Page 46 of The Island Villa

“Did you say things you now regret?”

“I said things. So far I’m not regretting them, but I’ll let you know if that changes in the morning.” Adeline helped herself to lamb. “Actually, that’s not true. I do regret one thing, and that was reminding my mother that she had an affair and got pregnant.”

“Exhibit A sitting right here.” Cassie drained her glass and Adeline looked at her.

“I’m sorry. It was a terrible thing to say.”

“It was the truth. She did have an affair. And then she had me.”

“But what I was trying to point out to my father was that she’d crashed the relationship before, so why would he trust her not to do it again.” Adeline wiped her fingers on a napkin. “If it was wrong last time, why is it suddenly right?”

Cassie had been asking herself the same thing and no matter which way she looked at it, it wasn’t good.

She voiced the thought that had been simmering inside her. “If leaving your dad was a mistake, then having me was a mistake.”

“I don’t think those two things are connected.” Adeline tipped more champagne into Cassie’s glass.

“But maybe they are. And I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“If I hadn’t been born, maybe your parents wouldn’t have broken up in the first place.”

“You cannot be serious.” Adeline gave an astonished laugh. “People often take responsibility for things that aren’t their fault, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone blame themselves for being born.”

“I know it’s ridiculous, but it’s how I feel.”

“Well, you shouldn’t.” Adeline rested the bottle back on the sand. “The truth is this isn’t about us at all. It’s about them. They were thinking about themselves, and we were collateral damage.”

“You’re not pleased then?” Cassie felt herself blush. “I mean, they are your parents. I could see a scenario where you’d be pleased.”

“Pleased?” Adeline shot her an incredulous look. “They’ve been divorced for more than two decades. They decided their marriage was a mistake. That they weren’t meant to be together. But despite that—despite twenty years where they have functioned perfectly well apart—they seem intent on making that mistake again. It’s perplexing and upsetting.”

It was comforting to know that her sister was thinking all the same things she’d been thinking.

“I’ve never seen you like this before. Sometimes it seems as if you don’t feel anything.”

“Does it seem that way?” Adeline frowned. “I feel plenty of things, but I’ve learned to hide it.”

“I can’t hide how I feel. I wish I could.” Her phone pinged and she glanced at it. A message from Oliver flashed up on her screen.

You okay, Cass?

If he’d asked her an hour ago, the answer would most definitely have been no. But now?

She hesitated and then typed her reply.

Yes thanks. Just wanted to say hi.

“Who was that?” Adeline ate another piece of lamb. “If you need to make a call, go ahead. But be warned, I might finish the lamb while you’re distracted. It’s so good.”

“I know, although I’d probably choose the spanakopita for my last meal on earth. I don’t need to make a call. It was just Oliver.”

“Boyfriend?”

“No. Best friend. We live together. I mean, not actually together in a romantic sense. We share a house in Oxford.” A short time ago, she’d desperately wanted to be back there, but now she was glad she was right where she was. “How about you? Are you seeing someone?”

Adeline stared out at the ocean. “I was. His name is Mark.”

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