‘Sorry, I’ll try to be quicker,’ I say, as she shivers.
‘It’s just a bit of cold,’ she says tightly. ‘I’ll be fine.’
‘You’ve been out here a while. I don’t want you to catch a chill.’ It’s easier to be honest when she’s facing away from me.
‘You should.’
‘What?’
‘You should want me to get sick.’
‘Why would I want that, Carys?’
‘I said I wanted to beat you, didn’t I?’ She chuckles, but all the fire has gone out of it. ‘Getting sick would get me out of the way. That would be smart gameplay.’
‘Yeah, but then you’d get sympathy votes from the public for being all adorably snotty, wouldn’t you?’ I tease.
She laughs. ‘So you think I’d be adorable?’
‘To thousands of people who don’t know you, sure.’
‘Touché.’
This is getting alarmingly close to banter.
The last thread snips easily, and the tag comes away in my hand.
‘All done,’ I say. ‘Better?’
She pulls her top back up, and her eyes close like she’s slipping into a warm bath. ‘Thank you. I can’t tell you how horrible that felt.’
‘You’re welcome.’
Carys looks at me then and it feels like time slows down, just for a moment. I think she’s about to say something, perhaps acknowledge the almost friendly atmosphere between us. I wonder whether this truce can last.
Instead, she holds out her hand.
Into her open palm, I drop the packet of ear plugs, and the sleep mask, which she slides onto her forehead like a bizarre Alice band that rucks up all her hair.
‘Do you think you’ll manage back in there? We could set you up a sun lounger out here as a bed, like the dedicated boys do inCasa Amor.’
She looks nervously back towards the house. ‘I’lltryinside. It might be okay now I’m… you know. Calmer.’
I nod. ‘Do you want to—’
‘No.’ Her cheeks flush. ‘You were going to ask if I wanted to talk about it, right?’
‘Yes.’
She bites the side of her bottom lip. ‘You keep this secret, I’ll keep yours.’
I resist the urge to point out that I’m now keeping two forher, but I can only imagine what kind of speech she’s given herself about how straight she is now. ‘A trade and a truce. Careful, Carys, someone might suggest we’re friends.’
She drops her eyes to the floor. ‘I don’t think anyone will think that.’
That hurt. I guess whatever connection we had is over. In every form.
‘Whatever you want, Carys.’ I pull the blanket round me and stand up, ready to go back to the bedroom.
