Escape (25 page)

Chapter Sixteen

Word quickly got around
about
what had happened and by that evening, Lucy found herself to be a minor celebrity in the resort.

Sitting in the restaurant, with Rudy by her side, there seemed to be no end in the number of people who came and clapped her on the shoulder. Other than being a bit shaken, she’d suffered no further repercussions of surfacing so quickly. Rudy said she’d been lucky; she’d only been down for a matter of minutes, and the length of time, combined with the distance she’d gone down, weren’t enough to allow the deadly gases to build and expand in her bloodstream.

Paulie had also come out of the experience unscathed. He’d refused to allow them to call him the emergency helicopter to take him to the mainland, insisting he was fine. Other than throwing up a couple of
liters
of sea water, he was quickly back to himself, although a somewhat more subdued and chastened self.

Lucy was just glad to have Rudy with her. Since getting back, he’d been as attentive as an expectant father to his pregnant wife, running around, getting her whatever she needed. He’d barely left her for a second. Lucy clung to the vague hope he had changed his mind about them and forgiven her for Max.

A chorus of cheers and clapping rose up around the restaurant and Lucy looked up to see Paulie walking down the pathway toward them. He put up his hands and bowed his head in a mock salute, but there was a sheepish smile on his face and a flush rose in his cheeks.

He reached Lucy and bent down and kissed her on the cheek.

“I can’t thank you enough for saving my life. I’m sorry for putting you all in danger and I’m sorry for being such a jerk on the way to the party the other night.”

Rudy stared at him in surprise and turned to Lucy.

“You guys already knew each other?”

“Lucy told me off for littering the island.”

A wide grin spread over Rudy’s face and he looked at her, something bordering amusement and pride in his eyes. “So she should have.”

Lucy picked up her glass of fresh orange juice and took a sip. The noise of all the other people suddenly seemed too loud and heat rushed to her cheeks. Her hand trembled as she set her glass back down on the table.

Rudy noticed.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling all right?”

“Just a bit overwhelmed,” she said. “I think I just need some rest.”

“Let me take you back to your room,” he said, standing. “It’s been a big day for all of us.”

Lucy nodded and allowed him to take her by the arm and help her to her feet.

“Lucy’s going to get some sleep,” he said, addressing all the expectant eyes now watching them leave.

A chorus of ‘goodnights’ came to her, and she smiled
and gave them a small wave. She
let Rudy support her as they walked down the path and climbed the numerous steps to her room. She leaned heavily against him, her legs weak and shaky.

“Do I need to carry you?” he said, only half-joking.

“I’m fine,” she insisted, but even she could hear the tremor in her voice.

Rudy reached down and scooped her up in hi
s arms. She buried her face in
the nook of his neck, feeling the smooth skin of his throat against her lips, tasting the faint trace of salt still left on his skin.

Her grip tightened around his neck and a tight, painful ball blocked her throat. Her lower lip trembled and she bit it, trying to hold back the tears.

“Here we are,” he said, unaware of her emotional battle. Still holding her with one arm, he pushed open her door wit
h the other and then gently lay
her down on her bed. He sat down beside her and brushed the hair away from her face.

“You were so brave today, Lucy,” he said. “You didn’t have to go out there, but you did for a total stranger. In fact, not even a stranger. For a guy who was rude to you. Not many people would do that.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t do it for Paulie. I did it for you.”

“Lucy...” he started. But he didn’t finish. Instead
,
he bent down toward her and his lips found hers, soft
and firm. His fingers laced in
her hair and she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him on
to
the bed beside her. His hard body pressed up against hers and she melted into his kiss.

My
heart might burst with joy
,
she thought
. All she wanted was this, just to have him with her.

Rudy broke away, and sat up, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Lucy. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Yes, you should!” she said, reaching for him.

He shook his head. “This is pointless, Lucy. It can’t go anywhere. You’re leaving in a matter of days and then what? Don’t try to say we’ll stay in touch, or that we’ll make it work, because you know that’s bullshit.”

“Can’t we just enjoy the time we’ve got left?” she asked, desperate, her eyes filling with tears.

“Don’t make this even harder. It’s better if we say goodbye now and leave it at that. This is never going to work and we both need to admit it.”

She opened her mouth to argue with him, but what was there left to say? Only one thought went through her mind, but she wasn’t going to say the words out loud.

But I think I love you.

He bent down and put his arms around her, his face buried in her hair. She clung to him and he kissed the top of her head, before pulling away.

“
It’s
better this way,” he said, his voice breaking. He turned and walked out of the room, and out of her life.

The next morning, Rudy
got
to the resort and checked the log book to discover Lucy had already got a ride down to the port.

She must be getting the morning boat out of here.

