Freya woke the next morning and stretched and smiled, the sun streaming through the windows. She could hear a radio playing softly downstairs. Rome was obviously working early and a flash of guilt surged through her at leaving him when he was so busy. She glanced over at the clock and sat up in confusion, her head pounding with the sudden movement. The clock read half past nine. It was Monday morning and she was supposed to be helping Eden at the pottery café. She hadn’t set the alarm the night before. Her mind tracked back… Why hadn’t she set the alarm?

Rome had been there, they’d ended up drinking a bottle of red wine. Horror slammed into her stomach. Had she really asked Rome to go to bed with her? And he’d turned her down.

She quickly got out of bed. It was fine, she had been drunk and if he asked her about it she would just laugh it off.

There was a glass of water next to the bed and a strip of painkillers and her heart swelled with love for Rome. She was never going to get over him if she was seeing him every day. But what was the alternative? If she got offered this job at the glass studio in St Ives at least that would mean she could get off the island and away from him for a little while, but could she afford anywhere to live in St Ives on the salary they were offering? It was such a mess and there was a huge part of her that never wanted to leave Rome anyway.

She drank the glass of water and took two tablets and then had a quick wash and threw some clothes on. She grabbed her bag and ran down the stairs into the shop.

Rome looked up at her when she came tearing through.

‘I’m late and I’m hungover and I hold you entirely responsible,’ Freya said, jokingly, hoping to smooth over any embarrassment from the night before now so she wouldn’t have to face it later.

Rome stood up. ‘Wait, Freya, we need to talk.’

Freya cringed inside. Did he really want to talk about the night before? It was random drunken ramblings, surely he wasn’t going to take any notice of it.

‘I’m late for Eden.’

‘This won’t take long.’

Freya sighed, conjuring up her best defence for offering to go to bed with him.

Rome walked towards her. ‘Listen, I’m not sure what went on the other night when you quit your job and stormed out of Envy. I have no idea what I did to provoke such a reaction but the fact is you have a job to do here and if you want to leave you are contractually obliged to work a notice period and the standard practice is one month.’

She stared at him in shock. That wasn’t what she expected him to say at all. ‘Wait, what? I’ve never signed a contract with you.’

‘That doesn’t matter. I’ve looked into it and by law you are required to work a notice period. You are responsible for me getting this commission for the school, you are also responsible for the increased workload and these are projects I would never have taken on if I thought I would have to do them alone. There is no way this mural is getting done in time without your help and that was something they were very clear about, that it had to be finished by the end of the summer holiday. If I postpone the deadline, that will look bad on my company and could be detrimental to future commissions. I understand if you don’t want to work with me any more. Well actually, I don’t understand – we’ve worked together for two years and not once fallen out, you seem to love your job so I honestly don’t get why you would just walk out like this. But I do respect your decision to move on, maybe you want a change in career or a job that will pay you more than what you earn here, lord knows you deserve it, but you need to work your notice before you leave.’

‘I… we’re best friends and you want to pull some legal rubbish on me.’

‘Yes we are best friends, so I don’t know why you would leave me to struggle and possibly ruin the company you’ve worked so hard to build up. I’m asking for four weeks, Freya. As my best friend I would think you could give me that.’

‘Eden is my best friend too and she needs the help as well.’

‘I appreciate that, but you work for me, not her. Clare will be back this week to give her a hand and Dougie will no doubt help her out until Clare comes back. I spoke to her this morning, and she understands.’

Freya had no words, her mouth flapped open and closed while she thought of a suitable response. But he was right. That school mural was going to take forever to finish and she did feel bad about landing him in trouble like that. The mural was also something she really wanted to work on, loving being part of such a huge community project. They were supposed to be going to Penzance tomorrow to help with the Under the Sea carnival, she didn’t want to leave him to do that on his own either. What difference would four weeks make to her in her attempts to get over him? She’d worked alongside him for two years while she’d been in love with him, another four weeks wasn’t going to make any difference. The maternity cover job in St Ives didn’t start until September anyway, so if she did get the job, her notice period would be over by then. What choice did she have? Any job she applied for would want references and what kind of reference could Rome honestly give her after she walked out and left him in the lurch like this, apparently for no good reason?

‘I need to talk to Eden,’ Freya muttered.

Rome handed her his mobile phone. ‘Go ahead.’

He walked back to his desk and she reluctantly dialled Eden’s number. She glared at Rome though he didn’t seem to notice. With her pounding head, this was the last thing she needed. But if she thought she could avoid any awkward conversations with Rome today, he clearly had other ideas.

* * *

Rome placed a mug of tea down in front of Freya. She had spoken to Eden, who he knew would back him up as he had already primed her early that day, and then she had gotten on with the mural. She had barely spoken to him all morning other than to ask questions revolving round work. He knew she was angry at him for pulling the boss card and demanding she work her notice. Legally, he didn’t have a leg to stand on, forcing her to work four weeks. She had never signed a contract and they both knew he would never take her through any kind of employment tribunal. He knew she was there because he had guilted her into it and he felt bad about that but he didn’t know what else he could do. Although things seemed to be back to friendly again – well they had been before that morning – it was quite clear, from talking to her the night before, that she had no intention of coming back to work for him. He couldn’t lose her. She was his best friend and he couldn’t even contemplate what life would be like without her. He now had four weeks to persuade her to stay for good and he was going to use every tool at his disposal to get her to do that.

