It opens, and we both step through.
Inside the small secluded garden, has been tidied up. The small plunge pool has been cleared of all the debris. Next to it is the round daybed, washed and clean with an enormous umbrella.
I walk towards the villa. It has two bedrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs.
The door light clicks green as I touch the card to it.
“Thank you,” I say to Jax, who’s stood behind me, his eyes taking in our surroundings.
“You’re welcome,” he says.
His eyes meet mine, and an awkward silence passes between us. He opens his mouth but closes it again.
“Goodnight, Kat.”
He turns and walks away.
I don’t move until the gate closes behind him.
As promised, all my belongings have been placed in the walk-in wardrobe. I move into the master bedroom. An enormous double bed sits in the centre of the room. A TV in the corner. A large double glass door looks out over the beach and sea, beyond the hedge.
I move to the bathroom. A large bright space. The walk-in shower overlooks the garden, although it’s concealed from view. A double sink unit has pride of place, with a concealed toilet area for privacy.
My toiletries are all on the side waiting for me.
I prepare for bed, the silence deafening.
I pull open the double doors. The sound of the water lapping on the shore is comforting.
Outside on a veranda, a sofa is covered in plush cushions. I take a seat in the dark, drawing my knees up, watching the moonlight shimmer across the water. My mind drifts back to my conversation with Jax before Mr Baskin interrupted, how he was allowing himself to take a step back. How I wanted to open up and share my thoughts and dreams for the project. How I’d shared that dream with only my father before.
I close my eyes and exhale deeply.
Jax has that effect on me, he always has. I shared more with him in the few months we were together than I’ve ever shared with anyone else, including Zach.
My eyes grow heavy as the sound of the lapping sea soothes my racing mind. I drag myself into bed, dropping onto the mattress and forcing my mind to rest.
I wakeup to an eerie silence. In Jax’s villa, you could hear people moving around outside, making their way to breakfast, or heading back to their villa. This morning, there’s nothing.
I throw back the covers and get ready for breakfast. I head to the main restaurant.
“Has Mr Lockwood been in for breakfast yet?” I ask one of the servers.
“Yes, Mam. He was in earlier. I think he was heading out on one of the boat trips.”
I force a smile, a sudden heaviness weighing down my body.
“Of course, thank you.”
Damn, I wanted to apologise. I should’ve told him straight away after Mr Baskin called. Let him know I was moving out. It’s not like I had a choice.
Why hadn’t I?
I pinch the bridge of my nose to stem the headache that is beginning to form behind my eyes.
Yesterday was the first time I’d felt connected to someone in a long time. We discussed business in the morning, bounced ideas off one another, discussed plans, and then by the afternoon, we were talking… like old friends.
Then, by the end of the evening, we’d taken a thousand steps backwards, and it was all my fault.
