Page 74 of An Island in the Sun

‘I like you too, Tabitha, but I can’t be here when my parents get back, I’m sorry. Even if they now know the truth. And everything’s my fault, okay? Don’t let them make you feel guilty for stuff I’ve done. I’m aware I put you in this position, but, um, I’d no idea when I turned up that night that you, well, would be quite as wonderful as you are.’ Their eyes locked momentarily before he brushed past her, the sincerity and meaning of his words snatched by the breeze sighing through the leaves of the palm trees. The stillness, peace and beauty of her surroundings evaporated, leaving a coldness clenching her stomach. She followed him inside, listening to the matter-of-fact words tumbling from him. ‘I’m all packed, I’ve booked a flight to Gatwick for later this evening. I popped round to Julie’s earlier to say goodbye and she’s going to take me to Funchal; she said to let her know when your flight is and she’ll be more than happy to take you too.’

‘I’m not going till tomorrow, after your parents are back,’ she said pointedly.

If he was feeling at all guilty, he was hiding it well. He glanced at his watch. ‘Julie will be waiting; I’d better go.’

Fighting back tears, Tabitha watched him pick up his rucksack and swing it over his shoulder. So this was it. This was how her time on Madeira was going to end, with Raff escaping as abruptly as he’d arrived, leaving her to face his parents alone.

‘So, you’re choosing to run away, rather than deal with any of this?’ Tabitha flung her arms in the air. She wondered if he understood that she included herself in that statement, not just his parents.

‘I have your number, you have mine…’

Tabitha laughed bitterly and shook her head. ‘Well, that’s all right then. See you around, eh?’

He walked to the door, Bailey and Fudge clattering after him. ‘Hey, you guys need to stay here.’ He squatted and tickled them both under their chins. He stood and met Tabitha’s eyes. ‘I’m going to miss you.’ Before she could reply, he yanked the door open and slipped out, closing it behind him before the dogs could escape.

Tabitha stood in the shadowed hallway, alone again apart from the dogs and cat. It was incredible the impact someone could have in such a short time. Whether he was a coward for not facing up to things or she was expecting too much from someone she was still getting to know, she knew she was a fool for allowing him to inch into her heart, yet here she felt she’d found something in Raff, something that had reignited a passion. But she’d made a mistake. She needed to accept that he’d been using her to get what he wanted – a place to stay and companionship, his actions suggesting their time together meant nothing. A short fling worked out perfectly for him.

* * *

With the afternoon marching on, Tabitha packed and cleared her belongings out of Cordelia and Rufus’s bedroom, stripped the bed and put the washing machine on; she’d sleep in the guest room again tonight. The scratch marks on the bottom of Cordelia and Rufus’s bedroom door were still there, not that she could do anything about them now beyond apologising and offering to pay for the damage. As she rushed around the villa, cleaning and tidying, the dogs followed her like little shadows, somehow understanding that something was up, neither of them settling down to sleep.

She didn’t hear anything further from Cordelia, so assumed their travel plans were on track and they’d get here later in the evening. Tabitha’s mind was in overdrive, wondering what they’d make of the whole situation, while she agonised about just how much she should tell them.

Elspeth messaged a couple of times to check how she was doing and Tabitha sent noncommittal replies, not wanting Elspeth to worry and phone her. A conversation with her sister right this minute would reduce her to tears. She just wanted to make it through the next few hours and get to the airport tomorrow before figuring out her next steps.

And then a message from Ollie pinged onto her phone.

I can’t get you out of my head, Tabs. So glad we’re friends again. Been thinking about you loads, about music, about us and the way things used to be. There’s a couple of weeks before the US tour starts. I know you’re here for a few more days, but after that, how about staying in Madeira for a bit longer, crash at my place and we can write songs together. Come on tour with me too. It’ll be like old times. I miss you like crazy. What do you think? Xx

Tabitha sat down on the guest bed with a thump. It had briefly crossed her mind to contact Ollie and stay on the island, but it had felt easier to change her flight and head to Lisbon for a few days alone as planned. Getting a message like this from Ollie on the day Raff had left, the day his parents were returning early, the day before she was leaving the island; was it fate? Facing up to things had been good for her and perhaps it was time to embrace opportunities and say yes, instead of running away.

She didn’t reply straight away, but mulled over Ollie’s proposition as she finished hoovering, not wanting Cordelia to find fault with anything apart from the small matter of Tabitha having let their estranged son stay.

With the bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen done, she was plumping up cushions in the living room when there was a knock on the glass.

Startled, Tabitha looked up. Julie was standing by the side of the open bifold doors, Fudge already on his way over to her, tail wagging.

‘Hi, Tabitha. I’ve just got back from taking Raff to Funchal. I wanted to make sure you’re okay?’

The emotions that she’d been trying to contain for the best part of the day came bubbling to the surface. She bit her lip and nodded.

‘It’s just Raff didn’t say much, but he seemed upset. I hear Cordelia and Rufus are coming home early?’

‘Yep,’ Tabitha said, ‘and despite me trying to convince him it would be a good thing to speak to them after so long, he thought otherwise, so left.’

Julie walked over, nodding slowly. ‘Old wounds, they’re hard to fix. If it’s any consolation, it’s difficult for him to open up and tell them how he feels.’

‘I get that, I do. It’s just…’ Tabitha rubbed her forehead. ‘Everything’s ended so suddenly and not in the way I wanted it to. I know it sounds crazy because we’ve only known each other a short time, but it honestly feels as if he’s walked out on me.’

‘Oh Tabitha.’ Julie tentatively put her arms around her. ‘I’m so sorry. It was obvious how much you two liked each other.’

Tabitha breathed deeply, comforted by Julie, her hug as gentle as she was. ‘It was inevitable that we’d go our own separate ways, I just wasn’t prepared for it to be so soon.’

33

A car pulling into the drive a couple of hours later set Tabitha’s heart racing. Bailey and Fudge lifted their heads and looked at Tabitha, then towards the garden. At the sound of the front door opening, they scrambled to their feet barking. With tails wagging, they raced to the door. There was scuffling, cries of ‘hello you two’ before Cordelia entered the living room, Bailey and Fudge chasing at her heels. She dumped her shoulder bag on the floor and crouched down, both dogs jumping into her outstretched arms as they tried to lick her face.

Rufus hobbled in on crutches with a pained expression.

---