‘Shall we go to lunch? I’ll treat you to a slice of cake,’ Rome tried.

‘You want me to go and have lunch at Eden’s after I left her to struggle?’

‘Yes. She’s your friend, she understands that you need to work your notice before you can leave. No offence to Eden’s shop but she can get anyone to help her serve coffee and teas, the kind of job you are doing here requires a very special skill and months or even years of training. And if you hadn’t stormed out and left me the other night, then you would still be working here and Eden would still be struggling, as you put it. But as I’ve already said, Dougie is more than happy to help out so I don’t think you’re going to be on Eden’s barred list just yet.’

Freya stood up. ‘Fine. But I want a slice of that white chocolate and strawberry cake.’

He relaxed a little. ‘Of course.’

He waited for her to walk out onto the street then followed her out and locked the door behind them.

‘So we’re going to Penzance tomorrow to help with the setting up of the Hope Island float. Are you going to be angry with me the whole time we are there, or are you just not going to talk to me?’

Freya sighed. ‘No, I’ll talk to you.’

‘Good.’ He snagged her arm and pulled her to face him. ‘Look, I’m sorry for forcing you to work with me when you clearly don’t want to but… but I can’t lose you and I’m going to do everything I can to get you to stay. And I don’t mean your work, which is incredible by the way, I mean you.’

She stared up at him, her whisky-caramel eyes wide with surprise.

She swallowed and when she spoke her voice was croaky. ‘When you talk like that it makes me think you want something more from me than just friendship.’

Did he want something more than friendship? Did he want to fall in love again, to lay himself open to getting hurt all over again? Did he want to push his relationship with Freya into the something more category and risk his wonderful friendship with his best friend if it all went wrong? He was too scared to take that step. Over the last few days he’d seen how tentative their friendship actually was, how easily he could lose her over something that was entirely out of his control, just like the rollercoaster accident that took Paige’s life. He just wanted his friend back and he wasn’t going to risk losing her completely, no matter how tempting it was to kiss her or make love to her.

He took a step back from her and saw the briefest flash of hurt wash across her face before she turned away and started walking towards Eden’s pottery café.

Is that what she wanted? She had hinted at that the night before when she’d had a few drinks but he’d put that down to drunken ramblings.

God, he really was rubbish with women, he had no idea what they were thinking and whereas before it hadn’t mattered with Freya, he could just be himself, suddenly it mattered more than anything. He had to get this right.

They walked into Eden’s pottery café and immediately Freya went over to hug Eden.

‘I’m so sorry.’

‘Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for,’ Eden said. Pulling back slightly from Freya, she fixed Rome with a teasing glare. ‘You, on the other hand.’

He laughed, knowing that Eden didn’t mind.

‘Honestly, Freya, it’s fine. Clare will be back tomorrow and as you can see Dougie is earning his keep.’ Eden gestured over to Dougie who was wearing a pink cupcake apron as he served teas and cakes behind the counter. ‘Rome is right, he needs you. He would be lost without you.’

Rome nodded. In more ways than one.

They moved to the counter and Dougie looked up at them and grinned as they approached.

‘Nice apron,’ Rome said.

Dougie pointedly ignored him. ‘Freya, you’re looking beautiful today, Rome… still ugly as ever. What are you still looking grumpy for anyway, you got Freya back?’

‘Temporarily.’ He willed Dougie to stop talking but his friend took no notice.

‘You should have seen him, Freya, he looked like he’d had his heart ripped out after your row. I still don’t know what you two fell out over?’ He looked between them, obviously hoping they would enlighten him. But Rome had no idea either.

‘Nothing,’ Freya muttered.

‘Well if it was nothing, then it’s high time you two kissed and made up.’

Rome was just trying to decide if it would be bad for Eden’s business if he reached across the counter and throttled Dougie when a voice piped up behind them.

‘Go on Rome, give her a kiss.’

Rome turned round to see Barbara from the chemist with her friend Mary, both of them smiling at him hopefully.

Mary nodded encouragingly.

‘Go on,’ Barbara urged. ‘Poor Freya bought condoms from me for your big date on Friday evening, such a shame for the poor love that she never got to use them.’

Rome turned to look at Freya who was looking at Barbara in horror.

‘It doesn’t always have to be the man that makes the first move,’ Dorothy Pippin chimed in from a nearby table. ‘Freya honey, if you want to kiss him, you go right ahead and do it, don’t wait around for him to do it. Life is too short for what ifs and maybes. Kiss him, then you’ll soon find out if he feels the same way.’

Good lord. All he wanted was a sandwich and a cappuccino.