Rudy sat down heavily on the chair behind him, his fist bunched at his mouth. What the hell was he doing, just allowing her to leave like this, allowing her to think he didn’t care? How was he going to spend every single day here, knowing he would probably never see her again? Everywhere he looked there were reminders of the time they spent together—the beach, his boat, his bed.

Pain balled deep inside his gut, bending him double. His jaw
tightened,
every muscle in his back and shoulders tensed. Lucy was so totally unlike any woman he’d ever met. She was brave,
intelligent
and incredibly beautiful in a completely non-obvious way. He couldn’t let her go; he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Not allowing himself the chan
ce to change his mind, he leapt
to his feet. His bike was parked outside reception, the keys still in the ignition. He climbed on and kicked the machine to life.

One of the young Thai boys ran out of the reception calling his name, but Rudy wasn’t going to allow
himself
to be distracted.

The bike thrummed beneath him and he kicked the clutch, sending it roaring up the hill. Wind whipped around his head and he suddenly realized he’d forgotten to put his helmet on—something he was always chastising visitors to the island about.

Pushing the bike as fast as he dared, Rudy sped down the rough roads, toward the port. The boat was due to leave at ten a.m. and it was almost that now. If he didn’t get there on time, he would never forgive himself.

As he reached the crest of the hill, he saw the boat was still in dock.

He spotted Lucy struggling with her over-sized suitcase and the sight of her brought the first smile to his face that day. Careful not to propel himself over the handlebars, he nursed the bike down the hill. Not bothering to park it up, he simply st
opped the bike and climbed off.
The bike fell to the ground with a crash.

Rudy
didn’t even give it a backward
glance. He ran down the concrete dock and toward the wooden pier Lucy was now dragging her bag across.

“Lucy!” he called out her name. She paused in her struggles with her bag, but did not look up. “Lucy, wait!”

She turned around, hope lighting her blue-green eyes. Then she saw him running toward her and her face broke into a smile.

He came to a stop only a couple of feet from her.

“What are you doing here?” she
asked,
her eyes wide.

“I couldn’t let you go like this. It’s all wrong.”

“What do you mean? You said...”

“I know what I said,” he interrupted her. “Look, I’ve still got money from the business set aside and it has always worried me that we don’t have a decent clinic here—for the tourists and the locals. We need somewhere we can take divers for decompression and any of the number of other accidents and illnesses that happen here. One day we will have someone who can’t wait the time it takes to get the chopper over and then they’ll need someone like you.”

“What are you saying, Rudy?”

“Stay here. Help me set up a clinic.”

“But the resort?” she said. “It hasn’t got any money—not after the storm. How do you think you can afford to do that?”

“I don’t know,” he laughed. “I’ll get all the other resorts to chip in as well. We’ll make it work. And you know what, even if it doesn’t work, I’ll find you another job. Anything! We’ll work it out. Just stay here with me. I can’t stand the thought of letting you go, Lucy. I don’t want th
is to be just a holiday romance.
I want it to go on. I want us to have a future. I’m in love with you, Lucy Grey.”

She could barely believe
what
he was saying and her eyes filled up with tears. She wanted to say something back, tell him that she loved him too, but the sound just came out as a sob, and he stepped forward, pulling her into his arms.

She pressed her face against his broad chest, feeling his warmth, his strength,
breathing in
his scent. This was where she always wanted to be, here, wrapped in the safety of his arms. Her tears dampened his t-shirt. He half-pulled her away from him, but she hid her face, embarrassed at her tears.

“So was that a yes? Will you stay?” he asked, not understanding that her tears were pleasure, not pain. “Or are you about to tell me goodbye?”

“I could never say goodbye to you,” she said, wiping away the tears. “All I want is you.”

Epilogue

The boat bounced gently on
the waves, the bright sun warming her skin. Lucy raised her face, drinking in its rays. The boat was small enough to skip over the waves, so that its motion felt like a gentle bounce as opposed to the stomach churning lurch she had felt on other boat trips. Of course, it helped that even though it was only seven in the morning, the sun was already strong enough to warm her skin, and the breeze created by the forward motion of the boat lifted her hair away from her face.

It had been a difficult conversation with Max, and another with her consultant at the hospital. Her parents thought she was crazy, her father leaving her with an ominous ‘don’t come crying
to me when it all goes wrong,’ though h
e was none-the-worse for his short
spell in the hospital
. She knew she was being impulsive. She could see it from the outside and understood why everyone gave her the same reaction. It was possible things wouldn’t work out, but at least she had taken the chance. Whatever happened, she could say she had loved and she had done it with every part of her heart and soul. If she stayed in London, if she went back to her old life, she would forever be asking herself ‘what if?’ Her body would be in London, but her heart would be here. She would only ever be living with half of herself. That was enough of a reason for her.