‘Are you going to keep this on now?’ Luca asked, waving to the caravan.
‘Yes, I am.’ She hadn’t been sure before, but over the past couple of days she had made up her mind to keep it. She loved the freedom of it, and the peace – and with her mother gone, she could make more use of it. She would be able to come here on the spur of the moment, whenever the mood took her – just throw some stuff into the car and go. The idea was very appealing. ‘It’s nice to have somewhere to escape to. And when the weather’s like this, it’s lovely to just hop in the car and really make the most of it.’
‘It’s perfect. Though I think it would be great in any weather.’
‘Yeah, it is. I love being at the beach at any time of year.’ There was a special kind of cosiness about being snuggled up in the caravan listening to rain pelting down outside. ‘I might come here to write sometimes,’ she said. ‘You can use it, too, if you ever want to get away, to paint or whatever.’
‘Really?’
‘Sure – any time. It’s just sitting here. I’d like people to enjoy it. And Mum would have liked you to use it,’ she said. ‘She was very fond of you, you know.’
He reached out and stroked her hair. ‘I was fond of her. I wish I could have known her longer.’
They were just finishing off the last of the wine when Aideen appeared along the path. Claire willed her to pass by, but she strolled up to the table, smiling broadly at Luca. She was wearing cargo shorts and a crop top, revealing an expanse of tanned stomach and a sparkly belly-button ring. Her long blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail.
‘Hi, again,’ she said to Luca, her smile faltering a little as her gaze moved to Claire.
‘Hi.’ Luca smiled back. ‘Claire, this is Aideen. Aideen,Claire.’
‘Hello.’ Claire forced a friendly smile.
‘Hi, Claire. This is the friend you’re here with?’ she asked Luca.
‘Yep.’
‘Oh, I thought… Anyway, I just came to invite you over for a drink. Um… both of you. We’re down there, third on the right.’ She waved in the direction she had come.
‘Thanks,’ Luca said.
‘Just drop over whenever you like.’
‘Thanks,’ Claire smiled, ‘but I think we’re going to have an early night.’ She took Luca’s hand in both hers, turning it over and stroking the palm, playing with the soft pads of his fingers. ‘Aren’t we?’
‘Um… yeah,’ he said uncertainly, frowning down at their hands. ‘Thanks anyway,’ he looked up at Aideen and smiled.
‘Okay. Some other time maybe.’ She turned to go.
Luca went to withdraw his hand as she walked away, but Claire held onto it, intertwining her fingers with his.
‘Claire…’
Still holding his hand, she leant in and kissed the corner of his mouth, willing him to meet her halfway. She hardly knew what she was doing, acting purely on instinct. She just knew she didn’t want him to be with that girl – or any girl except her. She kissed the other side of his mouth coaxingly.
‘Claire… stop.’ He looked cross as he snatched his hand away. He stood abruptly, collecting the empty dishes from the table, and stomped into the caravan.
Claire gathered up the glasses and empty wine bottle and followed him. He was throwing the dishes into the sink with a clatter, his back rigid with tension as he leant on thecounter. She dumped the glasses on the table and went over to him.
‘Luca.’ She put a hand on his shoulder and when he turned to face her, she swooped in and kissed him again. His lips were firm, and tasted fresh and briny, like the sea. But they were unyielding, and then he was pushing her away.
‘Jesus, Claire, give me a break!’ he yelled, as he held her at arm’s length.
She flinched at the harshness of his tone.
‘Sorry.’ He released her and raked a hand through his hair. ‘But I’m trying to be a friend here, and you’re not making it easy. You said you don’t want us to be… together that way any more so I’ve kept my distance. You wanted me to keep my hands to myself, and I have. But you can’t keep doing this. I don’t know what you want from me.’
‘I want this,’ she said, putting her hand on the back of his neck and pulling his face down.
He leant his forehead against hers, resisting the pressure of her hand urging him to go the last couple of centimeters. ‘No,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘You don’t.’
