by Sara Alexi
Loukas puts his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun’s glare. Whoever it is looks familiar. Her outline, the way she moves…
‘Ellie!’ He trips over a crate of beer in his rush to be released from the enclosure of the bar. Still stumbling, he runs.
‘Ellie!’ he repeats. They collide with force, his arms around her, soaking her in, drinking her up. He wants his chest to split open and absorb her; he cannot hold her tight enough. He needs to smell her hair, touch her skin, feel the beat of her heart.
‘Loukas,’ she mutters. She has tears in her eyes, her beautiful, soft eyes, her perfect nose, her exquisite lips. His mouth cannot wait, he wants to express his passion, to show his love, take her on the spot.
‘Ellie,’ he repeats, forcing himself to slow down, be aware of where he is.
‘I am divorcing him,’ Ellie whispers, but he puts his fingers to her lips. She does not have to explain. She is here and that is enough.
‘You are mine,’ he breathes. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Stella has gone behind the bar and is putting on an apron, taking his place.
‘Ellie,’ he says again, looking deep into her eyes. He needs to be alone with her, out of sight of people. They need to find each other again, remind each other of who they are. It will not take long. He recognises her without words, but they need to walk, fall in step with each other, find each other’s rhythms. With his arm around her, he steers her to the coastal path that leads to the village, towards the privacy of an olive grove with a small mud-brick cottage hidden in its depths. There is a For Rent sign pinned to the door.
He hopes she will like it.
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Sara Alexi
Also by Sara Alexi
The Illegal Gardener
Black Butterflies
The Explosive Nature of Friendship
The Gypsy’s Dream
The Art of Becoming Homeless
In the Shade of the Monkey Puzzle Tree
A Handful of Pebbles
The Unquiet Mind
Watching the Wind Blow