Page 17

Shit. I wish the desert would up and swallow me whole. I spin round and power-walk away – even though there’s nowhere for me to go.
I hear Pete calling after me. ‘Adri, wait!’
I slow down. We’re about to spend the next five days together. It’s time to be a grown-up. I spin round and hold my head up. But my eyes don’t land on him. They land on her.
Stella.
She trails behind Pete by a few steps. She doesn’t look shy, though. She’s jutting out her chin – a bit too much, in fact. Maybe it’s an effort for her like it is for me. To show that we’re not bothered about seeing each other again.
‘Something terrible has happened,’ Pete starts.
That grabs my attention. ‘What? With Ethan?’ My pulse races.
‘No, no, nothing like that. No – it’s me.’ His shoulders slump. ‘The mandatory drug test. I’ve failed it. They’re sending me home.’
I blink back my surprise. ‘Oh my God, Pete! Are they sure? Did you ask them to check it again?’
‘Yup. But they won’t change their decision. Rules are rules.’
‘But you didn’t …?’
‘Of course not. It’s a fucking outrage. Some kind of fix. I don’t know if it’s because I’m engaged to his daughter but …’ Realization dawns on his face as he takes inmy expression. My face stings like I’ve been slapped. ‘Oh God, Adri, I’m not thinking. This is –’
‘Stella,’ I say, cutting him off. I swallow, unable to catch my breath, trying to hold on to my dignity.
By contrast, Stella is the picture of composure. She hasn’t changed much over the years – still stunning, tall and willowy like a model. Physically so like her sister. But their personalities couldn’t be more different. Yasmin would never look down on me the way Stella does. She makes me feel small – and not because of our height difference.
‘Adrienne, hi.’
Pete stares between us. ‘You know each other?’
‘From a long time ago,’ Stella says.
‘So you two are –’ I gesture between them – ‘engaged?’
‘Yeah. I’m sorry, Adri, I didn’t want you to find out like this.’ He intertwines his fingers with hers. ‘I asked her to marry me yesterday.’
My mouth feels bone dry, my tongue thick. ‘Wow. Congratulations. I had no idea you were even seeing someone, Pete. How long have you been together?’
‘On and off – what’s it been?’ He looks at Stella. ‘Years?’
‘Years,’ she repeats.
‘Long distance most of the time. Stella lives in California.’
Every sentence feels like a little kick to my gut. But at least all the times Pete begged me to switch weeks with Ethan so he could go and run in America make sense. ‘But I’ve finally been able to get her to settle down.’ He lifts her hand, where – sure enough – a diamond catches the sunlight, and kisses it.
Questions flood my brain. How did I not even know he was dating, let alone in a relationship this serious? Have Ibeen that wrapped up in my own issues? Has Stella told him how she and I met? Was she already dating him when she met me in Ibiza? But one question stands up above the rest. ‘Does Ethan know?’
Stella answers before Pete can. ‘We wanted to wait until we took this step.’ She strokes Pete’s arm. ‘But I’ve heard so much about him. I can’t wait to meet him.’
I bite my lip. How can they be planning a life together when she doesn’t even know Pete’s son? But Pete has that puppy-dog look in his eyes. He is smitten.
‘This isn’t how I wanted this introduction to go, but maybe it’s for the best,’ Pete says. ‘Maybe now we can leave together.’
I stiffen. ‘Leave?’
‘You can’t stay here on your own, Adri.’