Page 61 of The Next Chapter

He laughs like he doesn’t believe me. And really, this level of thinking is nothing. A drop in the ocean. He should visit my consciousness while I’m trying to get to sleep, that’s when the magic really happens.

Luckily, we’d done most of the run before we detoured towards the pool, so it doesn’t take long for us to reach the hotel again. We go around the side as usual, through the gardens.

‘So, the path is great for a run,’ I say like a woman who doesn’t have half a tree tangled in her hair.

‘Really great,’ Noah adds, also with faux cheer.

‘I’ll pull together an action plan.’

‘Excellent idea.’

Harper, who I’m quickly realizing is almost always on her own, is sitting at one of the picnic benches on her phone.

She watches us pass. My clothes are stuck to me. My white vest top has gone see-through, like I’m taking part in my very own wet T-shirt competition. Though thankfully, instead of my boobs, all you can see is my blue sports bra.

‘Not one word,’ I say to Harper as she opens her mouth to say something. She closes it again and smirks at us instead. At least she’s smiling.

Chapter Ten

‘Er,’ I start and stop outside my cottage. Noah stops too. ‘I’d love to talk to you some more about ideas for the hotel,’ he says. ‘If it’s not too much… you’re already helping with the article.’

Didn’t expect that. But I’m rolling with it.

‘Okay,’ I answer. ‘I’d be happy to. Maybe later on, then?’

I’m itching to see more of Noah. Not in a naked way, though this too would be very welcome indeed. There was just something up in the pool.

But I know I shouldn’t. I’m not a fling person. I’ve nothing against people who are. I admire them, in fact. I just can’t, when I know there’s no future.

‘But just to discuss ideas for the hotel, right?’ I clarify, hoping that the question is doing some serious heavy lifting when it comes to conveying my wishes.

His smile drops, though just a touch.

‘If that’s what you’d like, I’d really appreciate it.’

‘Right, that’s great. Is seven okay? I was going to make dinner for then, so I could make extra, if you’d like to eat too.’ It’s close to four now. I’ll have to find some way to get to a bigger shop and then I can’t put off washing my hair for another day. So, seven is a stretch, but if I eat too late, I won’t sleep. Food is up there alongside alcohol, caffeine, cortisol, too little or too much exercise and existential anguish as one of the things that stops me from nodding off.

‘Seven works for me. That would be nice, I’ll bring a notebook.’ Another full body flush. ‘See you later, Lily.’

Noah disappears into his cottage.

Inside, mine feels empty now that Seb is gone. I don’t particularly want to be alone with my own thoughts, so I make quick work of showering. I don’t even dry my hair, I just plait it, and pin my fringe back, a decision I will no doubt live to regret. I realize that despite my very thorough efforts with the SPF, I’ve caught the sun across my nose. It’s pinker than the rest of my face and dotted with freckles. Before I can even think about how I don’t look like me, I’m out of the door again.

I’m dressed in a white maxi dress and calling a taxi from the parking lot of the hotel.

‘Shit!’ I mutter, as I’m informed that they can pick me up in an hour or so. God knows why anyone would want to live here, even getting food is a pain in the bum. The nearest shop is four miles from the hotel. It’s a Co-op, so it has to be better stocked than Lola’s glorified food shed and honesty box.

‘Fucking shit,’ I say again, just for good measure, jabbing at Google Maps.

‘Everything okay?’ Lola appears out of the hotel shop, the half-bald chicken following her around as usual. The shock of seeing her renders me momentarily speechless. It would be really helpful if she could wear a little bell, or better yet, have a town crier pre-announce her arrival.

‘Fine, totally fine!’ I call. Chances are Lola has just heard me swearing up a storm but I’m not about to start offloading on her. It’s not her fault Seb abandoned me here without a car. ‘I’m just about to walk to the shop in town,’ I clarify, holding up the front of my phone like an idiot. I have the four-mile walk loaded.

Lola’s gaze tracks down my front, past my white dress to the sandals which offer zero ankle support. Maybe I’d better nip back and put my zippy trousers and walking boots back on.

‘I’ll run you over there, if you like?’ Lola says. It’s no wonder most of the 314 hotel reviews mention her by name. She really does offer a personalized service.

Lola’s dog, the blond Labrador, presumably hearing the word ‘run’, comes bounding out of the hotel. Lola rubs behind his ears. ‘You want to come for a drive, eh Scout?’ Scout is gazing at Lola like she’s the second coming.