One of the Girls(23)
‘Already?’
Lexi’s freckles made her look young and fresh-faced – the Lexi of her teenage years. Bella remembered moving to a new school in Bournemouth when she was thirteen, pretending to be all tough-girl-London. She’d seen Lexi and Robyn sitting together at the edge of the school field, laughing, shoulders quaking, hands gripped. They looked not only happy but easy together, like they fitted.
Those two, she’d decided in that moment. Those were the two girls she wanted to be friends with.
Lexi slipped from the pool, leaving a trail of wet footprints as she returned to their sun loungers.
Bella followed, squeezing water from the ends of her hair. ‘Where’s Robyn? I’ve not seen her all morning.’
Lexi laid a towel over her sun-lounger and settled onto it. ‘She went hiking with Fen.’
‘Did she?’ Bella must’ve been half asleep when Fen mentioned it. She’d forgotten how much Robyn loved to hike. She had always been the one to suggest an evening beach walk in preference over the pub, stashing a bottle of wine or a few beers in her backpack instead.
Lexi pulled her sunglasses on, then reached for her book.
‘Autobiography of a Yogi,’ Bella said, eyeing the cover. ‘Tell me you’re not going to swap London for an ashram?’
‘Can’t see Ed going for it.’
The clack of sandals on stone caused them both to look up. Eleanor was crossing the terrace dressed in tailored, knee-length shorts, a strange tie-dye T-shirt, and a floppy hat that could well have belonged to a great aunt. Her skin looked too pale to withstand the scorch of the Mediterranean heat.
‘What do you think, Eleanor?’ Bella asked. ‘Would Ed be up for living in an ashram?’
‘No. His feet would look dreadful in sandals.’
Lexi laughed.
‘Ana and I have booked a taxi for the Old Town,’ Eleanor said. ‘It’s arriving in an hour. Would you like to come?’
‘I’d love to!’ Lexi said.
Bella had planned to lie by the pool and drink cocktails all day, but if Lexi was going, she would, too. Maybe they could find a nice little pavement table in the shade and order cocktails there.
Although perhaps she should stay. Bella wanted to make things right with Fen after the awful argument at the airport. Time together without the bustle of the others was exactly what they needed. ‘Think I’ll stay behind. Wait for Fen.’
She turned, squinting into the sun, her gaze travelling the muscular flanks of the mountain in search of Fen. But the scorched landscape looked deserted, framed only by unbroken blue sky.
17
Robyn
The midday sun was fierce as Robyn and Fen powered down the mountainside, struggling to find their footing in the loose scree.
A cloud of dust settled around Robyn’s legs as she reached the bottom, pausing to catch her breath. She plucked her T-shirt away from her sweat-coated skin.
‘Fancy a swim?’ Fen asked, looking east along the coastline.
The sea, rippling and sunlit, was tantalisingly close, but there was no obvious access from the clifftop. ‘How would we get in?’
‘There’s a cove just off the path. I used to row to it when I spent the summer here. From memory, there are a few steps further along. Could be a bit of a scramble. Want to try?’
The idea of slipping into cool water was intoxicating. ‘Definitely.’ She followed Fen with renewed energy, striding out along the arid clifftop, skirting patches of scrub where insects teemed. The detour pleased Robyn who, although exhausted, wasn’t ready to return to the villa.
‘It’s down there,’ Fen said, pointing.
A tiny white-sand cove waited temptingly at the foot of the cliffs, crystal-clear water lapping onto its shore.
‘Looks like the steps have washed away,’ Fen said. Now only a narrow ledge cut steeply to the bottom of the cove. ‘Think you can make it down?’
Robyn eyed the path. It looked like little more than a precarious goat track that staggered and lurched towards the beach. If either of them slipped, the drop was at least a hundred feet. Fear prickled at her skin.
Fen was watching her, waiting for an answer.
The sun pulsed against the crown of her head, sweat pooling between her breasts. The sea glittered, teasingly close. She took a breath. ‘Yes.’
‘We’ll take it slow,’ Fen said. ‘Follow my path.’
They descended in silence, Robyn aware of the tremor in her calves as she placed one foot in front of the other, pulse audible in her ears. A trail of red ants marched from a fissure in the cliff face. She could smell the sea breeze lifting lightly. Thirst roared in her throat.
She refused to look at the drop, concentrating only on the positioning of each foot. Her breath was high in her chest. A halo of tiny flies buzzed too close to her face and she wafted a hand through the air, clearing them.
Suddenly the ground began to move, shift. A chunk of dried earth crumbled to dust beneath her hiking boots. Unbalanced, she cried out, scrambling to stay upright.
Fen grabbed her hand, yanking her onto a firmer part of the ledge. ‘Here! I’ve got you.’
Robyn pressed herself against the cliff, palms flat to the hard stone.
‘You okay? We can turn back?’
Robyn shook her head. ‘I can do this.’
‘I’ve no doubt.’ Fen maintained her grip on Robyn’s hand as they moved on, step by step, keeping their shoulders grazing the cliff, eyes forward.