Page 133 of The Love Position

‘The prize for being the first person to cry today. If you need to howl it out, go to the toilet ten minutes into meditation. If you’re a long time, I’ll tell Anisha you’ve got the shits.’

Sophia smiled and wiped her eyes. The previous day, she’d told Jessica that James had rung to give her an update about their father’s angina. She still didn’t feel comfortable sharing what had happened with Isaac. Her fledgling relationship with him now seemed more precarious and fragile than a newborn baby attempting to tightrope walk over a crocodile-infested swamp.

Just get through the next nine days. Then sort it all out in Foxbrooke.

They’d almost reached the temple when a piercing scream rang out from inside.

Forgetting her injured knee, Sophia ran forward after Jessica.

‘Turn the lights on!’ Isaac yelled.

The inside of the temple was dark, but Sophia could still make out his figure as he ran from his position at the front to the main entrance on the other side.

Another scream rang out.

As Sophia followed Jessica through the side door, the lights went on, but people were now standing, blocking their view.

‘Why the fuck has the statue been put back there?’ Isaac roared. ‘Anisha! Get the first aid box. Ganapati! The keys for the boat.’

Sophia glanced over her shoulder at the ocean. The ashram ferry was already a few hundred yards out on its first trip of the morning.

Elbowing her way through the crowd, she stopped, her heart in her mouth, memories cutting into her skin and down to the bone.

Grace was on the floor of the temple, blood on her hands as she clutched her ankle. The statue of Shiva was lying face down on the floor. Isaac was holding Grace and trying to talk to her as she sobbed.

Swami Vishnu waved a bell, and people’s heads turned his way. ‘Who is she sharing a room with?’

A couple of hands went up.

‘Go as quickly as you can and pack her a bag.’

Anisha barrelled into the temple carrying a green box and dropped to Isaac’s side.

‘Anisha,’ Swami Vishnu continued loudly over the sound of Grace’s cries. ‘Get whatever Hanuman needs for another trip to the hospital.’

Leaving the box with Isaac, Anisha ran off.

‘Satsang will reconvene in fifteen minutes. Everyone, please leave the temple immediately.’

Sophia couldn’t move, her eyes glued to Grace and Isaac, her heart pounding and her breath ragged.

Jessica took her hand. ‘Come on, let’s go back to ours.’

Tearing her gaze away, Sophia followed Jessica out and along the beach to their little chalet.

Sitting on the deck, Sophia stared at the low building of the temple on their left and the edge of the dock behind it.

‘You okay?’ Jessica asked.

Sophia shook her head, numb with shock.

‘Hang on.’

Her friend disappeared back inside the room, then reappeared with two tiny bottles and handed one to Sophia.

‘The Caribbean’s finest rum, and hidden well enough so that my food thief didn’t find them. I was saving these for our last day on the island, but I think we should drink them now.’

Sophia unscrewed the cap. ‘Thank you. I feel—’ She broke off, her emotions too fractured to vocalise.

---