Among the Olive Groves Read online

  Angelos continued to hold her tightly and it was then that he finally spoke of his true feelings for her. The threat of war heightened everything. It made life more real, more urgent.

  “Oh, Elena. I care so much about you, my little one. I wish you would learn not to carry the burden of the world upon your shoulders.”

  “I cannot help it Angelos. At least I know the world is a better place with you as my friend.”

  “I am always here for you. You know that.”

  “I know.”

  They were silent for a moment, and then Angelos spoke, his words unheeded.

  “I am in love with you, Elena Petrakis.”

  Surprise washed over her and she gazed into his brown eyes, which were surrounded by long dark lashes that matched his hair colour. He spoke words that she had hoped to hear for so long but thought would never come. Even though she heard him say them out loud, she still could not believe it.

  “You love me?” It came out as barely a whisper.

  “With all my heart. I have done since the first day I met you. I have wanted to tell you so many times, but I never knew how. It is such a difficult situation. My family would not approve and if we ever wanted to be together, life would be even more difficult than it is now, but I cannot deny my heart Elena. It yearns for you every single day. I feel lost without you, and I miss you when you are not around. I want to love you so much that I fear my heart will break.”

  “Angelos. My beautiful Angelos. I love you too, so very much, but we both know I am the wrong girl for you. Your father does not approve. It would never work. We would both end up brokenhearted.”

  “It is a chance I am willing to take. I cannot live a lie any longer.”

  Elena pulled away from him and leaned back against a tree, studying him carefully. She really did love him, but she knew they could never truly be together. She did not want to lose her heart to him only to have it broken a few months later. As brave as she was, she was frightened to death of Loukas Sarkis. She knew how vicious he was and how he would react if he learned about the two of them being together. It was impossible. Her heart was screaming at her to love Angelos back but her head was telling her to pick up her feet, run and never look back, to forget about him and begin again. She did not know what to do.

  Angelos took the choice away from her. Stepping towards her, he took her hands in his, and stared intensely at her, trying to fathom what was going on inside her head. Feeling his hands around hers grounded her, made her feel at ease.

  “What are you thinking, my love?”

  “That however much we love each other, there is too much that could break us apart.”

  “It is true, but I have come too far, Elena. I cannot lose you now.”

  Angelos was so close now that Elena could feel his warm breath on her neck. In the sky above them, hues of pinks and oranges had given way to the falling inky blackness of night and stars were appearing in the heavens above. Angelos gently ran his fingers up and down her arms, his touch making her shiver with excitement. Leaning in, he kissed her neck, little butterfly kisses that moved to her throat and then finally, to her lips. Unable to resist, she threw her arms around him and allowed him to kiss her, strong urgent kisses that left her reeling and begging for more.

  Angelos could not remember how it happened, but it was not long before they were lying under the canopy of a spreading olive tree, with their hands entwined. Elena’s eyes shone brightly in the moonlight, begging Angelos to love her and he surrendered. As the night-time breeze wafted around them, and lizards crept silently in the undergrowth, Angelos and Elena slowly became one. They took each other heart, body and soul, eventually drifting off to sleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.

  ~

  In the following days, Angelos’s smile was brighter than the sun itself. It did not matter what anyone said or did to him, all he could think about was that glorious night with Elena under the heavens. Life on the island was slow and steady. Men worked hard on the land, fished or toiled in the groves. Women cleaned their house, looked after their children and supported their husbands. They slept when they could, drank wine to fortify themselves during long summer days filled with backbreaking work, and ate plentiful amounts of village bread dipped in olive oil, accompanied by onions, olives and the occasional bit of meat or Zakynthian cheese if they were lucky.

  Angelos’s life was no different, he worked just as hard. During the day he toiled in the groves obeying his father, and fulfilling his duty. But at night he snuck from the house using the darkness as a shield to secretly meet Elena. One night, while lying upon a blanket under a tree with the faint smell of pine, grass and earth enveloping them, Angelos turned to Elena and gently brushed the hair away from her face. Her body was a silhouette in the darkness of night, but her eyes gleamed brightly.

  “Have I told you how much I love you?”

  “Yes, you tell me every time you see me,” she giggled.

  “Have I told you how very beautiful you are?”

  “Yes, every time you see me.”

  “And have I told you...”

  She smothered his mouth with a loving kiss, pinning him to the ground. “Be quiet!”

  “I am sorry,” he said and held her tightly, feeling her skin against his, never wanting to let her go. “I cannot help it, I do love you and you are so very beautiful.”

  “I love you too. I will always love you.”

  “Would you ever marry me, Elena?”

  She rolled onto her back, considering the question, as she gazed up at the stars.

  “I would marry you tomorrow if I could.”

  “But?”

  “But it is not possible. Your father would never allow it; we both know that. We are too different. I am not suitable to be the wife of a landowner’s son.”

  Angelos sighed. “I would give it all up in a heart beat. If I were forced to choose, you or my father’s plan for me, I would choose you every time.”

  “I know you would, but for now, can we just not be, Angelos? We both know that we love each other and that should be enough. We should not need a declaration to prove how we feel.”

  “I know. But I would marry you all the same.”

