‘OK, let me start at the beginning. When you arrived my grandfather came up with this ridiculous fake-dating idea, which I instantly rejected because I thought it was a cruel thing to do. But you should know, the only reason he even thought of it was because I went home after I met you in the car park, and you had volcanic dirt all over your nose and said I’d met the woman I wanted to marry – but me being me, would have never mentioned a word to you. I’m just that hopeless when it comes to love.’
The woman he wanted to marry?‘That seems a little rushed.’
‘Right? Instantly, I tried to snatch the words back but it was too late. I never speak openly like that, never. I’m convinced he came up with the whole fake-dating idea just to spur me on, to make me act on my feelings. And let me tell you something about my grandfather: he can guilt-trip like no other. I said no a hundred times, that it was ridiculous. One minute he was clutching his chest like he was having a heart attack, the next he was head-clutching and lamenting about the possibility of going bankrupt.’
Sounds strangely familiar.Gran. ‘Go on.’
‘He’s a bit of a closed book at times, so I didn’t know what was fact or fiction. Eventually he wore me down. What if he really did need the rent money as badly as he made out? Then what? He mentioned that my grandmother had to double her loukoumades orders to make ends meet and that concerned me. She had been spending long days in the kitchen and in this heat – were they really having money issues? If they were in trouble it made sense that they needed assurances Floretta would eventually pay up. So against my best judgement I agreed to the whole stupid premise.’
‘With no care or concern for me?’
He grimaces. ‘I didn’t think you’d find out.’
‘Would you ever have told me?’
‘I told myself I’d do it every day, and then I lost my nerve.’
‘Why did you tell him that at least I’d been fun to hang out with but you’d prefer to choose your own person in future?’ It hurts, because it suggests he wasn’t happy that I’d been the person they chose, as if I wasn’t good enough.
‘Because who does something like this? I wanted him to feel bad about what he made me do because it didn’t sit right with me.’
I fold my arms. ‘I’m sorry you had to waste your summer with a person like me …’ While it would be hypocritical of me to be upset since I’ve done the same thing to him, I can’t help but feel so betrayed having believed he liked me from the very first moment he asked me on a date. I should have known better – I should have kept my guard up because I’m not the sort of girl who gets the guy, the happy ever after; this has been proven time and again in my woeful love life. Yet, I walked straight into this with my heart open because in reality I felt an instant attraction to him that was made more intense when he seemed to feel the same about me. I actually believed it! And none of it was real.
He dashes his hands through his hair. ‘No, Evie, you’re misunderstanding. I said all of that to himbecausehe put me in this predicament. And I’ve had to watch every word I uttered in case I slipped up. I didn’t ever want you to find out what I’d done because I worried you’d turn on your heel and never look back and then I’d lose you for good and that would break my heart. What I hate most is that in going along with this plan you’ll always think what we had wasn’t real, and I’m telling you with my whole heart that it was; it is.’
Can I believe him or is this simply damage control? I don’t know what to think anymore.
‘If only I could press rewind, you’d see I’m genuine. I’ve been on tenterhooks about lying to you, but it was done under duress and because I love my grandparents and I was truly worried about their financial situation. But everything I said or did with you, I meant. I didn’t lie and I didn’t lead you on.’ It’s hard to hold on to any negative emotions because I can relate to this exact predicament. We were both stuck between a rock and a hard place, doing what we thought best for our families.
‘You did lie.’
He gives me a nod. ‘Not about my feelings for you.’
I’m torn because I want to trust in him, and I can’t exactly say I don’t understand his motivations.
‘In the beginning I’d planned to take things very slowly so there wouldn’t be any broken hearts along the way.’
‘Very slowly? You open-lip kissed on the second date! You call that slow?’ I’m outraged.
He gives me a wide smile. ‘Well,technicallyyou open-lip kissed me on the second date.’
‘That’s because you took me by surprise!’
‘You jumped up onto my hips like some sort of octopus.’
I colour. ‘I was trying for a jump-hug, and things got out of hand.’
‘It’s no one’s fault – these things happen.’
‘Not when you’re me they don’t.’
‘The point is, I never planned to hurt you, and the only reason I agreed was because the very first moment I laid eyes on you I felt like this goddess had walked into my line of sight. All the while Floretta was showering me with criticisms and I was trying to translate what on earth was happening to me. Then you started threatening me that you have experience with making things disappear … My dull grey world was suddenly this riot of colour.’
I can’t hide my grin. I’m still proud I acted fierce with a capital F on orders from Posy. I really met the brief on that one. ‘You can’t go around yelling at little old ladies.’
‘I wasn’t yelling; it just sounds that way in our language. Greek people speak loudly and gesticulate wildly. It’s how we express ourselves.’
‘Hmm.’ I make a mental note to confirm this is true with Roxy.
