When I step outside, Delaney’s sitting in the egg chair, facing the view.
‘Hey,’ I say, getting her attention.
‘Oh, hey,’ she replies.
And then she does something typically Delaney – she tries to get out of the chair. But her feet don’t quite touch the ground and it swings violently, just like it did last time. I drop my duffel onto the floor and reach out to steady the chair.
‘Try now,’ I say and she hoists herself out, stumbling, and I catch her by the arm. ‘You okay?’
‘Yep.’ She forces a smile. ‘I guess I should steer clear of it if you’re not going to be around to help me. Can you imagine? “Did you hear what happened to Delaney Cole?”’ she says dramatically. ‘“She got stuck in a hanging chair on Capri and they didn’t find her till it was too late.”’
‘That’s rather macabre,’ I say, narrowing my eyes at her. My mouth twitches of its own accord, ignoring that I’m cross with her.
‘I really am sorry about the room,’ she says, suddenly earnest. Her eyes search mine, asking for forgiveness.
‘It’s okay,’ I say with a sigh, my frustration evaporating, ‘I’m just as much to blame.’
‘I don’t follow,’ she says with a cock of her head. ‘Did Vittorio offer it to you too? I thought he said?—’
‘No, what I meant was… I didn’t try very hard to find alternative accommodation. In fact, I didn’t try at all. And then I pretended – at least to myself – that I had no choice. But the truth is, I could have done something – camped out in a park or called around to the hotels and asked about staff accommodation – even bribed one of the skippers to get me to the mainland. I could have done a number of things, but I didn’t do any of them. Because I wanted to stay here with you. And then last night…’
I shake my head, dropping my gaze to the tiled floor. ‘I can’t be around you and not want to bewithyou.’
‘But you’re engaged.’
‘I am,’ I say, looking up to meet her eye. ‘And for that to change, I need to?—’
‘You need to talk to Pippa – in person,’ she cuts in.
‘Yes. And there’ll be…’ At the thought of what’s to come, I gulp in a ragged breath, then huff it out. ‘There’ll be a catastrophic amount of fallout.’
‘I can imagine. Twelve years is a long time.’
It’s good of her to be so understanding, but we’re talking about different things.
‘Well, yes, but I meant my parents – my mum in particular. It’s hard enough on her that I didn’t go into medicine… In her mind, marrying her best friend’s daughter was some sort of consolation. And now…’
‘I’d tell you I get it, but my moms have always been supportive.’
‘Even of your dysfunctional relationship with Nicholas?’ I ask.
She inhales sharply, hurt scuttling across her face, then morphing into embarrassment.
‘Sorry,’ I say quickly, ‘that was out of order.’Whydid I so recklessly rub salt in her wounds? She doesn’t deserve that.
‘Yeah, that wasn’t very nice. Even if it’s true.’
Should I apologise again – or leave it?
‘You know, if I add up all the days Nicholas and I have spent together, it’s less than three months – maybe closer to two,’ she says, looking away.
For a moment I’m taken aback, but if Delaney needs to talk about Nicholas, the least I can do is be a friendly ear.
‘But you’ve had the time in between – phone calls and messages. That time counts too.’
‘Does it?’ she asks, her brows shooting up. ‘It’s not like he’s pining over me when we’re not together – that’s only on my end. Even this whole situation – he was pissed off about the mix-up, but that was the inconvenience of it. He doesn’t give a fuck that we’re not together right now.’
‘I doubt it’s that bad. Surely, he misses you?’