Page 39 of The Secret Beach

It was a stupid crush, she told herself. It would fade before long. It would have to, because she couldn’t bear it much longer. She’d had to avoid Jess, because she didn’t want to hear a word about what had gone on between the two of them. Jess wouldn’t leave out a single detail. Nikki took another tentative sip of cider. Sometimes drink muffled her emotions, but sometimes it amplified them. She could never tell, so it was best to be cautious.

Gradually, she began to relax, as the cider did its work and the gossip at the table drew her in. The evening was going to be OK. She would enjoy it. It was always joyful and hilarious and heart-warming. Not for the first time, she thought how lucky she was to live somewhere like Speedwell and to feel such a part of the fabric of the town. Not everyone felt they belonged where they lived, but she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, or leaving all these people behind. They had made her who she was. She mustn’t let her feelings for Rik unsettle her. Two weeks ago, she hadn’t even known he existed, she reminded herself.

She dug into one of the baskets of fried chicken at the table, tearing open a ketchup sachet and squeezing it over the hot chips. She hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast and that was asking for trouble, as someone had already put a fresh tray of drinks down on the table and handed her another cider. Then Tamsin arrived, causing a stir as Kate Bush – no-one ever saw her in anything but a fleece and wellies, but with her tangle of long dark hair, the transformation worked.

An hour later, just before the karaoke was due to start, Nikki headed to the loo. She touched up her black eyeliner and the burgundy lipstick, staring at her unfamiliar reflection but quite admiring it. Maybe she should have a change of image? Perhaps even go travelling? She had probably fallen for Rik because he was new blood; the most interesting person to arrive on the scene in Speedwell since … since forever. There must be other people just as enticing in the world. It was up to her to go and find them. You couldn’t wait for the man of your dreams to turn up on your doorstep. You had to be proactive, not sit around mooning.

But what would the business do without her? How would her dad manage? She couldn’t leave him in the lurch. She sighed as she turned away from the mirror. She was trapped, pinned by filial duty to a single point on the map.

Buoyed by her own pep talk, she headed out of the Ladies just as Rik was coming out of the Gents. When had he arrived? For a moment she was tempted to slide back into the cloakroom, but it was too late. He had seen her, and his face lit up.

‘Nikki.’ He reached out his hand, touched her on the arm. ‘You look amazing.’

‘Thanks.’ Nikki found herself blushing, and hoped her heavy make-up would hide her pink cheeks. This was both a dream come true and a nightmare. She squirmed inside, discomfort and excitement jostling for pole position. She could smell his warm musk scent, not quite sure if it was just him or something he wore.

There was a pause, and he smiled.

‘Thank you for last Sunday,’ he said. ‘For introducing me to everyone. It’s tough, arriving in a strange town. But I felt like one of the family.’

She laughed shakily. She tried not to move, not wanting to break the spell, but not daring to look at him. Then he moved in, wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in. She could feel her heartbeat against his, a contrapuntal rhythm. She could barely breathe. What did this mean?

‘You’re a star,’ he said.

She didn’t know what to do. Was this just a hug of gratitude, or something more? Where was Jess? Had she come with him? Was she going to appear at any minute, and smirk at their embrace, knowing it meant nothing, knowing she had all the power?

Or had nothing happened between them? Had she misread all the signals and assumed Rik had fallen for her sister, because that was what she was programmed to believe: that any man would find Jess irresistible and choose her over Nikki. Did he remember their closeness that afternoon on the beach; the closeness she had been too afraid to do anything about?

And then suddenly she felt Rik let her go. He stepped away, brushing at his clothes, as if dusting her off him.

‘Hey, Woody,’ she heard him say.

She turned and there was Woody striding towards them along the corridor. His face when he saw them together was a mixture of shock and concern.

Rik smiled at him, appraising him with those velvet eyes. Woody was taller than him. Woody was taller than everyone. He didn’t smile back.

‘I’m going outside for a smoke,’ he said to Nikki. ‘Coming?’

Nikki knew it was an order. Woody didn’t smoke. Nor did she. He was rescuing her. Not from Rik. He was rescuing her from herself.

‘Sure.’ She raised a hand in farewell to Rik, and followed Woody down the corridor and out onto the terrace at the back. Above them, the stars were pin sharp, and she could hear the pounding of the waves against the harbour wall. It would be high tide at midnight.

Woody looked out to the invisible horizon, his hands in his pockets. The breeze pushed his hair about, like a hairdresser trying out styles.

‘Don’t fall for him, Nik,’ he said.

‘Don’t be silly,’ said Nikki, her throat tight with panic.

Woody turned and looked straight at her. ‘I’ve seen the way you look at him.’

She tried to laugh, tried to deny it, but it came out as a sob. She breathed in, trying to hold back her tears. She couldn’t break down in front of Woody. But there they were, big fat tears quivering on her cheeks. She flicked them away in fury. How dare they betray her?

She wiped them away, gulping in knife-sharp gusts of air. She hadn’t spent so long on her eye make-up ever. She wasn’t going to ruin it. Woody was looking at her in alarm.

‘I’m fine,’ she told him. ‘I’m OK.’ She breathed. And smiled. ‘Is my make-up OK?’

‘Just a bit of a smudge.’ He put up one finger and ran it under her left eye.

‘Thank you.’

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