Lauren isn't answering her phone.

I really have no right to be annoyed about this - it's Monday morning, after all, and she'll be at work. But I'm feeling impatient and itchy-skinned, and thousands of miles away from the answers I need.

"Everything alright?" Lewis asks me as we wander through the charming old town in Rethymno. He must be sensing my anxious vibes. Milos left us at the car, saying he'd meet us back there in a few hours. Of course, Lewis and I walked off together, "couple" that we are, but I'm wondering if I should try to ditch him. It's actually nice to have the company, if I'm being honest, but I'd also prefer that he wasn't around should Lauren call me back.

"I'm fine," I say tersely, admiring the dark pink flowers surrounding us in this particularly pretty lane. "It's just weird being so far away from home sometimes, you know?"

He smiles. "I dunno, I sometimes think I prefer it this way," he says softly. He grinds to a sudden halt outside a shop, staring in the window. "Do you mind if I go in here? I'd like to get my mum a present."

Okay, that's more than a little bit cute. "Are you close to your mum?" I ask, following him into the store. He nods, making a beeline for a selection of jewelery.

"Yeah. It's just been me and her for a good few years now so . . . you could say that." His words sound somehow thicker than usual, and it feels like he's going out of his way to not look in my direction. Instead, he is seemingly placing all his concentration on flipping through a rack of pretty necklaces.

Realising he clearly doesn't want to talk about it further, I turn my own attention to some turquoise bracelets laid out on the table in front of me. "These are lovely," I hum appreciatively, pawing delicately through them. I hold my favourite up against my wrist. "What do you think?"

"It suits you," he says quietly. I chance a quick glance up at him, and he's gazing down at the bracelet, that wistful expression on his face again. He takes a deep breath. "You should buy it."

I place it back down, feeling awkward all of a sudden. "Maybe I'll consider it." At that point, my phone bursts into life - saved by the bell! Or, in this case, Zorba the Greek, my ringtone for the holiday! I wouldn't normally have my ringer on, but I didn't want to miss Lauren's call. Smiling shame-facedly at the other customers in the shop, I tell Lewis: "I'd better take this."

"No worries. I'll catch up with you later," he says distractedly, and I feel slightly . . . dismissed as I slip through the door. I was actually going to wait outside for him, but apparently, he doesn't really want to hang out with me anyway. Well, that's just fine! I flounce away and start creating as much distance between us as I can while I answer the call.

"What's so bloody urgent, Rubes?" Lauren cuts immediately to the chase. "I've got about five minutes to spare between two Teams meetings, and I had that time reserved for a large cappuccino and some chocolate cake, so this had better be good!"

Cheeky sod!

"Hey, enough with the attitude!" I say firmly. "You don't get to take the high ground on this; and I need some answers."

She sighs in defeat. "Fine. But I will be eating the cake during this conversation because I've been looking to it all morning." Her last few words are muffled, so she's clearly already stuffed some in her mouth.

"Is it not only like nine thirty there?" I ask. "Bit early for chocolate cake, surely?" Even by my chocoholic standards.

"It's never too early for cake," she mumbles. I think that's what she says anyway.  She swallows. "What's up?" She adds, her voice slightly clearer now.

I cut to the chase. "When you entered this competition, why did you really choose me and Lewis?" 

She's quiet for a moment. "We told you why. We were drunk. It seemed like a hilarious idea at the time . . . And I guess you're our only single friends?"

It's just not ringing true. There's definitely something she's not telling me. "Can you please just be honest with me?" I ask, and she sighs.

"I've always suspected Lewis has feelings for you," she says eventually. "Pretty much from that first time you were introduced. Drew agrees, although Lewis has never actually admitted that to us. So we thought if you won the holiday, it might be a way for you to finally get to know each other better."

"But he was so rude that night!" I protest. "You even commented on it yourself . . . He barely said hi to me, then almost immediately left with the girl he'd been chatting up at the bar."

"Yeah. I hadn't known him long at that point, but it already seemed pretty out of character for him." I can sense Lauren nodding along with her own words even though I can't see her. "And so I started paying more attention to his behaviour around you from then on. After that first encounter, he seemed to be constantly trying to reach out to you as if he wanted to make up for his actions that night . . . He was always asking you questions or trying to have a joke with you, but you would usually rebuff him or go on the defensive. And he'd laugh it off, but it was obvious he was hurt. Eventually, I think he just gave up trying and started returning the same slightly snarky energy you were giving him."

I frown. "This makes no sense to me."

"Then you're being deliberately obtuse, Ruby, because it's so fucking obvious to everyone else," Lauren says impatiently. "Do you want to know what's even crazier? Drew says Lewis hasn't had any sort of relationship or even seemed interested in another girl at all since he met you that night!"

