The Sun in My Eyes

27 The Fear Before The Flames

**THIS CHAPTER MAY CAUSE FEELINGS. ADULT ONES. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.**

The day thus far hadn't leant itself to anything so grand as Lili getting mouthy with Bobby.

It was mostly Lottie having a prolonged fit about Rocco and Marisol, who'd given up any pretenses and were openly grafting. He didn't blame her for being upset, but it was afternoon and she'd spent all day snarling and demanding everyone to pick a side. It was both exhausting and pointless.

"What do you even care?" Priya asked, sliding her sunglasses off her nose to pierce Lottie with her dark eyes. "You didn't even like him that much. And now you can finally crack on with Gary."

"What? What are you talking about?" Lottie's mouth twisted. "Gary and I aren't...don't be stupid."

Gary stiffened in the lounger beside Bobby.

"Oh come on," Priya said. "We're not blind. You two are doing everything but peeing on each other to mark territory."

Lottie shot to her feet. "I'm bored now." She stomped to the villa and Gary watched her go, hurt passing through his blue eyes like storm clouds. Poor lad.

"I'm going to..." Gary clambered to his feet and wandered off to the gym.

"You're just a cat knocking things off the table, aren't you Priya?" Lili reached for her sun cream but Bobby beat her to it and gestured for her to turn over.

"Some things need a good swipe of the claws." Priya's gaze landed on Noah and Hope racing each other in the pool. "Like those two. If someone doesn't do something, one day they'll end up with five kids and a mortgage in some crumbling old terraced Victorian, wondering what happened to their lives."

Bobby massaged the cream onto Lili's back, enjoying her soft murmurs of contentment.

"I don't think Noah would mind that life to be honest," Rahim said. "But I wouldn't bet on it happening."

"Ooh, do you have tea to spill?" Priya sat up excitedly.

"Tea? Not exactly. I know he really does care for Hope. But I do think there's someone here who could turn his head if she wanted to."

"Noah barely speaks to anyone, who could he..." Bobby trailed off. Beside Hope, there was only one person in the villa that Noah joked around with, giving her his rare smiles.

Priya slapped her hand on Rahim's arm. "Tell me! Tell me!"

"Honestly? Um, I think Lili could."

Lili tensed beneath Bobby's hands. "What?"

"I don't—he didn't say that. Not like that. But I can tell he..." Rahim coughed.

Bobby laughed to cover the abject misery trapped in his throat. "That's my girl, stealing every heart."

"Noah and I are friends," Lili said. "He's never been anything but a gentleman. I think you're reading too much into things."

Rahim ran his big hands over his cornrows. "I'm not good at speaking, but I'm good at listening. I think I'm right."

Bobby popped the cap back on the sun cream, irritated with the entire turn of the conversation. Lili had far too many admirers.

She took the bottle from him and opened it back up. "It's your turn."

He rolled onto his stomach on the lounger. It was warm from Lili's body heat. She started at the back of his neck and massaged the cream into his skin and his tension melted away. She moved onto his shoulders and he sighed contentedly. Priya and Rahim started chatting about golf and he drifted off, not really asleep but not awake. He stayed there, floating between worlds, the sun baking him, Lili's hands massaging the backs of his arms and legs.