bristol on hold to go travelling, but what he was really doing was escaping so he didn’t have to deal with difficult emotions when that was exactly what he needed to do.

Lola was just visible beyond the trees, radiant despite her lack of a smile. She stood out amongst her friends, her beauty accentuated by the soft candlelight. Barnaby had urged him to find her, but how on earth could he walk up to her now?

A breeze stirred the leaves; out in the countryside, autumn was in the air, particularly now the sun had nearly disappeared. Rhys breathed a deep lungful of fresh air tinged with earthiness and herbs. Being outdoors was what he loved, it was where he felt at peace, a similar feeling to when he was making things with his hands. He had to stop hiding or shoving down his desires because they felt too hard to bring to fruition. He 100 per cent knew he would feel even worse if he ignored Lola completely.

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