  “I know you would.” She rolled to face him and placed a hand on his warm chest. “Enough talk of marriage, it will be light soon and we should think about going home.”

  “As always, you are right.”

  As he went to stand, Elena grabbed his arms and held him tightly once more before having to separate. As they embraced under the private canopy of nature, dawn began to tint the skyline, heralding the start of a new day.

  ~

  Life on Zakynthos did not change much; islanders went about their business and the olive harvest went ahead as normal. But the threat of war still hung heavily over their heads. Two days after Hitler invaded Poland, both Britain and France declared war on Germany and the Second World War officially began. Each day, Angelos and Elena desperately searched for news, fearful that they might be invaded. But the war remained at a distance, their little island left in peace, and finally they began to relax and breathe a sigh of relief. Paradise was still theirs and their love was stronger than ever. They were lucky and were defying all odds, but for how much longer?

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Cornwall, England, 1992

  Kate sat on Fistral Beach staring out at large rolling waves that crashed and thudded along the coastline. Late spring storms had intensified, bringing heavy rain that fell like stair rods, soaking everything in sight. The winds were whipping the sea into a frothing frenzy and the local surfers loved every minute of it. Sitting on the wet sand, water seeping into her jeans, Kate desperately searched the ocean for a glimpse of Fletch but could not see him anywhere. The wind swirled around her, seeping into crevices in her coat, chilling her bones, making her pull it tightly around her. The rain that had ceased for a few hours now began to fall again in small splashing droplets, wetting her already messy hair and running dow
n her face and neck. She would be completely soaked by the time she got home, but she did not care. She needed to see him.

  Two surfers ran out of the waves, threw their boards to the sand and high-fived each other. Kate rose to her feet and ran down to see them.

  “Kate!” A tall skinny blonde man smiled at her with surprise.

  “Hi, Jase. Have you seen Fletch anywhere?”

  “No, not for months. Last I knew he was in California.”

  Kate felt her stomach flip. California? What on earth was he doing there? She did not even know he had gone. Had she really been that caught up in her own world for the past year? How could he not tell her he was leaving? Had he been that angry?

  “I saw him before he left. He said there was nothing to keep him here, so he packed up his surfboard and rucksack and said he was off to see the world. I think Shane got a postcard a few months ago, but no one’s heard anything else since.”

  “Right. Thanks.”

  Kate left the surfers and plodded up the beach. Why did Fletch leave so suddenly and why had he not come back? Was it all her fault? Was it because of the argument they had had? Whatever it was, she wished he was still here. She missed him so much and she really needed a friend right now. Tomorrow was her birthday. A whole year since she had learned she was adopted. She had been fine at the time, telling Mum and Dad that she did not care about her birth parents. But then Athena’s birthday card had arrived out of the blue.

  Ever since, the words had stayed in her head, tormenting her at night when she tried her best to sleep, interrupting her thoughts during the day. Was Athena right? Should she have put everything to one side and done her best to find out about her birth family? She was so confused and did not know what to think or do for the best. She was angry with Athena for doing this to her, angry with her parents for being so bluntly honest with her and angry with herself for being so weak.

  Now she was angry with Fletch. He had been the one constant in her life, the one person she could always trust and turn to, until he abandoned her and left her to deal with everything on her own. Stomping along the wet and stormy beach, she allowed the now heavier rain to lash her face and body. She no longer cared what happened. She was so angry. No, worse than that. She was bloody furious, and she had had enough.

  “Everyone can just go to hell!” she screamed.

  As if the world heard her, a flash of lightning soared brightly across the sky, quickly followed by a cracking rumble of thunder that shook the ground. Kate knew coastal storms could be dangerous so she picked up speed. Running along the sand was hard work, and took every ounce of strength she had. She reached the International Surfing Complex just as lightning flashed overhead again. Flinging herself under the wooden decking, she sat on the cold wet sand, shivering, as the bad weather worsened and continued on around her.

  She was not a fan of storms, but she did feel a little safer under the decking. The wind had really whipped up now and she knew she would be stuck there for a while until it passed. Resigned, she settled herself in and watched as the tempest raged. The waves rolled and crashed, like a sea of white horses galloping to the shore in endless droves. A few hardy, and some might say idiotic, surfers remained in the water, taking their chances, but the rest had abandoned the sea in search of safety.

  Forks of bright white and pink lightning lit up the inky black sky, landing forcefully on land and water. Thunder quickly followed, crashing loudly, making everything around her shake. The clouds were dark and forbidding and they continued to drop a wall of intense, never-ending rain that drenched everything in sight. She sat hunched under the decking, shivering, watching in awe as nature’s spectacle swept the coastline.

  A lone surfer caught her eye. He was the last out of the water and was sprinting towards her with his board tucked under his arm. A fork of lightning descended, and landed barely a few feet from him, making him jump. Panicked, he threw his board to the ground and picked up speed, heading in Kate’s direction. Moments later he threw himself under the decking and was sitting next to her.

  “Shit that was close,” Jase said. “Do you think my board will be okay?”

  “You’re an idiot.”

  Jase looked sideways to see that she was smirking.

