Aaron rejoined her and took her hand. ‘He ruined my life once. I won’t let him do it again.’
Freya shook her head. ‘This is too much. I need time to think.’
She yanked her hand away and continued up the beach, not daring to look back, not wanting to be torn between wanting to kiss and hit him.
She skirted the edge of the sand, keeping away from the courtyard. The same way she didn’t want to speak to Aaron anymore, she didn’t want to bump into Drew or anyone else. Her head and her heart were in turmoil. She went to the only place she knew no one else would be at this time of the evening.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The bookshop still stank of smoke. All the damaged parts had been removed, which left a good chunk of it without a roof. From being the island’s hidden gem, it was now a sorry sight, a scar on the otherwise perfect landscape. She knew it wasn’t going to remain like this, but still, with it in ruins, she felt that her time here was fragile even with the alternative bookshop on Reef. She used to have the mindset that things – however bad they seemed at the time – always worked out for the best in the end. That theory had been challenged with Amber’s death. She had no idea why she’d come here, except she wanted to get away from Aaron. Her whole time on the island was wrapped up in him; she felt let down and angry, confused and uncertain. She wanted space but more than anything she wanted answers.
It felt wrong and intrusive and very much like a bad idea, but having heard Aaron’s side of things, she wanted to speak to Zander. This really is a bad idea, she thought as she walked away from the burnt out bookshop. Instead of heading back through the trees to the main path, she walked towards a desolate Sunset Beach. A bank of clouds clustered on the horizon, partially blocking the moon and making the ocean seem dark and endless. She found the entrance to the hidden pathway nestled among the trees and carefully picked her way along it, cursing that she’d stormed off without her mobile to help light her way. But it wasn’t like she could get lost on an island this size. Even if she ended up going the wrong way, she’d eventually make her way back to the main path or the staff village or a beach.
A branch scratched the side of her face. The leaves were thick, blocking out what little moonlight there was. She inched forward, reaching out so she didn’t collide with a tree. She glimpsed light up ahead through the foliage. The trees looked like they were thinning out. A sliver of moonlight was reflected in the ocean.
She reached Driftwood Cove and almost turned back at the sight of Zander’s villa glowing in the darkness. She knew she shouldn’t be here, but she paced across the silky sand regardless, fuelled by the desire to find out the truth. If Aaron wasn’t going to be forthcoming, and instead accuse her and Zander of goodness knows what, then maybe Zander could shed some light.
Freya went up the steps but stopped on the edge of the deck by the pool. The whole front of the villa was open to the beach; it felt strange and wrong to just walk in unannounced. She shook her head, cursing herself for coming all the way here.
‘Freya?’
A woman’s voice made her look up. Maryam stood on the villa’s threshold, her hand pressed to her chest.
‘You made me jump standing in the dark like that,’ she said, walking towards her across the deck.
‘I’m so sorry. I probably shouldn’t be here. In fact, now I’m here I realise just how much I shouldn’t have turned up like this...’ Freya balled her hands into fists at her stupidity. ‘I’ll um, go. I’ll talk to Zander another time...’
‘What’s bothering you, Freya?’ Maryam placed a hand on her arm. It was a motherly gesture and the way she was looking at her with wide eyes full of concern made Freya long for the simplicity of when she had her own mother to turn to when times got tough. ‘You can talk to me. It sounds like you need someone to talk to. Zander’s not here at the moment, and I doubt he’ll be back until later this evening. Come.’ She led her across the deck and into the villa. ‘Take a seat.’ She gestured to the closest sofa. ‘I’ve just made myself a tea if you’d like one too. Camomile or peppermint?’
‘Peppermint, please.’ Even with the whole front open to the beach, it was the perfect temperature inside, the air conditioning taking the edge off the humid night. Freya sat on one of the sofas. There was a book on the coffee table with a bookmark wedged a third of the way through. Despite how busy he was, she loved how he found the time to read. But then this place was his escape, his refuge, and the time was his own here, with no family to worry about, plus he had Maryam to look after him. It was quite the existence. But lonely, he’d said as much.
Maryam placed steaming mugs of peppermint tea on mats on the coffee table.
‘Thank you,’ Freya said. ‘I really didn’t mean to intrude. I don’t know what I was thinking.’
‘It’s nice to have your company. Zander has appreciated it too.’
‘He has?’
Maryam nodded. ‘Of course. What happened to the bookshop really shook him up. And I know how much it upset you too.’
Sitting in Zander’s living room, with the sound of the ocean and the air conditioning cooling her down, felt so far away from the conversation with Aaron in his room. It almost didn’t feel like the two places could be on the same island.
‘Have you any idea
