Page 81 of An Island in the Sun

Tabitha studied him, wondering if he really did want her back in his life as just a friend. ‘Can I ask you something?’

‘Anything.’

‘Remember way back in our third year in Cardiff, we had a party at our student house one night and you ended up crashing in my bed?’

He held her gaze, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

‘It was the night we kissed,’ she prompted, ‘the one and only time.’

He nodded, a hint of a smile beginning to form. ‘Yeah, I remember.’

‘How did you feel about it?’

‘About us kissing?’ He laughed, dropped the towel on the beanbag and moved closer. ‘Let me remind you.’

Before she could react, his lips were on hers, his damp hands dipping under the edge of her dungarees and beneath her T-shirt, finding bare skin. He kissed her harder, his tongue probing, his hands caressing. She closed her eyes and kissed him back.

He pulled away and grinned. ‘Does that answer your question?’

She met his familiar blue eyes. ‘It certainly does.’

36

Ollie kissing her was the deciding factor for Tabitha. She’d kissed him back to give him a second chance, to see if this time she’d feel any differently. She hadn’t. She appreciated his good looks, admired what he had achieved and was glad of his friendship, but he did nothing for her, not compared to the way she felt with Raff… She’d never seen the attraction Ollie had for her because she’d never felt that way about him. Ollie welcoming her back into his life wasn’t about repairing their friendship, that was long gone. Time and distance had allowed Ollie to believe the possibility of romance was there, while for Tabitha his kiss had had the same effect as the first time. Yes, she could have used him, gone along with it, furthered her career, written and toured with him, but she didn’t want to wind up in bed with him, she didn’t want to be a focus of the media circus that surrounded him. She still thought of him as the Ollie she’d met at eighteen and a relationship beyond friends just didn’t feel right.

Tabitha considered letting him down gently, but she decided he needed to hear the truth. ‘You mistook me reaching out after all this time for feelings that just aren’t there. You were my best friend and, despite everything, I hope we can remain friends, but I don’t want to be with you. You broke my heart through your actions and I can never be with someone I don’t trust. Not to mention you’ve just split up with your girlfriend. I’m not going to be a rebound to make you feel better.’

Ollie folded his arms. ‘Tabs, you know that’s not what this is.’

‘Maybe, maybe not, but try thinking about me for once and whatImight want. There’s nothing more than friendship between us, of that I’m sure.’

He laughed off the rejection and called her a taxi. They said goodbye and it felt good to walk away. This time she wasn’t running away from a difficult situation and confusing feelings like she’d done a year ago with Lewis. She was choosing a new and exciting path for herself, which she realised was exactly what she’d been doing since the night Ollie had claimed her song as his own. She’d stood on her own two feet and carved out a successful career for herself, by herself. She didn’t need the likes of Ollie Pereira back then and she certainly didn’t now.

* * *

Tabitha caught her flight to Lisbon, messaged her sister about her decision and stayed the night in a hotel at the airport before flying to Bristol early the next morning. After a taxi ride and a train journey, she made it to Cardiff Central Station.

Elspeth’s beaming smile and welcome familiarity was everything she needed and Tabitha couldn’t help but laugh and cry as they hugged each other.

They chatted all the way back in the car about the girls and the first wedding in the newly renovated barn, about Gethin being left at home looking after the kids and their glampers while cooking dinner. It was as if Elspeth understood that Tabitha wasn’t ready to talk about herself, to relive the events and the emotions that had led her to being back in the UK, and Tabitha was grateful for her sister’s sensitivity. It was only when they turned off the main road and bumped down the track to The Wildflower Hideaway that Elspeth turned the conversation round to Tabitha.

‘I had hoped you’d turn up here with Raff,’ Elspeth said gently as she pulled up in front of the whitewashed cottage with honeysuckle and ivy on either side of the front door.

Tabitha sighed. ‘He came back, you know, to make amends with his parents. Your advice helped and it was the best outcome.’

‘For him, maybe.’ Elspeth gave her a knowing look.

‘Yes, for him.’ She found it hard to talk about Raff without feeling a knot tightening in her chest. ‘I hope he manages to piece together their relationship.’

Elspeth switched off the engine. ‘You didn’t think to invite him here?’

‘He took me so much by surprise, turning up just as I was leaving. Anyway, it was all a bit of a muddle as I was about to see Ollie…’

Before either of them could say anything else, the front door opened and Olivia and Nancy streamed out, all long strawberry-blonde hair and beaming faces as they danced about in front of the cottage, peering through the car window with massive grins.

Tabitha’s anxiety melted away and her thoughts about Raff dispersed as she got out of the car to a chorus of ‘Auntie Tabitha! Auntie Tabitha!’ before being enveloped in the warm squishy hugs she’d been longing for.

‘Let poor Auntie Tabitha at least get in the house!’ Elspeth laughed as she slammed the car door shut.

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