by L.H. Cosway
The following day we travelled to Barcelona, the final destination of our three-week stint. Everything was a crazy rush, so I didn’t get a chance to speak with Trev and tell him the good news. The train was at full capacity so Neil and I had to take seats on a separate carriage to everyone else.
Almost as soon as we arrived in the city the group started filming. We made our way to Park Güell, with its crazy, surreal explosion of colour and unusual shapes. I’d seen it in pictures and films, but being there in real life felt like I’d fallen asleep and woken up in a sunny dreamland.
There were so many places for the group to run and show off, and I felt a little sorry for Trev because he couldn’t take full advantage due to his wrist. I watched from the sideline, leaning over the edge of a mosaic wall, as he gestured with his good hand, explaining to Isaac how he wanted him to climb a giant lizard statue and backflip to the ground.
I gasped in surprise when someone grabbed me from behind, my heart hammering as I turned around to find Alexis beaming at me. She wore the biggest smile and I squealed as I pulled her into a hug. Lee, Karla and King were just a few yards behind.
“You guys. Oh my goodness, it’s so good to see you.”
“And you,” Alexis replied giddily, hugging me back as Karla joined in and I heard Lee chuckle.
“You ladies got room for one more?” he asked as he came and joined our group hug. King stood off to the side, an amused smile gracing his handsome features, the sun glinting off his long blond hair. He wasn’t the group-hug type. After a minute I stepped back, and my heart filled with joy. Tears pricked at my eyes but I endeavoured to blink them away.
“Really,” I went on. “You have no idea how good it feels to see some familiar faces.”
Karla, ever the perceptive one, drew her brows together in concern. “Has everything been all right?”
“Everything is fine, it’s just . . . it’s a long story, one that requires a bottle of wine and a good meal.”
“Well, we were planning on hitting up a restaurant to grab dinner,” said Lee. “Who’s in the mood for an aperol spritz?”
Karla rolled her eyes. “How many times do I have to tell you? You can only get those in Italy.”
Lee’s disappointed frown was comical. “But I thought they were a Mediterranean thing? Fucking hell, those drinks are half the reason I planned this trip.”
King shot me an exasperated look. “You think he’s joking, but it’s the truth. He’s obsessed with those disgusting cocktails.”
“I agree. They’re the devil’s nectar,” said Karla.
“Why is everyone ganging up on me?” Lee complained with a dramatic pout. He reminded me so much of Trev in that instant it was eerie.
“If you ask for a spritz on our vineyard tours, I’m pretending I don’t know you,” said King. He sounded serious.
Alexis groaned. “Oh God, why are you lot so intent on torturing me? It’s a sick joke to take a pregnant woman to a vineyard.”
My mouth fell open in shock. “Hold up. You’re pregnant?”
She turned to me with a big smile. “Yep. Up the duff again. There’s no stopping these slutty ovaries. All they seem to want to do is make babies.”
King shot her an amused glance as I pulled her into another hug and squeezed her tight. “That’s amazing, Lexie. Congratulations,” I glanced at King, “to both of you.”
“Thanks,” said King. “We’re over the moon.”
“This’ll be our only break before the baby’s born, so King’s mum offered to mind Oliver while we’re away,” Alexis went on.
“Oh, that’s great. Although I’m sad I won’t get to see him this week. He’s such a cutie-pie.”
Lee rubbed his hands together. “So, this is the plan. We’re going to go say hello to Trev then head for food. You in?”
I glanced over to where Trev was still directing Isaac. He hadn’t yet noticed our visitors. “I’m not sure if we’ll be able to leave yet. There’s another two hours left of filming.”
“Not a problem, we can wait.”
“Oh, no we can’t,” Alexis argued, rubbing her stomach—which I now noticed was slightly more rounded than usual.
“We’ll get you an ice cream to keep you going,” said Lee.
