“We have.” Her hair blew wildly around her head with the wind, her face make-up free, making her look younger. “You’re worried we’ll cross a different line?”
“It’ll be public understanding that we’re together. If you move here, it’ll make it awkward for any relationships we have. You know that too.” I still held her, even though there was no one to see.
I’d held her before on this beach, many times, but never this close. I hated the idea that there was someone who intended to cause her physical harm and was causing her emotional harm. If I could get my hands on the person going by the name Peter Cash, I would, and the end wouldn’t be pretty.
“I know. I had boyfriends who didn’t cope well knowing that you were my friend. You know that too. But if I’m going to be serious with someone and they’re worth my time, they’ll learn to deal with it.” Her fingers weaved through my hair, pulling on threads, pressing on my scalp in a way that made me want to lie down and let her touch me however she wanted. “We don’t have to do this if it’s going to be a problem. I’d rather get different advice if pretending we’re a thing is going to spoil future stuff.”
“I’m fine with it, Zoey, I just wanted to make sure you were.”
I got that smile, her amused one that made me think I was missing something.
“Want to practice a kiss?” There was mirth in her eyes.
“I’m pretty good at kissing. You may remember.” My hands held her low on her waist, the curve of her backside just under where I could feel. Her curves were fuller than when we were teenagers; we’d both filled out, but I’d never been more aware of it than now.
“But we might not be good at kissing each other anymore. It might be awkward. We don’t want an awkward kiss when there’s someone watching who’ll report back. If Peter Cash thinks I’m pretending he’s going to get even more angry.”
I wasn’t sure about her argument, and I was pretty sure I was being played by her for some reason, but I leaned my head down anyway, letting her meet me more than halfway.
She pressed her lips to mine, her hands light on the back of my head. For a moment it was awkward, a pause where I second guessed what I was about to do because this was crossing a long-enforced boundary. I’d come back from kissing her when I was eighteen. I wasn’t so sure it was going to be as easy now, and it hadn’t been easy back then.
When the kiss started, the world stopped. She tasted sweet and her lips were soft, but this was different than all those years ago when she was hesitant, maybe a little shy. She demanded more, our mouths opening and the kiss deepening at her insistence, and I wasn’t going to stop her. My heart raced, singing a victory song and something inside me settled.
Something else was waking up.
“Wow.” Zoey moved back. “I don’t think making a kiss look real’s going to be a problem. I felt that in places I shouldn’t.”
I didn’t smile. “We should be convincing then.” I looked at the sky, always a good distraction technique. “My guess is that it’s going to rain in half an hour or so, so if you want to spook yourself out, we need to get a move on.”
“Fair enough. You don’t think we need more practice then?”
We didn’t, but I would’ve taken it. “I think we’ll be just fine.”
“Then loosen up and pretend that you’re madly in love with me, just while we walk across the beach.” She entwined her fingers with mine again, walking closer this time. “I think you’re right, it’s going to rain.”
The heavens opened just as we got to the site, thick, ballooned drops of rain hammering down and splashing over us and everything else. It was one of those deluges that came in from nowhere and proceeded to spend itself just as quick, the sort of downpour that a boat might find itself in trouble with. I was on call, the knowledge of which had me retreat into a dry enclave in the trees next to the site, the leaves underneath my feet dry and crispy. There I could check my phone to see if I’d missed anything.
“All okay?” Zoey followed me in, aware I could be called out. She’d caught more of the rain than I had, some of her curls that’d escaped her hood stuck to her face.
“All quiet on the Menai front. We’ll head back as soon as this eases up.” I threw an arm around her and pulled her closer, exactly the same thing I’d usually do. “Remember when we sheltered here before?”
“About five years ago? I think we were here for about two hours.” She leaned against me, her back against my front, her head tucked under my chin. “My phone died. It was bliss.”
“That’s why you want to move here, don’t you?”
“Because I like getting caught in rainstorms?” A roll of thunder disagreed with it being a rainstorm.
“Because you have an excuse to get away from everything.” I checked my phone again, holding it in front of us so I could keep my arms around her. “I need to check in with Gully.”
“Is he still worried about everyone every time it thunders?” Zoey knew Gully’s story. His friend and wife’s sister, Ivy, had died in a thunderstorm when she was on the island. She’d been a daredevil and was high on endorphins after finishing writing a book, so she’d taken her motorbike for a ride along the coastal path, which wasn’t ideal. Her bike had skidded over the edge known as Lovers Heights, and she hadn’t made it.
Thunderstorms bothered Gully still, which we all knew because he didn’t do much quietly, so we all knew to check in with him so he knew we were safe. I figured now it was more of an excuse to check in for all sorts of reasons, but none of us questioned it.
“Still. Always will be. Rory’s cute with him when it thunders and she’s with him. She sits on his knee until it stops and tries to reassure him.” I slipped my phone back in my jacket pocket. The rain was still battering down, casting the old stones under a dark afternoon light.
“I could do with that now. This place is spookier than normal.” She turned round to face me, still wrapped in my arms. “Will you feel better if we lay some rules around pretending to be a couple?”
“Like what?”
