SYDNEY
"Oh my God, this villa is absolutely beautiful," Lily screamed as we entered our home for the next week. Francesca and Matt had rented a four-bedroom mansion on the island of Santorini. With white walls, sun in all corners and linen curtains flowing in the wind, it was the place I dreamed about in my sleep. Not last night, however. Last night I dreamed about one thing and one thing only.
Henry.
It didn't help that we woke up spooned together like an actual couple. His warm arms enveloped my body and brought my temperature to a level that was too high to be considered healthy. I tried to move away when I woke up, but he was strong, even for some in the deepest sleep.
"Hey, you're meant to stick to your side. I'm nearly falling off the bed," I joked.
Henry let go of my body, my back feeling cold at the sudden movement. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."
I turned around to face the man with sleepy stubble and tired eyes. "It's okay. You're lucky I'm not on the floor."
Henry laughed. "I'm also sorry for spooning you like that. I have no idea how that happened."
I laughed too, because, for some reason, I wasn't feeling awkward. "I think sleepy Henry likes me."
He smiled. "Awake Henry likes you too." I warmed, feeling giddy at his innocent comment. When I signed up for this, I had no idea how nice he'd be to me.
It didn't help that I felt safe like that...wrapped up in his arms like I was his lover and he didn't want to let me go. None of that was true, but it was nice to imagine. It was something I'd never experienced before. Jeremy always said his shoulder hurt too much if we cuddled like that.
"So, Henry and Sydney are in the large bedroom upstairs," Francesca began. "Theo, you are in the room down the hall, and Lily you're in the bedroom next to us on the ground floor."
"I hope the walls are soundproof," Lily joked, which made Francesca and Matt turn red.
"Anywaaay," Francesca sighed. "We have a dinner tonight...just the six of us. We're cooking for you all."
"Oh, Frankie, you don't have to do that," Theo said. "We're here to celebrate you, not make you cook a three-course meal for us."
"Pfft, don't be dumb, it's not a three-course meal," Matt said dryly. "At most, it'll be some Bolognese and garlic bread."
"Considering I've never seen you in a kitchen Matt, I'm concerned the meal will just be plain pasta and ketchup," Lily teased.
Matt folded his arms and scoffed.
"Thank you to you both," I said, in an attempt to change the subject. "This place is beautiful."
Francesca walked towards her fiancé and laced her arm in his. "We just want it to be the best week."
"It will be," Henry said. He placed his arm behind my back and tugged me closer. "Come on, ma chérie, let's go and unpack."
I nodded before we thanked our friends once more and headed for the elegant staircase. Holding my breath, I gently shifted my weight onto each glass step. The beauty was almost overwhelming, and I couldn't shake the feeling that it would shatter if I lingered too long.
We opened the door to our guest suite.
"Holy shit," I muttered.
"Yeah," Henry said in agreement.
Whitewashed walls adorned with traditional blue tones created a tranquil atmosphere. The room was bathed in natural sunlight that filtered through sheer curtains, casting a warm glow. Simple yet elegant wooden furniture added a touch of rustic charm, while the wrought-iron bed, embellished with crisp white linens and handmade cushions, stood as the centrepiece. The whole room did not disappoint, to say the least.
"So this is what it's like to have rich and famous friends," I teased.
Henry nodded before pacing over to a piano, strategically placed to capture the views of the Aegean Sea. He gently opened the lid and hovered his fingers just inches above the keys. He closed his eyes and held a breath as if he was immersing himself in a sea of music. I had no idea he could play. Hell, I was going to doubt him until he touched the keys. But then he started, and once he'd started, he didn't stop.
I recognised the song immediately.
Nuvole Bianche by Ludovico Einaudi.
His eyes were closed as his fingers delicately placed themselves in a way that made me feel like I was his lover, being serenaded by his touch. I began to close my own eyes, feeling the breeze through the balcony window. It was beautiful. He was beautiful.
I had always appreciated the sound of a piano. It was calming and never failed to bring me into reality. I focused on the way his fingers shifted across the keys. He was amazing.