Freya cleared her throat. ‘Thank you all for your encouragement, but Rome and I are just friends and that is never going to change.’

His words from the night before came back to haunt him. Was that what she had meant when she asked him whether they would always be friends? Had she been asking him whether he saw a future where that friendship would change?

‘Just kiss her,’ Mary urged.

He glanced back at Dougie, who had a big grin on his face at this turn of events. He passed him a glare that he hoped was suitably scathing enough and then bent down and kissed Freya on the cheek. He lingered for a second or two too long, relishing in the feel of her soft skin on his lips, the scent of her wrapping itself around him before he pulled away. She blinked in surprise, her cheeks flushing pink.

‘Freya, I’m sorry, I truly am for whatever it was I said or did that upset you, will you find it in your heart to forgive me?’

‘On the lips,’ Barbara insisted.

Freya giggled at the absurdness of the situation.

‘Now I know why you wanted to leave the island,’ Rome muttered. ‘In fact, let me get my bag and I’ll come with you.’

Eden finally came over to rescue the situation, a little too late for Rome’s liking.

‘Thank you ladies, I think you’ve humiliated them quite enough.’

Grumbling at having their fun thwarted, they begrudgingly returned to their own conversations.

‘Let me get you some lunch, I presume you’ll want it to take away now,’ Eden said, slipping behind the counter and cuffing Dougie round the back of the head.

‘Ow. What was that for?’ Dougie laughed.

‘You know what.’

‘I’ll take the ham, please,’ Freya said.

‘I’ll take the tuna,’ Rome said. ‘And a slice of white chocolate and strawberry cake please. And yes, we’ll have them to take away.’

Eden dished up the food into containers and paper bags and handed them over, waving away Rome’s attempts to pay.

‘Why does he get free food and I have to pay?’ Dougie protested.

‘Because I like him,’ Eden said.

Dougie grabbed her and pulled her into his arms and she half-heartedly tried to escape. ‘Ah but you love me really, deep down, I know there’s love in there somewhere.’

‘Never,’ Eden giggled.

‘Hey, get your hands off my sister, she can do a lot better than you,’ Rome said and Dougie reluctantly let her go.

‘So you’re going to miss our dinner tomorrow night?’ Eden said, referring to their siblings’ dinner he, Eden and Bella had every week at Rosa’s restaurant. He always brought Freya along and Dougie would of course invite himself and lately Isaac had started coming to a few of them too.

‘Sadly, yes, we’re getting the early ferry tomorrow and trying to get into Penzance as early as we can. We were supposed to go this morning but Cal, who is helping to build the float, said he and his team have it all under control. But we’ll get there tomorrow morning and help with any last-minute bits – the parade doesn’t start until four so we’ll still have plenty of time. All the work, from our side of things, was done weeks ago, so for the most part we get to just enjoy the parade.’

‘Well, why don’t we shift dinner to Wednesday night instead? It won’t be the same without you two there. You’ll be back by then, won’t you?’

‘Good idea. Yes, we’ll be back Wednesday morning. We’re only staying at the Bay View Hotel for one night.’

‘In the same room?’ Dougie asked, innocently.

Annoyingly the hotel had only had a twin room available and all the other hotels in the area were fully booked because of the carnival. Freya had insisted it would be fine but Rome was wondering whether it would be awkward. Dougie already knew their sleeping arrangements as Rome had mentioned it to him the other night. Dougie had insisted it would be the night when things would finally change between the two of them, though Rome had told him it wasn’t going to happen.

Rome cleared his throat and passed Dougie another glare. ‘Yes, a twin room, that was all they had available.’

‘Oh, romantic.’ Dougie waggled his eyebrows obtrusively and, as he turned away to make a coffee for another customer, he started singing, ‘2 Become 1’ by the Spice Girls.

‘Oh maybe Freya will have use for those condoms after all,’ Barbara piped up from behind them.

Rome rolled his eyes.

‘Thanks for lunch, we’ll see you Wednesday,’ Rome said. Waving goodbye to Eden, he ushered Freya out onto the street.

As soon as the shop door closed behind them, Freya burst out laughing.

‘They don’t give up, do they? The love lives of the young folk, or the lack of one, seem to be the most interesting thing that goes on around here. And I didn’t buy condoms, before you ask. She must have me confused with someone else,’ Freya said, awkwardly, even though Rome knew that Barbara was very unlikely to make mistakes and get confused. ‘And I appreciated the kiss, even if you were coerced into it.’

‘Believe me, it was no hardship.’

She stopped and stared at him and he immediately regretted that statement.

‘What does that mean?’

He sighed. ‘You seem to think I’m not attracted to you, but nothing could be further from the truth.’

‘But… But it’s been two years and nothing has ever happened between us.’

‘And that’s because of a ton of different reasons, none of which have anything to do with me not wanting to. Come on, we have a load of work to do today before we take a day off tomorrow.’

He walked away before she could question him any further. Dougie was right, it was going to come to a head between them sometime soon. He just wasn’t sure he would be happy about the end result.