One of the Girls(5)

‘Yep. Private beach.’ A wooden rowing boat waited on the shoreline, the turquoise paint peeling. Fen concentrated on recalling the pleasure of dipping the oars in the early-morning sea, rowing out to the hidden cove around the corner where a tiny bay had been carved from the cliffs.

There were good things here, too.

‘What about having a beach fire one evening? Could we do that?’ Lexi asked, looking towards the empty cove.

‘For sure,’ Fen said. ‘There’ll be plenty of driftwood washed up.’

Bella’s eyes glittered. ‘A beach party! Yes! To end the hen weekend! I love it!’

Lexi moved across the terrace, crouching low to smell the herbs growing in terracotta pots.

Bella approached Fen, lifting onto her tiptoes to place a kiss on her cheek. ‘We okay?’ she whispered, resting a hand at her waist.

Fen could see herself reflected in Bella’s sunglasses, her creased brow, the tightness in her jaw. She wanted to say, Sure, we’re fine. She wanted to feel buzzed to be on holiday with Bella. But she didn’t. Couldn’t.

Hours earlier, standing in the departures terminal at Gatwick airport, she’d learned that Bella had been lying to her since the day they met. Bella, white-faced, a hand gripping a luggage handle, had begged Fen to understand – but how could she when it had always been Bella’s unflinching honesty, her refusal to apologise for her choices, that had drawn Fen to her in the first place?

The conversation had been cut off when they spotted the other hens arriving. Bella had blotted her face, pasted on a smile, then bounded towards them with outstretched arms, while Fen had stood back, thinking: How does she do that?

Now Fen slipped free of Bella’s embrace, saying, ‘I’m going to open up the bedrooms.’

It was a relief to return to the cool of the villa. She picked up her case and carried it up to the bedroom. She opened the shutters, a dead fly tumbling stiff-legged onto the thick stone sill. Below on the terrace, she could hear the scrape of chair legs, the drift of Bella and Lexi’s voices as they settled themselves beneath the pergola. Bella must have said something funny, as she heard the eruption of Lexi’s laughter.

Fen wanted to join them, but her thoughts felt knotted, unsettled. Needing to clear her head, she changed into a pair of running shorts and a vest, then slipped on her trainers. Bending to tie the laces, she caught sight of herself in the bedroom mirror, the hard angles of her body reflected back at her. Her gaze roved to her muscular, thick thighs, exposed by her shorts, and she heard his voice: You disgust me.

The memory of those words was a slap, unexpected and swift.

She stood sharply. No, she would not listen to that voice. It had been seven years ago. It was done. Over. She picked up her water bottle and returned to the terrace.

Bella looked up, surprised. ‘You’re going running? We’ve just arrived.’

‘A quick one before it gets dark.’

Bella shook her head. ‘How did I end up with a runner?’

‘You got incredibly lucky,’ Lexi told her.

‘Yes,’ Bella agreed, her face suddenly serious, eyes on Fen. ‘I did.’

Fen left the terrace, heading for the cliff path that would carry her into the foothills of the mountain, heels pushing into the dried earth. The scent of wild thyme lifted in the dusty heat. She set her sights on the zigzagging path, the villa soon becoming no more than a shadow at her back.





4

Bella

Bella had been looking forward to the hen party ever since Lexi had announced the engagement. If you’re losing your best friend to marriage, you damn well better get a big party out of it.

Lexi Lowe, getting married. It still blew her mind. It wasn’t as if there hadn’t been plenty of offers over the years. Men only had to breathe the same air as Lexi to fall in love. The surprise was that Lexi had fallen in love with Ed. (Bella needed to stop saying – or even thinking – his name like that, like he was something vaguely distasteful, or as a question: Ed?) Ed was charming. He was generous. He was passionate about his work. (Whatever it was he actually did. Some type of lawyer. Robyn would know.) He was loyal. And most importantly, he adored Lexi.

But – and there was usually a but with Bella – he just wasn’t what she’d been expecting. She knew Lexi was done with the party scene, but still. Couldn’t she have fallen for some sexy French yoga guru who had his nipples pierced? Or some reformed band member who dropped CBD oil like they used to drop acid? Someone a bit more textured, a little less tailored.

‘Which room shall I put my things in?’ Lexi asked. Even after a day’s travelling, Lexi still looked effortlessly fresh, caramel hair loose over slender shoulders.

‘Master suite,’ Bella said in a butler-crisp accent. ‘Please, madam, do come this way.’

The wheels of Lexi’s case clattered as they bounced up the stone stairway. Bella moved through the bedroom doorway and pushed open the stiff wooden shutters. Sheer white curtains billowed in the breeze, revealing glimpses of a sweeping balcony that looked out across the terrace and beyond to the sea.

‘I can’t take this room. You and Fen should have it!’ Lexi said.

‘It’s yours. Guest of honour and all that.’

Lexi glanced towards the door, checking they were alone. ‘By the way, is everything okay between you two?’