Page 101 of Pomegranates and Olive

“You go on ahead. I’m going to need a few a few minutes.”

“Thank you… for everything.”

I hug Luca one final time before I start back towards Ginny’s. I get a pretty good momentum going on my dash down the mountainside – but that’s mostly gravity forcing me down.

Rosie spots me from the terrace as I hobble through the olive trees. “Slow down, Liv. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

I grind to a halt and grin up at her. “Luca’s behind me. You should go to him.”

“Why?”

“Because you love him.”

“Liv! No!”

“It’s okay,sorellina.”

“How is any of this okay?”

“Do you love him?”

“I do and I’m sorry, I really am.” All her feelings for Luca that she has kept hidden for practically her whole life came rushing to the surface and she burst into tears. “I’ve tried for so long to stay away from him, but I can’t do it anymore. I don’t want to do it. And I expect you’ll hate me for how I feel and I’ll understand if you don’t want to be my sister anymore but I hope one day you’ll forgive me, one day you’ll understand how I feel.”

“If Luca is who you truly want then of course I’ll understand. I only want you to be happy.”

“I love you so much, Liv. And I’m sorry, but I love him as well.”

“Don’t say sorry… just go get him!”

Rosie whoops and jumps down the steps to the garden. She hugs me lightly and turns up towards the ridge. “Love you, sis.”

Ginny leans over the balustrade. “Christmases are going to be so awkward at your place.”

I give my cousin the finger as I take off again toward the beach with Ginny yelling after me. “He’s on the jetty.”

“SHIT!”

I hear Emine giggle at my curse word as I turn down toward the beach. Betty appears by my side and, as if he knows what I’m doing, leads me down to the beach by the fastest route.

Clearing the grove, I look around wildly. Aydin is huddled with a small group of men at the burned out remains of the restaurant while construction workers are cleaning away the debris.

“Where is he?” I call out to Aydin as I pass.

Aydin points vaguely in the direction of the sea. Tora is backed away from the jetty and is floating its way eastward.

There’s someone standing at the helm and I race down the jetty, arms waving and jumping up and down, desperate to get Deniz’s attention as theguletsails away.

“Deniz! DENIZ!”

Aydin, Ginny, Aricia, Kat, Emine and Burak as well as the builder, his construction crew and even Rosie and Luca join me at the end of the jetty and are also frantically waving their arms and yelling at the boat.

What do I do?

I take a few steps back before racing towards the end of the jetty.

“RUSSO?”

Deniz’s voice rings out from the distance but my forward momentum is unimpeded and I’m already mid-dive off the end of the jetty. I splash down into the freezing water. Its chilly, coupled with the sting from the salt water on my still-recovering burns, takes my breath away. I automatically open my mouth to gulp back air but take in a lung full of water instead.

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