Page 65 of Snug in Iceland
“It’s too late now, Gudrun. I can’t go to him again now, it was too hard to leave before. And I can’t offer a way forward either.” She wasn’t ready to share her idea with Gudrun and risk Jonas finding out that she was thinking about a way to stay. One thing was clear to Rachel, this was her decision with or without Jonas, not because of him. If she’d learned anything from the past few weeks it was that she had to be in charge of her own destiny and meandering alongside someone while they were on the way to their’s, wasn’t the way forward for her anymore.
“What will be will be,” said Gudrun wisely and slightly oddly, Rachel thought. “Ready?” She took Rachel’s hand and pulled her up from the sofa.
32
THE NEXT DAY Rachel languished in bed, allowing herself a little lie-in which was fine as long as she was at the shop for 11 am. Her last full day in Iceland. How different she felt from when she had arrived just a few weeks ago. It felt like she’d been away for months. Now that she was almost leaving, she let thoughts of returning to London into her mind, thoughts which she’d been actively ignoring for days and days. What was she going to do? Where was she going to go? She couldn’t go back to the loft as if nothing had happened and even if Adam would have her there, she knew it would be horrible living together. There was only one bed for a start. No, she had to face the future and make a plan.
“Christ, Rachel, it’s only 10 am here. And it’s Sunday. What fricking time is it in Iceland?”
It hadn’t occurred to Rachel that it would be too early to call Anna.
“It’s the same time, but it’s an emergency.”
“I’m in London, Rach. Not much use to you in an emergency at the moment.”
“Can I stay with you for a few days when I get back? I’m flying in tomorrow morning.”
“Oh my God, you’re actually coming back? Somehow I thought that Icelandic man might have swept you off your feet and I’d never see you again. Of course, you can stay as long as you like.”
“Thanks, Anna. I’ll go to the loft and pick some things up and then be round late afternoon.”
“Perfect. I’m in all day, working from home. See you whenever, I’ll have the wine ready and you can tell me everything.”
Well, that was the first immediate problem solved. Everything else could wait.
On her way to the shop, Rachel picked up coffee and pastries from Te & Kaffi for the last time. The shop was open but quiet when she arrived so she and Gudrun sat at the kitchen island with their coffee while the other two staff chatted and tidied the shelves.
“So, tonight is your last night?” asked Gudrun.
“Yep. Last day in the shop today.”
“I have a plan. It is the last chance for you to see the aurora. Olafur checked and the forecast is good so shall we drive outside the city and see if we are lucky?”
“That sounds like a great idea,” said Rachel enthusiastically. “Just the two of us?” Maybe Olafur and Jonas were going to tag along.
“Yes, Jonas can’t go anywhere and Olafur has to work,” she replied, reading Rachel’s mind.
“No, that’s fine. Thanks, Gudrun. It’ll be brilliant to do something like that before I go.”
“And bring your swimming costume because I have a cool place to show you on the way.”
“Do you have the folder for the Design Call handy? I just wanted to check something.”
“It’s on the desk in the office. Help yourself.”
Rachel leafed through the folder until she found Eldey’s details. She pulled out her phone and punched her number in.
“Eldey? It’s Rachel from the Snug store. I have an idea to run past you if you don’t mind?”
*
After work, Rachel waited outside the hotel with her swimming kit as instructed and she didn’t have to wait long before Gudrun came along to pick her up. It was already dark and Rachel knew she would spend most of the evening looking upwards because the skies looked clear.
“You have your swimming things?” Gudrun asked, looking at her bag.
“Yes, all set.”
“Great! Olafur just checked the aurora forecast to see where we should head after our swimming for the best chances. There are good predictions for tonight, we should be lucky,” she smiled.
