‘Yes, becauseobviouslyI will be your ideas man.’
‘You’re finally going to hang up your nomadic lifestyle and come join us mortals in the real world?’
Jacob shot her a look of disgust. ‘Not a chance! Haven’t you heard of remote working? I can just email you.’
‘Oh yes, because you always reply so quickly and efficiently.’ Her comment made him wince. ‘I need my ideas guy in the office at my beck and call.’
‘Aha! Here she is. The corporate, ball-busting, bad-ass boss. I knew she was hiding in there somewhere.’ He poked her ribs gently.
‘Hey, I’m not a ball-buster. I’m just strong-minded. There’s a difference, you know.’
‘I see. Let me guess, you were a red personality type in all those leadership tests they made you do?’
‘I was a mix of red and yellow, actually.’ Olivia narrowed her eyes. ‘And how do you know about those personality tests?’
‘I did have a job once, you know.’
‘Oh yes, the corporate Jacob that nobody knows about. I wonder what he was like,’ she teased playfully.
‘He was just as handsome.’ Jacob winked. ‘But apart from that, completely different.’
‘Tell me more.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I’m curious. You know so much about me and I know hardly anything about you.’
‘You know loads about me.’
‘Not really. I know you grew up in Surrey, and that’s about it.’
‘And that’s probably the most exciting part.’
‘Hey, stop deflecting.’
‘Look, I don’t like to talk about my life back home.’ His voice dropped. It wasn’t harsh or angry, but the tone had changed. There was a firmness to it, a steeliness that wasn’t there before. ‘It’s so long ago that it doesn’t even feel like it belongs to me any more. I’m not the same person I was, so to me, it’s irrelevant.’
Olivia’s brain was overrun with questions, but she knew that asking them would push Jacob further than he was willing to go.
‘And in all honesty,’ he continued, drawing patterns in the sand with his toes, ‘there’s nothing much to say. I’m an only child, my mum and dad are divorced. I don’t speak to my dad. My mum and I stay in basic contact. I was bored of living the same old life that everyone else did, so I left and never looked back.’
‘I see.’ She sat up, brushing the sand from her arms. A few moments of silence passed before Jacob lifted his head and smiled. A simple gesture, but one that eased the building tension instantly.
‘Anyway, how are you feeling about coming to the end of your trip? I bet you’re looking forward to seeing your family again, right? Are you close to them?’
‘Erm …’
Don’t go back to me, don’t go back to me.
‘Kind of. My brother and I have a strange relationship. We don’t see or speak to each other a lot, but we’re still close.’
‘And your sister?’
Olivia’s heart contracted.
‘Yeah … she’s …’ The words were rushing up her throat. ‘She’s …’
Tears pricked her eyes and her chest ached with the weight of the grief. She had allowed it too much freedom lately, and now it believed it could come out whenever it pleased. But not with him. She couldn’t let it, with him.