Alexis scrunched up her nose in distaste. “Nothing sugary, please. All I seem to crave these days is salt. Like, I could literally eat crackers with cheese and olives all day long and not get sick of them.”
“I saw a little delicatessen on the way here. We could go grab some food to tide you over if you like?” I suggested.
“I’ll take her,” said King, placing his hand on the small of her back.
Alexis shot me a contented look. “He’s determined to be the perfect baby daddy since he wasn’t around the first time. If I want a sandwich in the middle of the night he’ll literally get out of bed to make it for me.”
I chuckled. “Living the dream, eh?”
She let out a swoony sigh. “Pretty much.”
Lee made a whipping sound, but King only shot him a look that said he wasn’t going to rise to it. He was way too Zen to be riled by that sort of teasing.
“I thought you lot weren’t arriving until tomorrow,” a voice exclaimed, and I turned to see Trev striding over.
“We wanted to surprise you,” said Karla, while Lee’s attention zoomed right in on his brother’s injured wrist, his expression that of a concerned parent.
“What happened to you?” he asked, eyeing Trev’s cast.
“I fell. It’s nothing serious.”
“We’ll see. How long’s it gonna take to heal?”
Trev shrugged. “A couple of weeks.” Turning his attention from his brother, he went to give Karla and Alexis a hug then shook hands with King. We all stood around chatting for a few minutes, then King took Alexis to go find food. Lee and Karla stayed to watch the shoot, and I went back to work.
“Reya!” Isaac whisper-hissed as I passed carrying a cardboard holder full of iced coffees. “Come here for a second.”
He was sitting on a bench fidgeting with the hem of his T-shirt and looking pretty much like a hot mess. “Isaac, what happened to you?”
He ran a hand over the top of his head and levelled me with a panicked expression. “I just had an interesting conversation with Barry.”
“Oh?” I said, arching a brow and suppressing a smile. I had a feeling I knew why he was so worked up.
“They’re considering offering me a one-year contract to star in the show. And they have this idea to film the next series in Johannesburg.”
At this my mouth fell open. I suspected they were going to offer him a part, but I had no clue they wanted to film the fourth season in South Africa. “They do?”
He nodded, a little frantic. “It was partly Trevor’s idea. You were right when you said Joburg was on his bucket list.”
I stepped closer, manoeuvred the tray into one hand and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “That’s such fantastic news, Isaac. I’m so happy for you.”
He half smiled, half grimaced. “Don’t congratulate me yet. I’m not sure Barry understands the challenge he’s up against. He wants to shoot on rooftops in the township where I grew up. He said the gritty aesthetic will appeal to viewers, whatever that means. He’ll be lucky if his equipment isn’t robbed by the end of the first day.”
I chuckled at this. “Well, if you do end up filming there, you just let Barry worry about that. If nothing else, having his equipment stolen will be a character-building exercise.”
That got a small grin out of him before his expression sobered again. “Mum is going to hit the roof. When we emigrated she never wanted me to go back. She . . . we left a lot of demons behind.”
I frowned, wondering what he meant by that. Instead I gave him an empathetic look. “I’m sure she’ll find a way to understand. This is a big opportunity for you, Isaac. One you might not get again.”
He blew out a breath. “I know. I guess that’s why I want to thank you.�
�
My eyebrows rose. “Me?”
“If it weren’t for you being kind to me when we first met, I wouldn’t even be here. Anyone else would’ve had me carted off that rooftop. But you didn’t, you stayed and talked to me, took an interest. You’re a good person, Reya.”
There was something about his simple expression of gratitude that had me welling up. “You’re a good person, too, Isaac. Just remember me when you’re taking over the world.”
He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Right. If I ever win an award you can be sure I’ll include you in the acceptance speech.”
I smiled. “I’ll hold you to that.”
Twenty-Seven.
