Page 21 of The Island Villa

“Caring too much what people think will ruin your day.”

“I know. I’ve tried not caring, but I have no idea how to do that. And something about Adeline intimidates me. She’s just so together. Do you think I need a jacket or a wrap or something? Not that I’m worried about the weather, but maybe I need to dress this up a bit. Look a little more formal.”

“A Greek island wedding doesn’t say formal to me.”

“No, but best to be prepared for everything and anything. Can you pass me that little pink jacket please?”

Oliver located the jacket, checked the size and handed it over. “Why does she intimidate you?”

“I don’t know. Because she’s competent. A bona fide adult, whereas I’m still faking it. Also she is cool, and calm, and responsible, and everything I’m not.” Cassie slipped her arms into the jacket and then paused, admitting something that she never would have admitted to anyone other than Oliver. “And because deep down I feel guilty that it was my parents’ love affair that broke up her parents’ marriage. If that makes any sense at all.”

“It doesn’t.” His gaze softened. “How can you possibly feel guilty about something that wasn’t your fault?”

“Welcome to my world. Heels or flats?” She lifted the hem of her dress to mid-calf and then let the fabric fall and answered her own question. “Neither. Trainers.”

“Trainers? You want to be able to run away from her?”

He made her smile even when she was stressed.

“No. I need to be able to concentrate, and I can’t concentrate if my feet are hurting. Okay, I’m having the jacket and the dress. Decision made.” She shrugged off the jacket and he took it from her, suppressing a yawn in the process.

“Why do you think she decided to go to the wedding?”

“I don’t know. Probably to punish me. She wants to ruin my life the way she thinks I ruined hers. Just kidding. I suspect she tries not to think about me at all. When we spent those tortuous few weeks together every summer, she mostly ignored me. I was a mosquito, to be brushed away. An annoying wasp, without the sting.”

“You’re giving me drama again, Cass. Also that was over ten years ago. Your sister was a teenager.”

“I know.” She glanced at him. “You look wrecked. Did you and Suzy get any sleep at all last night? I’m glad it’s going well.”

“It’s not going well. We’re not seeing each other again.”

“What?” An emotion shimmered through her, so fleeting that she couldn’t immediately identify it. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, Oliver! Why didn’t you say something before now?” Contrite, she forgot about the dress she was wearing and gave him a hug. “I’m sorry. Here I am going on about dresses when your heart is broken. Is your heart broken? You’ve been with her for two months. That’s a long time for you. I’m going to keep hugging you until you tell me to let go.” She kept her arms locked around him and felt the firm pressure of his body against hers. He was broad-shouldered and solid, and she breathed in the familiar scent of him. Oliver. Her best friend. She tightened her hold on him. “I can’t bear it. I can’t bear the thought of you being unhappy.”

“I’m fine.” His voice sounded scratchy. “My heart is fine. And I didn’t say anything because I don’t want to talk about it. It’s—complicated. You can let go now.” He eased away, avoiding her gaze.

She knew he was hurting. She knew him. Whenever Oliver was processing something big, he withdrew a little, even from her. Her way of dealing with problems was to talk about them, but he preferred to work things through internally. But he always told her eventually. When his parents had announced they were divorcing after thirty years of marriage, Oliver had knocked on her door at three in the morning. When his sister had been rushed to hospital with suspected appendicitis, they’d spent all night drinking tea together in a cold hospital corridor.

He had that same look on his face now. And she hadn’t noticed because she’d been babbling on about stupid dresses.

“Well, all I can say is that Suzy can’t be as smart as everyone says she is if she broke up with you.” Feeling fiercely protective, Cassie resisted the temptation to grab his phone and immediately message her unfiltered thoughts to Suzy. “If you unzip me, I’ll buy it and we can get out of here and go and drown our sorrows in coffee. We can binge on carbs. Buy two of those cakes from that bakery on Broad Street that are covered in sugar, stuffed with cream and bigger than your head.” She turned her back and lifted her hair.

There was a brief pause and then she felt his hands on the zip, drawing it down.

She felt the fabric of the dress loosen around her and grabbed it. “Great. Thanks. I’ll get changed. Talk to me through the door. Why did she break up with you? What excuse did she use?”

“She didn’t break up with me,” he said. “I broke up with her.”

“Oh.” That, she hadn’t expected. She slid out of the dress, put it back on the hanger and quickly pulled on her jeans and shirt. “Why? You need to give me feedback since I was the one who picked her out on that dating app. I thought she had potential, not that you can tell much from a photograph. But she had good teeth. You can tell a lot about a person from their teeth. That’s assuming those were actually her teeth in the photo. Were they?” She grabbed the dress and opened the door.

Oliver was looking tense. “You think she was wearing someone else’s teeth?”

“Don’t be gross. I’m talking about Photoshop.”

“They were her teeth. But I’m still not seeing her again.”

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