The song finished a few minutes later, Henry staring back at me like a kid who'd just debuted his first song to his family.
I lightly clapped my hands, still in awe of his talent. "That was amazing."
He smiled. "I haven't played in a while, so I was a little rusty."
I scoffed. "If that was rusty, I'd love to hear you when you're not. You could perform like that."
Henry's cheeks reddened. "If Formula One doesn't work out, maybe I will."
I smiled as I walked and sat on the bed. We hadn't spoken about that topic since the last race. While that was only a few days ago, I wanted to know his thoughts. I'd shared so much with him over the past few months, as did he. That ability to be transparent with him wasn't going to stop now that he was on break.
"Now that you're halfway through the season, how are you feeling about the team?" I asked softly.
Henry sighed. "I really don't know. I have to give them a chance, I really do. But part of me feels like this might be it for me. I haven't consistently proven myself. And if I lose those sponsors, I'll be out."
I stood from the bed and sat on the bench he was sitting on. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight.
Henry sighed, still holding onto my hand. "It's odd, being in the same position I was last year. When rumours started spreading that Astro Racing wasn't going to renew my contract, I was too egotistic to think it could ever be true. But then the chats started to occur, and the doubt started to creep in. The feeling of uncertainty is back now, and I don't think I can ever be myself until I know what's going to happen."
It was painful, hearing him choke on his words. It was obvious that he was still struggling deep down, despite him not showing it to the rest of the world. I appreciated that he was comfortable enough to share it with me.
"If you don't get another contract with Santoro, I'm sure another team would love to have you with them," I said, to try and reassure him.
"I don't think I can go to another team," he sighed. "Not when I've been trying my hardest to race with Santoro."
"Why Santoro specifically?" I whispered.
Henry's eyes were glossy as he looked into mine. He forced a smile. "To honour Frédéric."
Frédéric. The name sounded familiar.
Henry could sense my confusion as he squeezed my hand a little tighter. "My older brother, Frédéric. It was his dream to race in Formula One and he raced for Santoro."
My heart ached at his use of the past tense. I knew there was a racer for Santoro who was a promising young driver. The accident that took his life would've been years ago.
"His friend was driving. It was a stormy night," Henry began. "They hit a guardrail going over three hundred kilometres. The car vanished into thin air. There was no way either could've survived."
It all made sense now, why he was so protective over his Santoro seat. He didn't just want it for the sake of having a career. He needed it to race for both him and his brother. That was why he was doing everything he could to ensure that came to fruition...even if that included fake dating me.
"I'm so sorry you've lost him," I sighed. "I know he'd be so proud of what you've done already."
Henry smiled. "I should've just told you why this seat was so important to me in the first place."
I shook my head. "Of course not. You didn't owe me anything when we first met. You still don't. But I really appreciate you opening up to me." I couldn't grasp the pain of losing a brother, but I knew the feeling of losing a loved one all too well. They say time eases the ache, yet memories linger, woven into the tapestry of who you become. Losing someone is a pivotal moment in life. It's the point where you will never go back to the person you were before. The fear is perpetual, a haunting reminder that you've lost a person who still had so much to achieve in life. It's a companion to the journey of healing, and while it can be eased, it will never be erased.
Henry held up my hand and kissed the top. His eyes showcased an ocean of gratitude. I didn't exactly know what he was grateful for. Me listening? My understanding?
I blushed under the soft light as he kissed my hand again. We were behind closed doors. He didn't need to keep this act up.
"Come on, let's unpack," I said softly as I dropped my hand from his. I couldn't deepen my feelings...but every time he did something like that, they grew.
***
"Okay, I stand corrected," Lily laughed. "This is a really good meal. I guess you can cook Matt."
Francesca scoffed. "If opening the tins of tomatoes counts, then yeah he can cook." She folded her arms, clearly unimpressed with her fiancé's lack of effort when it came to preparing the meal. He placed his arm around her back and pulled her in for a kiss. It was awfully romantic.
I scraped the bottom of my bowl, trying to savour the delicious meal our friends had created for us. It was so nice to have a group like this, and I had to wonder why Jeremy and I had never found our people.
