He looks like he isn’t so sure.
‘I don’t know but if we could all have a fresh start, that would be great,’ I reply. ‘Or if we could all pretend to have a fresh start, until Kelsey and Neil are married and safely off on their honeymoon, that would do too.’
‘It has to be,’ he replies, and we exchange a look of intrigue and maybe just a touch of apprehension. But for the first time in a while, it doesn’t feel like we’re bracing ourselves for a fight, a confrontation, or any kind of dramatic scene. There’s an unspoken understanding lingering in the air around us, a sense of possibility. Maybe this is the fresh start we both desperately needed – a clean slate. A strange kind of peace.
Brody stands up, extending his hand toward me, and without a second thought, I take it, intertwining my fingers with his.
‘Sicily seems like a great place for a fresh start,’ he says, inhaling the sea air, exhaling slowly as he looks down at me.
He takes my face in his hands and kisses me, only lightly, only for a few seconds, but it’s heaven.
‘Let’s get dressed, find the others, and get this wedding back on the road,’ I say, suddenly feeling like I could do anything, like nothing could possibly rattle me.
‘It’s nice to see you looking so happy,’ he tells me as he tucks my hair behind my ear.
‘It’s nice to be so happy,’ I reply.
And I am, for the first time in what seems like ages, truly happy. I’m not out to prove anything, to get back at anyone, I’m just happy.
And it feels amazing.
33
It’s a beach resort, where Kelsey and Neil are tying the knot and, honestly, if I’m ever lucky enough to get married to someone I love, I’m thinking it’s going to have to be by the sea because this place is like a dream.
The resort sits right on the edge of the beach, all perfectly white walls and terracotta tiles. Everything smells so good too, like the air is just cleaner here, like there’s always this faint citrusy smell but you know it’s not a diffuser or a scented candle, it’s real.
Emma, the wedding planner (and I know this now, because the wedding coordinator is here, and she is lovely), unsurprisingly did not do her job, and I would say I was more convinced than ever now that she was acting maliciously because I annoyed her, but to be honest she’s done me the biggest favour, giving me and Brody our own little bubble to fall for each other in. Well, she’s struck again, because she hasn’t altered our hotel booking, meaning there are still only two rooms for the four of us, but Brody and I said we would be happy to share, leaving Todd and Nikki to have the other one – not that any of us have seen them since the ship docked.
Our room has these huge shuttered doors that open straight onto a little terrace, where two loungers are tucked under a canopy – not that I’m planning on sleeping out here, but it looks much more equipped than the ship balcony did. It’s good to know we have options, because you never know with us.
Inside, the bed is massive and draped in white linens that look so, so comfortable. After a night partly on the floor (partly on Brody) I could happily get in right now, curl up in a little ball, and fall asleep. There’s a large free-standing bath at the foot of the bed, meaning there’s an obvious joke to make. I’m keen to crack it before Brody does.
I drop my suitcase and turn to face him.
‘Okay, so who’s taking the dreamy-looking bed and who is sleeping in the bath?’ I ask, completely straight-faced.
He stretches, arms up, shirt rising just enough to distract me completely.
‘I mean, I’d offer you the bed… but I was the last one to sleep in the bath so… I guess it’s your turn,’ he tells me. ‘Officially, we take turns, and we don’t want to break tradition, do we?’
‘Oh, so it’s tradition now, is it?’ I check. ‘Are we going to do this forever?’
‘For as long as you’ll have me,’ he replies with a smile.
‘The gentlemanly thing would be to take the bath first, right?’ I say as I sit down on the bed, claiming my spot.
‘Well, there’s where you’re wrong, because the gentlemanly thing is: ladies first,’ he corrects me.
‘Ladies first in the bed,’ I reply.
‘Okay, then I’ll flip you for it,’ he says.
‘What, like tossing a coin?’
‘No, like this…’
Brody launches himself at me, grabbing me as the two of usfall back onto the bed together. He flips me onto my back, pinning me down.
