Page 30 of Footprints in the Sand
She knew that she’d used the word “friend” as a hint to him that she didn’t really care about him. But she knew he saw the word “friend” as a challenge to prove they were something else.
Were they something else? Could they be?
Suddenly, Nico’s face was closer to hers than it had ever been, and he whispered, “Can I kiss you, Eva?”
Eva’s stomach tightened into knots. Forcing her eyes back into his, she willed herself not to be frightened. She willed herself to open her heart to change.
“Okay,” she said.
The kiss that came next was better than any Fourth of July fireworks. It made Eva weak at the knees. Nico’s arms were around her, and he was kissing her gently, making her feel as though she were melting like butter on a hot summer day.
They kissed for ten minutes, for a half hour, for nearly forty-five minutes. They kissed as though they were teenagers who’d just discovered what kissing was.
When they came up for air, Nico picked her up and threw her overboard. Eva laughed wildly until she plunged into the turquoise blue, staying under the surface for longer than was necessary, opening her eyes briefly to see the boat from below. When she came up for air, her eyes stung from the salt, and she lay on her back on the sailboat and watched the clouds flicker across the sky. Nico swam for a while and then cut some fruit, cheeses, and baguettes for a beautiful snack. He refilled their glasses of wine.
Eva wondered how often he did this with other women, then decided she didn’t care. It was her turn to feel this good.
Later, Eva wouldn’t remember why she asked him what she did next.
“Do you know why Jean-Paul doesn’t like Kostos? Or didn’t like him.”
Immediately, the air on the boat shifted and became tense. Eva got up on her elbows and looked over at Nico, who was scowling.
“What did that Frenchman say about Kostos?” he asked darkly.
Eva realized she’d stepped in it. “I don’t know. I guess I don’t really remember.”
“You have to tell me what he said,” Nico urged, trying on a smile.
“Why?” Eva’s stomach soured.
Nico got up and walked over to where she was lying. He wrapped his hand around her ankle and sighed. “I don’t know what he told you. I don’t know what he knows. But what you have to remember is, Kostos is, or was, my family. There are family secrets that are better left secret. And if Jean-Paul is running around, talking about my family? I need to do something about that.”
“He didn’t say anything specific,” Eva said finally, her voice tinny. “He just said that Kostos was greedy. Money-obsessed.”
“Well, Jean-Paul doesn’t think about money because he comes from money.” Nico flared his nostrils.
“He doesn’t seem to have very much money,” Eva returned, feeling protective of her friend Jean-Paul. More than that, she regretted having said anything.
“He’s from Paris. I’m sure his grandmother is rich or something.” Nico scowled. “He didn’t tell you anything else?”
Eva shook her head.
“He shouldn’t speak ill of the dead like that,” Nico said.
Eva was quiet for a moment, wondering if she’d ruined everything.
Nico said, “Dimitra doesn’t even know about all of our family secrets. It’s really best if you keep all this to yourself. Okay?”
Eva was surprised. She’d assumed Dimitra was in on all their family secrets. After all, she was related to Nico by blood—and Kostos had married in.
“Dimitra has been living in a cloud since Kostos’s accident,” Nico said, his voice softening. “I don’t want any bad news to get back to her. I want her to be able to remember Kostos the way he was with her. Loving, kind, good. What good would it do to tell her otherwise? She has to live her life without him. She shouldn’t feel haunted by everything she didn’t know.”
Eva was surprised at how lucid Nico sounded. But the way he described Dimitra and Kostos’s relationship made her burn with still more curiosity. It was clear that many people thought Dimitra was unaware of certain aspects of Kostos. It was clear they were trying to protect her. But why?
Soon after this bump in the road, Nico and Eva found their way back to one another, kissing until the sun dimmed in the night sky and sent them back to the harbor. After they tied up, Nico followed Eva down the main road along the coast, passing by numerous restaurants and waving hello to the servers and owners he’d grown up with. By now, Eva knew them all by name and face as well. She knew they would gossip about seeing Eva and Nico together. More than that, she guessed that Nico’s mother wouldn’t be pleased.
Let them think whatever they want!Eva thought, which surprised her. When she’d been with Finn, she’d been worried about what everyone thought all the time. It had been exhausting.
