Page 102 of Never Tell Secrets

I missed waking up with that man in my bed. I missed the safety of his arms, the way his lips pressed against my neck every morning, the way he shifted over me half-asleep, nudging my legs apart so he could slip inside…

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a banging on the wall.

“Pssst!”

“Keira,” I called back, “you can’t bang on the wall loud enough to wake the dead and then say ‘Pssst.’ It’s counterproductive.”

“Whatever,” she whispered through the wall. “Are you up? I want breakfast.”

“I’m not stopping you.”

“I need you to be my bodyguard. My Mum is scary in the morning.”

“I guess the apple didn’t fall far from the tree,” I grumbled as I dragged myself out of bed. Though we had a kitchen in our little villa, the cupboards were bare. If we wanted any kind of breakfast, we’d need to face the Larsons.

“That’s not funny,” she yelled back.

Dressing simply in a sundress and sandals, I brushed my hair and teeth and headed downstairs, a hungry Keira on my heels. Maia joined us and we walked up to the main house together where Keira’s parents were already up.

Breakfast was light and passed without incident. Afterwards, the three of us decided to head into town. The streets were busy and for once I enjoyed following Keira around as she shopped.

Two hours later, her hands were full of shopping bags and we had moved from stores and out into the market. It didn’t take Keira long to catch an admirer and the admirer had friends.

I watched her flirt out of the corner of my eye as I perused a market stall full of jewellery and other trinkets. I purchased two pairs of earrings, red for Natalie and a deep blue pair for myself. Thanking the stall owner I slipped mine into my ears as Keira came bounding over.

“They want to take us for lunch, you coming?”

I looked at the three young men. They were attractive, their smiles friendly, but I wasn’t in the mood to flirt with strangers.Thoughts of how hurt Alfie would be flashed through my mind but it wasn’t his pain that prevented me from going.

This trip was supposed to be a chance for Keira and I to catch our breath, to spend time together–why did I get the feeling that my best friend has purposely sought out a penis-shaped distraction to keep her from dealing with whatever had been bothering her?

“You know, if you wanted a casual hook up we could have stayed in London for that.”

“It’s just lunch, Lo.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll meet you in a bit, I want to explore the market some more.”

“Suit yourself. Maia?”

“I’ll stay with Lola.”

Keira gave an indifferent shrug and walked off with three men on her heels.

Maia followed as I headed further into the crowded market, the midday sun bearing down on us. I paused at another trinket stall, my eye landing on a set of leather bound journals. Maybe they were a bit too grown up for my ten year old nephew but I picked one up anyway in deep green. He could grow into it.

Up ahead I spotted what I was looking for, the same plant stall that I had found the last time we’d been here.

The woman behind the stall gave me an enthusiastic wave. I was shocked that she’d remembered me. She chatted in a mixture of Greek and pieces of broken English, showing me the oregano bushes, one of which I’d purchased during my last visit. I gestured at the plants and she pulled me in so I could take a closer look.

“You’re going to take a plant on the plane?” Maia asked.

“No, it’s for Keira’s mum. As a thank you for letting us stay.” I glanced up to find her watching me, a strange look in her eye. “What?”

“I didn’t think you liked Keira’s mum that much.”

“I don’t, that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t say thank you. Plus, she gave me my best friend so…” She gave me a weak smile before clearing her face. She was a strange woman but before I could think too closely about it, the stall owner patted my arm, holding up a small strawberry plant. I shook my head, that wasn’t what I wanted.

Casting my eye over the selection, I pointed to the tamarisk, pretty in its own way with its wiry branches and clusters of tiny pink and white flowers.