I sip my tea and try to keep the surprise off my face. Surprise at what he just said, and surprise at how it made me feel – warm inside. Better, like he said. As though everything is going to be okay…
There is no real logic to it, and it doesn’t make any sense, but he’s right. I feel exactly the same.
‘Why thank you, kind sir. I know what you mean. It’s like having an ally, isn’t it? Someone who’s always on your side, and likes you even when you’re being a dick? I don’t usually like people getting to know me. I usually like to keep things very surface-level, but with you it’s different.’
‘Why don’t you like people getting to know you?’ he asks seriously. I think about it and screw up my face in disgust.
‘I suppose because I always think that if someone really gets to know me, they won’t like what they find. I’m a hopeless case, aren’t I?’
He nods, his green eyes bright, a small smile playing on his lips. ‘I’m afraid so, yes. Probably best not to think about it too much.’
‘That’s my future life plan, right there – just don’t think about it. So, are you going to go back to the party?’
He nods, looking at me thoughtfully. ‘I should. I will. And so should you. I get that maybe you needed a break from the drunk people, and that you’re tired, and that you needed to escape for a bit. But can I persuade you to come back out there? I got all dressed up for the occasion, and now it’ll feel like a waste if I just sit in here drinking tea, then go back to my tent. It’s not very James Bond, is it?’
‘This is true,’ I say, looking at him appreciatively. ‘There’s more to James Bond than looking good in a suit. James Bond would definitely bring down a super villain and romance at least three women before the night was over. I’m not sure any of that’s possible in Starshine Cove, but we could at least go and look? Give me a minute though, because I really need to find my Converse. There’s no way I’m putting those stupid high heels on again!’
Within a few minutes we are outside, and I draw us to a pause, laying a hand on his arm. ‘Before we go back to the party, do you want to see something cool?’
‘That sounds like a dangerous question to answer.’
‘Don’t be a wuss! Come on, I want to show you something. I’ve been meaning to for weeks.’
I take hold of his hand and lead him down the side of the café. Night has started to fall, the sun sliding into the sea in a blaze of deep orange. I always love this time of day, when everything feels uncertain and magical – not quite one thing or the other, but drifting deliciously between the two. We get the absolute best sunsets in this part of the world, as good as anything I’ve seen living abroad. Even as a surly teenager I’d spend hours down here, gazing out to infinity, filled with a sense of wonder.
The music from the party drifts towards us as we walk along the beach, the old Van Morrison song, ‘Brown Eyed Girl’. It’s impossible not to sing along, though not quite as irresistible as the duh-duh-duh in ‘Sweet Caroline’.
I’m glad of my trainers as we approach the caves, because getting inside them involves a small amount of clambering over rocks and sliding between boulders. I’ve been doing this since I could walk, but it’s an ever-changing landscape – the sand, the waves, nature’s slow and steady dance making constant subtle alterations.
There’s just about enough natural light to illuminate the way in, darkening as we head further inside. The smell is the same as it ever was – seaweed, salt, the slightly metallic scent of the place. Sand and pebbles beneath my feet, the slight echoing of our breath as we walk deeper.
‘Okay,’ I say, once I know we’re in the right place. ‘Are you ready?’
‘I’m not sure,’ Guy replies, sounding slightly bewildered. ‘Am I? So far it’s… Well, it’s a cave.’
‘A-ha, yes, indeed – it is a cave! But it’s no ordinary cave and you, my friend, are about to see one of the unlisted wonders of the world.’
I switch on the flashlight on my phone, wishing I’d brought the torch instead. Or even better a candle, it always looks amazing in here with flickering light…
I hold the phone up and let the light dance all around. I smile as I hear Guy’s gasp, knowing how mind-melting this can be the first time you see it. The cave comes alive beneath the bright beam, shining walls of rock that shimmer and glitter and glint. Above us, around us, everywhere – we are completely surrounded by dazzling shades of silver and gold, green and blue, deep shades of purple and iridescent black. It’s as though someone has decorated the place with precious jewels, all hiding in plain sight until the light hits them.
‘What is this…?’ Guy mutters, laying his hands flat against the walls, running his fingers over the damp stone. ‘How…? How does it look like this?’
I slowly move the light around in a circle, picking out glimmers of red and pink and silver, a treasure trove of colour and sparkle. I’d almost forgotten quite how spectacular it is.
‘Nobody really knows,’ I tell him, thrilled with the look of wonder on his face. He is a practical man, a man not given to flights of fancy, and wonder looks good on him. ‘Well, I suppose somebody does, like a geologist or whatever. But when I was little, my mum used to just tell me it was magic, and that always seemed good enough for me.’
He nods, and smiles as he follows the beam. ‘Magic. Yeah. That’s a good word for it. It looks so normal until the light hits it…’
He turns back to me, stands inches away, the child-like look of delight still there.
‘Thank you,’ he says simply. ‘For showing me this. For sharing it with me. For everything you’ve done.’
I shake my head, confused. ‘I haven’t done anything, Guy.’
‘Yes, you have,’ he insists, his eyes intense in the flickering light. ‘You’ve listened to me. You’ve made me stronger. You’ve understood me. You’ve made me feel like I can do this – like I can stay and be better. Like I can build something here.’
He is so close I can feel his breath warm on my face and see the tiny flecks of gold in his eyes. I am alone in a sparkling cave with James Bond, and my heart rate is soaring. It’s not just the physical, though, it’s what he just said. The flash of hope it sparked inside me.