As soon as filming wrapped for the day we headed for food. On the walk to the restaurant I linked arms with Karla and told her all about the last few weeks and my recent reunion with Paula and Samuel. She expressed both shock and surprise at the turn of events. She was also unexpectedly supportive when I told her about mine and Trev’s reconciliation. I think she knew it was inevitable something would happen, with us spending so much time together.
I was touched when Trev pulled out my seat for me at the restaurant, unused to such boyfriend-ly gestures. In the past year, I’d missed out on things like having someone hold a door open for me or offer to carry my bags. It really was the small things that made a difference. The way he looked at me with such love and adoration somehow made me feel more comfortable in my own skin.
I felt accepted, and it was a new and pleasant feeling.
Trev’s and my reunion, combined with that of my brother and sister, made me realise something so basic that had always eluded me. I’d subconsciously felt unworthy. Although I sought love, there was some part of me that felt like I didn’t deserve it. After all, if the people who brought me into the world didn’t want me, then why would anyone else? Equally, if they could cast me aside, disown me . . . Well, now I have a better perspective.
Trev invited me to come on this trip because he wanted the chance to win me back. He’d gone out of his way to prove to me that we deserved another shot. It wasn’t the fact that I had his love that gave me this new sense of self-worth. It was that he’d worked for it, made the effort. Persisted.
I watched him talking to Lee, my heart so full of love I felt like it might burst. Trev’s eyes were a vivid blue against the hint of a tan he was developing. We’d been spending a lot of time outdoors, and though he was naturally pale, he was one of those lucky people who didn’t burn.
I couldn’t take my eyes off him the entire meal, how his forest-green shirt draped perfectly across his toned shoulders, how his belt fit around his trim waist. He was the opposite of me in every way and it had always been one of the main reasons why I was so attracted to him.
“So,” said King. “I’ve gotten us all ringside seats for the circus tonight.”
I perked up at this, because in the midst of my googly eyed Trev fixation, I’d forgotten all about the circus. There was a giddy five-year-old inside me that became excited about all things circus related, mainly because there was the chance I’d get to see elephants.
“Do we have time for a quick shower and change of clothes?” Trev asked, his arm draped around my shoulders.
“Of course,” King replied. “We’ll collect you and Reya around eight. Sound good?”
“Perfect,” said Trev.
Back at the apartment, I showered off the day’s heat, dressed, and went out to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. I startled when someone came and wrapped their arms around me from behind, but as soon as I smelled Trev’s spicy cologne I relaxed.
“I feel like we haven’t had a second alone in days,” he murmured gruffly as he brought his mouth to my neck and sucked.
I stifled a moan and shifted against him. “That’s probably because we haven’t.”
His hand went to my thigh, then moved up my belly and higher to cup my breast over the fabric of my blouse. I pulled away from him, because I knew if I let him continue we’d end up having sex right there against the fridge. Everyone was out of the apartment, but I still didn’t want to take the risk of being walked in on.
Trev smirked when I stepped over to the opposite side of the counter, effectively putting a barrier between us. Karla and the others would be here to collect us soon. We didn’t have time for sex, even though just looking at him made me want to tear his clothes off. Besides, now that we finally had a moment alone I wanted to tell him about Paula and Samuel.
“Can we talk for a second?”
Trev’s attention went to my outfit, lingering for a second longer than normal. Then his eyes wandered over my face and hair and his expression grew lustful. “You look incredible,” he breathed, like he didn’t even hear the question.
I laughed softly. “I could say anything right now and you wouldn’t hear a word.”
“That’s because I’m sexually malnourished,” he shot back with a sexy smile. “Take pity.”
I resisted the urge to smile back and sat down on a stool, gesturing for him to do the same. “This is serious, Trev. I want to talk to you about what happened the other day.”
In a heartbeat his face lost its humour, replaced with an expression of regret. He raked a hand through his hair and exhaled heavily.
“I crossed a line, I know that. I thought I was doing the right thing but I fucked up. No matter how hard I try I always seem to fuck everything up.”
