Where the Memories Lie
By: Sibel Hodge
I tuned out their conversation, which was now about some football player who was a right-back, whatever that was. ‘So, how are you?’ I nodded my head in Lucas’s direction. Even though I’d promised her I wouldn’t mention it again, technically, I wasn’t, even though the meaning was clear.
She glanced over at him and her smile wavered a little, although she tried really hard to hide it. ‘We’re fine.’ Her gaze flicked back to me and she lowered her voice. ‘We’re meant to be together. You can’t argue with that, can you?’ She stood up and said cheerfully, ‘Now, who wants a drink? I’ve got a huge bottle of Pimm’s in here.’ She crouched down next to one of the cool boxes.
Knowing her, she probably had enough food in there to feed us all three times over.
48
Where the Memories Lie After a couple of Pimm’s for Nadia and me, and Cokes for the boys, we all played a family game of bat and ball ? although the Pimm’s had gone to our heads on an empty stomach and Nadia and I spent more time giggling and missing the ball than actually contributing to the game.
Ethan put his hands on his hips in mock annoyance. ‘What are you two like? If you can’t play then leave it to the boys.’
‘Oooh,’ I mocked back, grinning as I handed him my bat. ‘I’ve had enough, anyway. I’m going to read my book.’
‘Yeah, I’d rather sunbathe.’ Nadia swatted Lucas’s backside playfully as we walked back to our blanket.
Lucas called Charlotte and Anna out of the sea to take our places and I lay back on my towel next to Nadia, closing my eyes. The comforting sun on my skin permeated my bones, relax-ing me, and I was soon drifting off into that pleasant pre-sleep drowsiness.
I was woken a while later with sand being kicked on my leg and the sound of screeching. I sat up abruptly and found Anna being chased round and round by Lucas. In her hand, held high in the air, was his baseball cap.
‘Give it back!’ Lucas chuckled.
‘Nooooooo!’ She ran towards the sea as Charlotte grabbed a towel from her beach bag and wrapped it round her wet body. Her hair dripped seawater onto Nadia.
‘Ew, that’s cold!’ Nadia wiped it off, laughing, and tickled Charlotte’s stomach.
‘Stop it!’ Charlotte wriggled away, trying to be serious but erupting into fits when Nadia chased after her.
Ethan kneeled down on the edge of my towel and offered me a bottle of water. ‘Here. Don’t want you getting dehydrated after that alcohol.’
49
Sibel Hodge
‘It was only two Pimm’s.’ I raised an eyebrow but took a long swig.
He was probably right. Didn’t want the sunstroke victim to be me.
Lucas flopped onto one of the fold-up chairs with a can of cider in his hand, putting his cap back on. ‘Right, I think the girls should drive back and the men can have a few drinks. What do you think?’
he asked Ethan with a grin.
Ethan shrugged. ‘I’m not fussed about drinking on the beach.
We could all go to the Kings’ Arms later when we get back, anyway.
Grab some dinner there?’
‘Sounds good to me.’ Lucas took a swig of cider. ‘But I’m having a few of these. It’s not very often I actually get a weekend off so I’m going to make the most of it.’ He winked at me.
I wondered what he made the most of when he was at work.
Patty? I bit back the urge to say something. I couldn’t betray my conversation with Nadia since she’d sworn me to secrecy, but still, part of me couldn’t quite believe it, part of me didn’t want to believe it and part of me was seething with anger, wanting to slap some sense into him. Give him a right mouthful about what an affair would do to his family.
‘We should get to the beach more often.’ Ethan slung his arm round me. ‘I always forget how great it is down here.’
‘You’re always working.’ I rested my head on his shoulder and watched Nadia, who was shrieking now as Charlotte had turned the tables and was tickling her.
‘Well, I need to spend less time on work and more on the things that are important.’ He kissed my ear.