I’m finding it harder and harder to remember why being with Ethan is a bad idea. Because every look, every word, every action, shows me how perfect it could be. If only we weren’t so broken.
Chapter Thirty-One
Ethan
As always, Sadie is front and centre as we tour Karim’s village. Asking questions, smiling and laughing with the children, chatting with the women, even though they don’t speak each other’s languages. Tasting freshly baked bread. Admiring the crops and the village hall.
While we sit drinking tea in Karim’s courtyard, I risk a look at her face. For the most part, I try and avoid looking at her at all because I my instinct was right, she’s somehow become even more attractive since she arrived in Egypt.
It may be winter here, but the sun has put a glow on her face, and her eyes sparkle with interest and energy. She’s a firework in human form. And I’m in danger of getting burnt.
I didn’t miss the look Riley gave her when she almost fell off the camel. I suspect something was said because Sadie has been very careful to avoid talking to me when Riley has been around ever since.
And it hasn’t escaped my notice it was around this time Riley stopped flirting with me. Not that I’m not relieved by that development. I am. I’m also suspicious. Because it suggests Riley has an agenda. Or maybeshe’ssuspicious.
That’s all we need. Suspicions. We’ve both worked so hard at staying away from each other. At being above suspicion. At doing nothing that could be viewed as inappropriate. And it’s been damn hard work. Because Sadie is magnetic. If Riley goes starting rumours and turning nothing into something, it will really piss me off.
Okay, it’s not nothing. My feelings for Sadie haven’t magically gone away like I hoped they would. If anything, they’ve become more insistent. But neither of us have said or done anything untoward, inappropriate, or even slightly questionable since our wonderful, terrible, heartbreaking trip to Bangalay.
The trip during which I told her, unequivocally, that I was not ready to move on. Now, less than three months later, I’m thinking about a relationship with the woman who told me, unequivocally, she wasn’t interested in a relationship. Particularly with me. I really need to get my head on straight and pick a lane.
Whatever the case, after the look we exchange as we’re getting back on the boat, I decide it’s probably a good idea to keep my distance, so I make a point of sitting at the other end of the deck until we’ve eaten dinner.
Because I see the way Riley watches us. Eyes flicking back and forth between us. The way her head tilts when either Sadie or I speak to one another. As though she’s listening to more than the words being spoken.
I also see the adoration in Sayed’s eyes when he looks at Sadie. As he fetches cushions for her. Or brings her tea. Or points out things she might be interested in photographing. None of whichare his job. He’s already picked up on Ashraf’s nickname for her. Amira.
I can’t say I blame him. I’m completely enchanted by her myself. I realise as soon as this dig is over, we need to sit down and have a serious discussion about our relationship. Because pretending there’s nothing there is not working. Ignoring my feelings in the hope they’ll go away is not working. Denying she has feelings is not working. And if life has taught me one thing, it’s that time is precious, and you shouldn’t waste it. Because you have no idea when it might run out.
There’s still mist on the glassy water of the Nile when Khaled starts the engines the next morning. Karim and a couple of men from the village are working the nearby field as we sail by, and they wave us off.
Eventually, the students start making their way on deck in various states of disrepair. The Cambridge boys were up late playing cards and drinking whisky. Simon and Jeremy look like they’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards, and there’s no sign of Bart. Sadie is happily editing photos on her laptop while nibbling on the breakfast Marwa has laid out for us to graze on.
“Do you think maybe there’s something wrong with the water?” Garret asks as he climbs the stairs to the deck. He looks a little anxious, although that’s not unusual for him.
“Why?” A ripple of unease runs through me. Contaminated water in Egypt is no joke.
“Well, it tastes awful. I just cleaned my teeth, and it was foul.”
“You didn’t use the tap water?” If he has, we need to be prepared for a whole lot of upchucking.
“No. Of course not. It was the bottle …”
“Hey guys, check this out.” Bart, who is sharing a cabin with Garret, comes up behind him, holding up a toothbrush and a bar of soap.
“Eww. What happened to that?” Riley asks, nose screwed up in disgust, while Jeremy and Simon fall about laughing.
The toothbrush head is ragged, gnaw marks on the side, and large chunks of the soap have been carved away.
“Bart, you idiot. Did you forget to put your toothbrush in its holder again?”
“What have I told you over and over? Don’t drink the water and …?”
“Don’t leave your toothbrush out,” chorus Simon and Jeremy.
“Why?” asks Riley.
“Rats,” shouts Simon. “They love a bit of soap. And a toothbrush.”