  “It cost me a lot of money!” he said petulantly.

  “It’s your own fault for staying out there so long. You should have come in when it started.”

  “What are you, my mother?”

  “No, thank god.”

  They sat in silence for a few minutes as the storm continued to rattle around them.

  “So you and Fletch...” Jase shouted over the din, not really knowing what to talk about.

  “What about us?”

  “Were you guys, like, going out or something?”

  “No. Nothing like that. He is…was my best mate.”

  “Ah okay.”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “No reason.”

  Another fork of lightning came down on the sand not far from them, leaving the air zinging with electricity, as a simultaneous crash of thunder bellowed overhead. Without thinking, Jase and Kate grabbed hold of each other out of pure fear. The storm was directly above them and spitting venom for all it was worth. Kate tried to speak but her words were carried away on the wind as soon as she opened her mouth. They had no choice but to stay where they were until it blew itself out. Kate was grateful for the company, even if it was a dumb surfer who had stayed in the waves too long and almost got himself fried.

  ~

  Just over an hour later, the storm was finally moving away and the rain had let up. The clouds parted and a faint beam of sun shone through. The calm after a very intense storm.

  Kate and Jase stepped from under the decking, thankful that they got through it unharmed.

  “I better go and rescue my board.”

  Kate nodded. “I better get back. I’m soaked. See you.”

  “You wanna go for a drink?”

  Surprised, Kate turned and asked, “What…you mean now?”

  “Um. No, not right now. Later?”

  Kate stifled a chuckle. “I don’t go out with surfers.”

  “I meant as friends,” Jase said uncomfortably. Asking her out for a drink had surprised him. While the storm had raged, he had felt okay sitting next to her, but now he felt discomfort. He did not want to push her away by saying the wrong thing.

  “Where?”

  “In town?”

  “No, but thanks for asking though.”

  Jase was confused. He had expected her to say yes. Normally girls did.

  “Okay, not in town. Why don’t we go to the new pub on the main road out to Holywell?”

  “You have a car?”

  “Of sorts. Look Kate, do you want to go for a drink or not?”

  “Yes, Jase. Pick me up at my house at seven.”

  “Okay. Where do you live?”

  “That’s easy. Work it out.”

  Kate turned and walked up the slipway leaving a puzzled Jase scratching his head in confusion.

  ~

  Kate was sitting with her feet up, watching TV, when the doorbell rang. Concentrating on the screen, she let her father go to answer it.

  “You have a visitor, Kate.”

  She looked up to see a clean and tidy Jase standing before her. She glanced at the clock; he was ten minutes early, too. She could not help feeling a little impressed. She rose from her seat, with a smile planted on her face. He looked disappointed to see her lolling about in faded hole-ridden tracksuit trousers and a ripped T-shirt.

  “You’re not ready?”

  “I just need to change. I won’t be a minute. Sit.” She motioned to a free chair before running from the room. She had not actually expected him to turn up. She groaned inwardly; she really hoped he did not want anything more than friendship. Scrabbling around her room she found a clean pair of jeans and her favourite t-shirt, and slipped them on before slotting her feet into her trainers. She was going for a
drink with a friend and nothing more. As she shook her hair out and looked in the mirror she caught sight of the silver dolphin pendant Fletch had given her on her twenty-first birthday. She really missed him and wished she knew where he was. It upset her to think he had left the country without even saying goodbye. Shaking the thoughts from her head, she grabbed her bag and ran down the stairs.

  Sitting in Jase’s battered car in uncomfortable silence, they left Newquay and drove towards Holywell Bay. Arriving at the pub, they parked before taking a seat inside. As Kate sipped her drink Jase spoke.

  “That storm was mad, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes. Mum and Dad were worried. They know I hate storms.”

  “You really don’t like them?” Jase asked with surprise.

  “No. They scare the life out of me.”

  “I’m shocked. You were so calm, I’d never have known. My sister doesn’t like them either. She usually hides under the duvet.”

  “It was mind over matter, and you were there. If I’d been alone, I’d probably have been a wreck, too. Thanks for staying with me.”

  “It’s okay. I didn’t fancy staying out in it either. That bolt came a little too close for my liking.” He paused, taking a sip of his drink. “You really miss Fletch, don’t you?”

  “Yes. He was the only friend I had, and now he’s gone. I feel so terribly lonely.” She dipped her eyes to stare into her glass. “Sorry Jase. I don’t mean to sound depressing.”

  “It’s okay.” He stared at her, taking in the silky tresses that fell thick and long, framing the pretty features on her face. He had pined after her for so long but had never been brave enough to tell her how he felt. She had always been at the beach with Fletch. Fletch the supremo surfer. The man everyone wanted to be. The man who had one of the most beautiful girls in town at his side constantly, and yet he never did anything about it. So Jase would seek solace in other girls, mostly tourists, or those going off to university so they would not get too attached to him. But all the time, it was Kate he wanted to be with, but he had not stood a chance while Fletch was around. Then suddenly Fletch had gone and here she was, free and available. It had taken Jase an eternity to feel brave enough to ask her out for a drink. What if the storm had not struck? Would he still be pining after her, too afraid to reach out?