"What are you trying to say?" I ask faintly, and Lauren lets out a huff of exasperation.

"I'm not going to spell it out for you," she replies. "But maybe you should consider the fact that you went on your celibacy kick around about that same time too, eh?"

"That's just a coincidence," I hurriedly object, before I remember that I have a slightly more pressing question to address. "So why did Drew lie about what Lewis said? That he'd put up with anything for a holiday, even me?"

"Lewis was absolutely horrified when he found out what we'd done," Lauren tells me. "He actually took more persuading than you did. He was also certain you would refuse the prize, but we said we'd talk you round. Drew suspected that if he lied about what had been discussed, it would appeal to your stubborn streak and convince you to go. And he wasn't wrong, was he?"

"For fuck's sake," I mutter, irritated that Drew played me so well. His excellence at mind games must come in really handy in his legal career. I hate the fact that I fell for it; and that I actually believed Lewis would have said such a thing.

I can suddenly hear other voices in the background on Lauren's side of the call. "Listen, just one more thing before I need to go," she says hurriedly. "Do you remember the night we were all out and that creepy dude tried to spike the drink he'd insisted on buying you?"

I think back with a grimace. It was maybe a year ago, and I remember Lauren rushing me away, informing me in a low voice what had happened. Thankfully I'd not drank from the poisoned chalice as I'd had no intention of doing anything with the arsehole in question, and had just been trying to tell him to piss off in a polite way. "Yeah . . . how could I forget?" Although I might have forgotten if I'd touched that drink: that's a fairly terrifying thought, actually!

"Well, it was Lewis who saw it happen," Lauren tells me now. "And apparently he shoved the guy up against the wall after we left and told him if he came anywhere near you again, he'd have him to answer to. Drew said he's never witnessed him so angry." Her voice softens. "I just thought you should know that. Lewis has been looking out for you all along . . . You've just never noticed."

Fuck. I barely register Lauren saying goodbye and ending the call, too busy with my own thoughts. Lewis actually does like me? He's liked me all this time? There have been hints, sure . . . I guess sometimes he's even came right out and said it, plain as day. But I've always just assumed he's been playing with me. Mocking me. That I've just been a joke to him. Even after what happened last night.

It's just a theory, my brain tells me logically. It's never actually been confirmed. And we already came to the conclusion just a few chapters ago that theories don't always pan out, remember?

And even if it is true . . . It's not really relevant because I don't like him that way. 

Right?

I think I need some retail therapy. It's a far easier option than introspection.

I would go back and buy the bracelet I liked, but I'm not quite ready to retrace my steps and potentially run into Lewis again. Knowing he might actually have feelings for me after all makes my stomach feel uncomfortable and squirmy, and I have no idea how I'm going to act around him with this new information. I head in the opposite direction; buy myself a cute white sundress and a bottle of Ouzo. Neither purchase helps to calm my frazzled mind. So I wander down to the picturesque old Venetian harbour instead and order a soft drink at one of the quaint restaurants on the edge of the turquoise water. Maybe the sunshine will soothe my soul.

It seems unlikely, though.

"Ruby?" A voice cuts through my fuzzy brain forest, and I realise Milos is standing above me, looking slightly perplexed. "Are you okay? Where is Lewis?"

Oh shit. We're not here together, and Milos is definitely going to smell a rat! Panic floods my veins.

"We both wanted to see different things here," I say eventually, hoping my smile looks natural. "And we've spent so much time together already; we figured a few hours apart wouldn't hurt!"

Milos looks unconvinced. "In that case, may I join you?" he asks, and I agree, trying to hide my reluctance. He sits down opposite me and asks a passing waiter for a coffee before eyeing me thoughtfully.

"Ruby, are you okay?" he repeats again, after a brief hesitation. I nod vigorously, nervously twirling my straw in my glass of Fanta Limon.

"Of course; why wouldn't I be?"

He leans forward, emerald eyes burning into mine. "I don't want to speak out of turn," he says softly. "But I feel like there's something . . . not quite right between you and Lewis?"

Oh.

My.

God.

Is Milos on to us?

Someone cue up the cliffhanger music!😱

How have we reached the end of chapter 19 already??? I'm not quite sure myself! WYWH has already passed 4k reads, though, and the end is still nowhere in sight . . . Mainly because I'm not yet sure how it will end!

Anyway, I would love to get a few more folk jumping on board while it's still ongoing, so I wouldn't say no to a shout out if there was one available! (Hint, hint.😉)

And, as always, I'd love to know your thoughts and theories! 🩷