Page 78 of Pomegranates and Olive

"Aptallar?"

"Your cousin just called you an idiot."

I climb out of bed and mimic Emine’s dramatic exit by stomping the few steps out the door, glaring at Deniz as I pass. "Well, she called you one as well, you... you...idiota!"

I return to the main deck and am relieved to see that we’re already pulling into the marina in Bodrum. Aricia, Kat and Burak will be excellent relief to the tension that’s currently on board.

Aricia grabs my attention immediately by holding up two bottles of champagne. "Who's ready to party?"

"Always!" Rosie squeals before skipping down to the galley for glasses.

Luca sits down beside me, throwing his arm possessively over my shoulder as he glares at over at Deniz who seems either oblivious or unconcerned by Luca's presence. I don't say anything at all, and we both sit in silence, waiting for Aricia to crack open the bottles, so I can drink myself to oblivion.

Alcohol plus Luca plus Deniz... plus Rosie! Dear God!

Even Shakespeare seriously couldn't come up with this stuff!

My sister finally returns and passes plastic tumblers to each of us. She holds hers up to make a toast. "What shall we toast?"

"Let me, let me." Aricia laughs and turns to Ginny. "Ginny, even though we only met this year I feel closer to you than I do to most of my family —"

Kat lifts her glass. "Thanks for that!"

Aricia leans over and taps Kat's glass before continuing. "— present company definitely excluded from that statement, anyway, even though we haven't known each other very long, I know I can count on you and you can count on me. Cheers to you, Ginny, for always having my back and for not only succeeding, but thriving, in your first season in Bodrum!"

Ginny smiles and raises her glass. "And cheers to my two Greek goddesses, Aricia and Kat, for helping me navigate the minefield thatislife in Bodrum."

Ginny hands her glass to Rosie and Rosie gulps down Ginny’s champagne and her own like water. "Here's to such perfect weather. Did you know it's actually raining back in Sydney? It's bloody November for heaven's sake!"

"Focus, Rosie!"

She giggles. "Sorry, okay, so please raise your glass to Ginny and Aydin for making Luca and I feel so welcome when we descended unannounced."

Again, we all clink glasses before Aydin stands and smiles at Rosie and me. "Here's to my cousins, Olive and Rosalia. Thank you so much for visiting with us. And I cannot forget Luca, my new friend, as well."

More clinking of glasses.

"Serefe!"

"Cheers!"

Luca lifts his glass to me before speaking. "Here's to Liv, because without her having a complete breakdown, none of us would be here together right now."

Everyone stops mid-sip and gapes at Luca.

I shrug at Luca's rude toast and lift my glass in reply. "He's not wrong, so... a toast! All this the world well knows, yet none knows well!"

Now everyone is staring at me.

Deniz holds up his glass. "To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell."

Luca tenses up beside me. He's heard me repeat that line many times over the years, so the fact that Deniz also knows this particular Shakespearean quote surely pushes his buttons.

“Sonnet 129.”

I laugh and lift my tumbler in his direction. "Spot on, Yilmaz! Anyway, cheers, everyone! Today's gonna be a corker!"

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