Frowning, I lifted his hand and laced his fingers with mine. His breathing turned erratic when I brought his hand to my mouth and kissed it softly. I met his troubled gaze then said, “You didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, what you did was incredibly brave. You sacrificed your own happiness in order to help me find mine. Taking me to my aunt’s house was probably the most selfless thing you’ve ever done.”
His eyes flickered between mine, his features drawn in confusion, like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “But they were awful to you. You were so upset and it was all my fault—”
“Yes, I was upset, but the following day I had a phone call from Paula.”
Trev brows jumped high into his forehead. “Your sister?”
I nodded. “Everything’s been so busy that I haven’t had the chance to tell you. She wanted to apologise for not standing up for me. I invited her to come see me after my gig that night and she came. She brought Samuel, too.”
“And what happened?” Trev asked, his eyes alight with interest. This was what I’d missed in the years he’d been gone. Focused attention. No distractions prohibiting my best friend from listening.
“We talked. We talked for hours. And that never would’ve happened if it weren’t for you.”
His face transformed with a wide smile. “That’s fantastic, Reya. I’m so happy for you.”
I smiled right back. “Well, I have you to thank for it. Back when we first met, I used to think all you ever cared about was yourself, but that wasn’t true. Now I know you care about me, too. I know that when you say you love me it isn’t just empty words. You really mean them.”
He swore and squeezed my fingers tight. “Fucking hell, Reya, of course I bloody well mean them.”
I stared at him then, remembering the therapy session I overheard back in Paris. “You’ve always loved me, haven’t you?” I said, the full realisation dawning on me.
Trev gave me a curious look. “What do you mean?”
I glanced away, unsure how to explain. I worried if I told him I eavesdropped he might feel angry or violated, which he had every right to. Even though it gave me huge insight into his thoughts and feelings, I still knew I never should’ve listened.
I chewed on my lip as I brought my gaze to his. “I have a confession, and I completely understand if you get angry.”
His muscles tensed for a second, his expression apprehensive. “Why would I be angry?”
I tried to muster as much apology into my voice as I could manage. “First off, I’m sorry, I never should’ve done it, but when we were i
n Paris I overheard some of a Skype call you had with your doctor.”
I studied his face for a reaction, but he’d gone very still. “What did you hear?”
“I heard you talk about the reason you kept me in the friend zone for so long. You knew you couldn’t maintain a romantic relationship and you didn’t want to lose me so you made sure we stayed only friends.”
Trev’s eyes flickered back and forth between mine. I had no clue what he was thinking, but then he surprised me when he said, “So this is how you know I always loved you.”
“It makes sense.”
He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear before cupping my jaw. The look he gave me was so hot it sent shivers down my spine. “You made me happy. And yes, the idea of losing you terrified me. Also, yes, I have always loved you. At least, it feels that way. I know it doesn’t make sense, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t. That seems like another life.”
I exhaled a long, shaky breath, my heart hammering as I asked, “So, you’re not angry?”
Trev’s gaze softened. “No, I hate to admit it, but I probably would’ve done the exact same thing. I always want to know what you’re thinking. If I could get even a tiny glimpse I’d take it in a heartbeat.”
“Man, I’m so glad I got that out. My guilt was twisting me upside,” I breathed.
Trev bent forward and whispered, his lips over mine. “If that’s the case I know a way you can alleviate some of that guilt.”
I smiled wide. “I’m all ears.”
Screw being walked in on. Maybe we did have time for sex after all.
I was a little dishevelled by the time the gang arrived to take us to the circus, but I managed to fix my hair and smooth out my clothes before we left. King’s sister’s circus was called The Circus Spektakulär and operated in a forested area just outside the city. It almost felt magical as we walked through the fairy-lit pathway that led to the tent, surrounded by tall trees and the night sky above. King greeted the girl on the ticket booth, whose name was Lola, and she appeared delighted to see him. I swear she would’ve pulled him through the window for a hug if it had been allowed.