A wide grin spreads across Ruby’s face. “Okay, then, wild child.”
She flings her shoes to the side carelessly. One actually lands in the plant pot I hid behind yesterday, which feels like some kind of weird sign. Gabriel laughs and goes, “Okay.” Leo shrugs, empties his pockets of his phone and hotel key card, and then sidles up to the edge of the pool in between Ruby and Simone, joining hands. I take Ruby’s other hand. Gabriel takes my spare hand in his. He has very strong, warm hands.
“Ready?” Ruby asks, glancing down the line.
“Ready,” we chorus.
“Three… two… one!”
We jump together.
Bloody hell. The white shirt has gone see-through. Hisabs.
Whatever swimwear he’s selling, I’ll buy it.
“You are a lot of fun, Freya,” Gabriel says, after climbing out of the pool.
Ruby, Simone, and Leo are walking back into the hotel, giggling away.
“You think so?” I say.
“I think so.”
I smile shyly, looking down at the ground. He comes closer and then as I lift my head to look up at him, he leans in to kiss me. In a sopping-wet white shirt, under a sky full of stars.
I appear to have stepped into a romance novel.
And it ismagnificent.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Here’s a question for you: How could a delayed flight home with a raging hangover and my ex-boyfriend on the same flight possibly get worse?
A call from my mother. That’s how.
“Hello?” I answer, not bothering to check the caller ID because I can’t muster the energy to open my eyes.
“Darling!”
“Oh god.”
“Hello, sweetheart,” she trills, delighted that I’ve picked up her call on the first go. “How are you? Are you abroad? I got the foreign dial tone beep!”
“Yes, I’m in France. I’m at the airport flying home. I’m actually at the gate and the flight is boarding so I’d better—”
“You sound very croaky! Do you have a sore throat?”
“No. I—”
“It’s all that city pollution. It’s not good for you, darling. I’ve always said that! I’ll send you some hot drink recipes that will sort that throat out for you in no time, and no need to take any medication. Now, is fenugreek readily available to you?”
“Huh?”
“Fenugreek, it’s a plant, darling. The seeds are just right for this sort of thing. Works wonders in tea form. Don’t worry, I’ll send all the ingredients over to you this week.”
“The flight is boarding,” I lie, holding my head in my hands as her voice vibrates through my poor little head, “so I should go.”
“Of course, lovely to talk to you and we’ll have a longer chat maybe when you’re home. I wanted to discuss… well, I wanted to come see you! Do a little trip and spend some time with you. I thought that might be a nice idea.”
