Page 79 of One Golden Summer
But she couldn’t go to Kirsty in her London clothes. They weren’t part of Saffron’s new life, but weighed her down like a ship’s anchor. It seemed an insult to the Sandy Cove way of life. Which was real and pure. On the flipside, everything about her life in London and LA was utter filth. How had Saffron not realised until this summer how much she hated her life at every level?
It was imperative to express this to Kirsty, but would she believe Saffron? Their last time together, they’d talked about the importance of trust. Since then, Saffron had been seen looking cosy with Echo. How many women would take Saffron’s word that nothing had happened? It had all resulted from a huge lapse in judgment on her part. Her pushy agent and manipulatingGirl Racerco-star had staged the meeting just to get the hopes up of the fans the love affair had been rekindled in the nick of time for filming. Before Saffron had made her escape from Haze, the prospect of her getting back with Echo was already trending on Twitter.
Another confirmation that Pearl and Echo had planned everything, proving how neither would stop their machinations to squeeze every last drop of blood out of Saffron.
Even though Saffron hadn’t reacted the way they probably desired, it still played out perfectly for mass consumption. Theare they/aren’t theydebate was publicity gold for the next movie. People loved to choose a side and to argue why they were right, even if it had zero impact on their life. Actually, that component seemed to add to the fun, because no matter the result, it didn’t alter someone’s life.
Aside from Saffron’s happiness.
No one seemed to care about that, including Saffron. Until she came to Sandy Cove and met Kirsty. Then things started clicking in her head and the conclusion was Saffron hated her old life and wanted to start over before it was too late to let the real Saffron flourish.
“Better get your arse out of the car, then.” Saffron’s hands still gripped the steering wheel.
Prying her fingers off, she got out of the car, and entered the beach house, her mind flitting to the times Kirsty had been there. Kirsty exploring the main area, commenting the place lacked personality. The kiss in front of the fridge.
In the bedroom, Saffron stood at the foot of the bed, remembering how bloody fantastic it’d been to wake up with Kirsty.
Was it too much to ask the universe to have protected Kirsty from hearing a thing about what had transpired between her and Echo? Yes, because in today’s world, there were no such things as privacy for the likes of Saffron Oliver.
I can’t go to her!
Not yet at least.
Saffron needed to clear her mind and the best way to do that was to hop on her motorbike. Hurriedly, she changed into her gear, and within minutes, she zoomed away, feeling the heaviness lift.
Hunched down, she reached the open roads, taking the turns at speed, making her lean low to the ground, feeling the thrill of having a powerful machine between her legs, and knowing there was no room for a mistake. But the control excited her, along with the vrooming sound when she revved the bike.
With her mind on autopilot, it didn’t sink in until the fragrance of lavender tickled her nostrils. She’d taken the exact route with Kirsty, not even a week ago. Slowing down, she pulled over to sit on the bench where she and Kirsty had spoken about Anna. The woman who’d lied and cheated on Kirsty.
Would Kirsty think Saffron was no better?
It was true, Saffron hadn’t been entirely honest, but it wasn’t because she was purposefully lying to Kirsty, but to herself. It was hard to confess she’d fallen for Echo, who was nothing more than a con artist, and Saffron had felt foolish for needing to feel loved so she’d ignored all the signs that in hindsight flashed overhead like a neon sign.
It started off small. Echo sharing too much about their private life. Details that Saffron wanted to be just between them. Even Echo’s jealous streak, when Saffron talked to someone too long at a party. At first, that seemed kind of sexy. Echo wanted her that much. Soon enough it’d morphed into Saffron never being able to see or confide in friends, out of fear of igniting Echo’s temper. And, it wasn’t even like Echo had ever loved Saffron. No, she liked how the connection played to movie audiences. All she was to Echo was Saffron Oliver, a commodity to be guarded at all cost.
Soon enough, Saffron was hostage to Echo and her control, afraid to walk away because she didn’t want to be all alone. Just the thought of that used to send her into a frenzied panic, especially late at night, when the darkness seemed to swallow her whole.
Saffron’s phone rang.
“What?” she snapped at her publicist.
“I need to know everything about Wine Time.”
“The shop in Sandy Cove? How do you know about it?” Saffron swiped hair out of her eyes.
“Because your photo is all over their website, claiming it’s the only place to buy wine in your adopted town.”
Saffron saw black. Then streaming sunlight. More black. It took several ticks of her heart to figure out she was blinking excessively and unable to speak or comprehend what she’d just heard.
No.
This wasn’t happening again.
Being played to boost someone else’s business.
Please, God. No.
“Saff—is there something going on with the wine shop? Have you invested in it? What’s your connection?”
