I reached across the table, holding my hand out, palm up, for her to take. She glanced between it and me for a few seconds before she eventually slid her smooth palm on top of mine, allowing me to curl my fingers around hers.
“Don’t worry, angel eyes. I’ll show you what you’re capable of before you get back on that plane. Consider this the summer of discovery. Of showing your true colours to yourself. Once you leave this place, you’ll finally be free from the shackles of yourfear of genuine happiness. It’s my mission to make you come undone.”
All I could hope for after all this was done was that somehow, some way, I’d free myself from the very same shackles, too.
My thoughts were soon interrupted by the smiling waiter carrying two plates to our table and placing them down in front of us. “A burrata salad for you, ma’am,” he said to Phoebe. “And a burrata salad for you, sir.”
“Thanks,” I offered, but when he placed the food in front of me, I saw nothing but a white ball of something on top of a load of tomatoes, and one green leaf for garnish. I glanced up at Phoebe, who watched me as she picked up her knife and fork, wearing a curious smile.
“What the hell is this?” I asked once the waiter disappeared, picking up my knife and poking the spongy white ball of whatever the hell sat in the middle of my plate.
“It’s just cheese, Henry.”
“This is it? The whole dish? Just tomatoes and a blob of cheese?”
“That’s not a blob. It’s a piece of cheese art. There’s pesto on the dressing, too.”
“But… where’s the salad? Like, the green leaves and shit?”
“The tomatoes are the salad.”
“They’re seriously charging me ten euros for a ball of cheese and six slices of tomato?”
“It’s worth every single cent once you stop complaining and actually taste it.”
I glanced up just in time to see her push a forkful of this supposed cheese, tomato, and pesto goodness into her mouth, her eyes closing, and a small moan of appreciation rumbling in her delicate throat. “Mm.”
That one “mm” sold it.
She made it look like the greatest thing she’d ever tasted.
I had a feeling all Phoebe ever had to do to get me to comply was offer that quiet moan in my ear, and I’d fall to my knees and try whatever concoction of overpriced food she wanted me to.
I was becoming a madman for all her noises.
All the twinkles in her eyes, and those soft as hell smiles, too.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Phoebe
An hour after finishing our food, we were both on our third bottle of beer, although Henry had insisted I drink some water in between. Apparently, he was responsible like that. Whether just with me or with everyone he spent time with, I didn’t know, but the fact he cared enough to make sure I stayed hydrated warmed my chest almost as much as the sun warmed my skin. The same skin Henry couldn’t stop trailing his eyes over whenever he thought I wasn’t paying too much attention.
The fact he wanted to be here, asking questions about my life, made me worry this ‘thing’ between us might turn out to be a little more dangerous than I first anticipated, because Henry made it far too easy for anyone to fall under his spell.
I thought of Andy’s sister then. Of how deeply it sounded like she’d fallen in love with him, and how he’d eventually had to tell her he didn’t feel the same way.
The thought came to me like a splash of cold water to my face. I couldn’t become another version of her. I couldn’t let myself get carried away or share too much—feeltoo much.
He said something I had to fake a soft laugh at, having gotten lost in my own head.
“Where did you just go?” he asked, pulling my attention back to him and seeing his narrowed eyes and tilted head.
“Nowhere.” I smiled tightly. “Shall we get the bill? It’s getting warm out here in this midday heat.” I fanned my face, turning to look at the ocean.
“Phoebe?”
“Hmm?”
