Page 34 of All You Need is Greece

‘Hmm? Yes, that is exactly right. High-maintenance. Which is fine if she earns enough money to pay for all the things she wants, but she doesn’t. She seems to think I earn a lot more than I do. But maybe it is my own fault.’

‘How do you mean?’ I ask, a little puzzled.

‘I mean, maybe I indulged her at first, giving her whatever she wanted, trying to impress her. But that was when I earned bonuses. Nowadays? Not so much. People are much more careful with their finances, not taking out loans and so on.’ He reflects. ‘Which means less bonuses for us.’

‘Surely she understood that?’

‘No, because I never told her. I was foolish. I borrowed money from my mother to keep her in the lifestyle she became used to.’ He sighs. ‘Now my mother, rightly, has put a stop to it. Even asking me to pay the money back. Once she found out it was going on my wife, that is,’ He reveals. ‘Before that she gifted it to me, telling me I am her only son and why not enjoy some of my inheritance now? She says she will not throw the money at my wife anymore, so I am to pay it back, and have it for my own future.’

‘The things we do for love, hey? But, honestly, Artemis, if she has lost interest in you because the funds are running low, then maybe she isn’t the woman you think she is.’

‘It’s true. And maybe it is some sort of payback. I believe many people call it karma.’ He gazes off towards the sea, lost in his thoughts for a minute.

‘Karma? For what?’

‘It’s a long story. Maybe I will tell you sometime.’

‘They do say there is no time like the present,’ I suggest.

‘If you insist. For stealing another man’s fiancée.’ He turns to look at me, his eyes full of something I can’t make out. Regret? Sorrow?

I’m shocked when Artemis tells me that he and Nicos were once best friends, growing up in the village together, having adventures, especially when they were younger. I listen as he tells me tales of camping beneath the stars with the boys in the village and building tyre swings on the tall trees, as well as making dens and racing through the forest on their bikes.

‘It sounds idyllic.’

‘It was. And then I ruined things,’ he confides. ‘Maybe I always admired Nicos, envied him even. I was attracted to his fiancée, as she was so beautiful,’ he tells me, clearly feeling the need to unburden himself. ‘So I pursued her. I selfishly thought only of myself. I was maybe not such a nice person back then.’

‘We all do things we aren’t proud of,’ I say gently. ‘And I’d say a lot of people become better people as they age, learning from their past mistakes. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Your marriage lasted a long time, so it clearly was love.’

‘I guess so.’ He turns to me and smiles. ‘Although maybe I could have been happy with another woman, it did not have to be the fiancée of my friend. Back then, I just thought I could have whatever I wanted.’

‘And now?’

‘Now? I have to face the fact we have grown apart. She wants time with her friends once more. Maybe having married so young, I can understand that.’

‘It happens,’ I say, thinking of the number of people in my hometown who married young, and never lasted for the duration.

‘And I am taking time to sort my finances out. Pay my mother back,’ Artemis continues. ‘There is no going back now, my ex has moved in with her mother. I think maybe you are right, the well has run dry, so she will probably find someone richer,’ he muses.

I slide my hand across to his and give it a little squeeze. We sit quietly for a few minutes, just staring across the green valley towards the sea, and I think of how similar our situations are. Both recently heartbroken, both unsure of what the future holds, and both maybe regretting choices we have made in our lives. After five minutes, I am the first to stand.

‘Are you ready for that walk uphill?’ I brandish my bottle of water.

‘Ready. Are you sure you don’t want me to go up and get my car?’ he asks, one last time.

‘Positive.’ I smile. ‘Let’s do this.’

EIGHTEEN

We chat as we walk uphill, although conversation is limited when we reach a particularly steep curve and I place my hands on my knees and catch my breath for a minute, taking the opportunity to admire the view all around.

When we finally arrive back at the rescue, Artemis crushes me in an embrace at the top of the hill, watched by Nicos and Tania, who are just leaving.

‘Thanks for the talk, Beth. You are a good friend.’

‘I must be, if you don’t mind hugging a sweaty mess,’ I joke. The walk uphill was far more challenging than I dared to admit, and my grazed knee is throbbing a bit.

‘And I’m glad you see me in the same way,’ I say, thinking that maybe Artemis could just maybe be a good friend too.

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