"You okay?" Henry whispered, bursting the daydream bubble that had led me to stare into the distance.
I turned to face him. "Oh, of course. Never been better."
Henry opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Lily standing on her chair.
"Please, if I could have your attention," she yelled, though I wasn't sure who she was yelling at. We were all within earshot.
We turned our heads and watched as she swayed on her tall seat.
Theo held out his arm to steady her leg. "Careful."
Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm fine." She looked at the rest of us and smiled. "Anyway, I wanted to start the evening by saying congratulations." She turned to face the newly engaged. "Matthias and Francesca, when I first saw you two in the same room, I knew we'd be sitting here, celebrating your engagement in the near future."
Francesca covered her face and Matt laughed.
"You two may have thought you despised each other. But the truth is, it was love at first sight and you were both too scared to admit it."
"Highly likely," Matt laughed.
"I am so thankful to call you two my best friends, and I wouldn't want to be on an island in Greece celebrating anyone else." She held up her empty glass of wine. "To Francesca and Matt."
"To Francesca and Matt," we said in unison. It was a very cute speech, and I wondered if we were all going to have to give one during this trip.
"Okay, let's dance," Francesca yelled. "We'll do the dishes tomorrow."
And so we did. We danced for what felt like hours. The music was electronic. Rock. Slow and sensual. The genre of songs changed swiftly, but it perfectly described my feelings on this trip. Happy. Nervous. Hot and risqué. I couldn't believe this was how I was spending what would've been a New Zealand winter.
I wrapped my arms around Henry's neck as we danced to The Neighbourhood. Resting our foreheads together, we swayed side to side. The air was hot, and my face was on fire, but I had never felt so happy. Henry traced his finger up and down the bare skin on my back, ending just above my arse each time. I chuckled as he smiled.
For a second, I had forgotten that we were meant to be acting. I was so caught up in feeling like this was natural, that I'd failed to remember it wasn't real.
I decided to take a small breather on the side, while the others continued to dance to a range of ABBA songs.
Francesca joined me a few moments later, reaching for the glass of water behind me.
"Thanks," she said breathlessly. "Wow. I didn't know I could dance for this long."
I laughed. "Neither. It's why I'm recharging."
Henry looked over at me and nodded. I grinned, giving him a small wave.
"He's always looking at you like that," Francesca whispered. "God, I've never seen a man so in love."
I smiled, remembering that to them, we had been dating for four months. Of course, we would've been in love by now.
"Yeah, it's been great. He's really all I could ask for in a partner," I said. I didn't think any part of my sentence was made up. Everything he'd done for me so far had been perfect.
"Do you see yourself being with him in the long run?" she asked.
I stared forward, watching him dancing terribly to Why Did It Have To Be Me? He was a really bad dancer. Probably the most uncoordinated man I'd ever seen. But it made me laugh and he looked so adorable doing it. There was something about a man who wasn't afraid to embarrass himself in front of others. He was so comfortable that he didn't care what other people thought. Jeremy would be dead before he did something like that.
"Yes," I lied. Although part of my "yes" wasn't fabricated.
"Aw, that's perfect," she squealed. "We'll have to do heaps of trips with you guys. Once Theo and Lily get back together, it'll be endless third dates."
I looked at Francesca. "Did you say get back together?"
She nodded. "Yes. They dated for a few months over the winter break. No one knows why they broke up, but it's obvious they still have feelings for each other."
Huh. It must've meant a lot to Theo if he couldn't even tell his own sister about it. I was slightly offended he'd never mentioned a word.
"Right," I said. I watched the two dance next to each other. It was obvious that Theo wanted to place his hand in Lily's. He hovered it just inches away. I wanted to scream and tell him to get it together. Tell her how he truly felt. But that would make me a hypocrite...because I had to look at Henry again. There was no doubt I was feeling some attraction to him. He was showing me all the things I'd been missing out on with Jeremy. But I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth.
He must've sensed my gaze on his side, as he turned to face me again. He smirked, and then he winked.
Shit, I'm in trouble.