“It’s not what…” she had begun as he had contemptuously moved back from her, his eyes wracking her scathingly “What? It’s not what I think Mina?” giving a non humorous laugh.
“Please do not insult my intelligence. It is exactly what I think…and I’m damn sure that I am not putting up with it”.
Clamping her mouth closed, she had looked imploringly at him, his eyes not meeting hers as he had moved back to the door.
“I will beat this Mina…this vote is only the first step, you and Alexander are making a big mistake.”
Once more she had tried to speak, as he had raised his hand silencing her, his finger pointed accusingly at her “I thought you were different…I really did, but you and Alexander are the same, and I want you the hell out of my house…now”.
Gasping, Mina had jumped to her feet; protestations on her lips as he had strode from the room, moving quickly down the stairs before slamming the front door the sound of his sports car being gunned angrily reaching her ears.
Dropping back onto the bed, Mina had stared disbelievingly at her hands. He had not even given her a chance to explain, to tell him what had happened. With her mouth set, and her eyes full of pain she had risen, pulling her suitcase once more from the closet.
Fifteen minutes later she had finished packing, taking with her only those few possessions she had brought to the villa only a month previously. So much had happened in that short space of time, and Mina had felt numb with the emotions tearing through her. Moving down the stairs, both Yanis and Theresa had stood at the bottom, both looking at each other, before Yanis had moved forward.
“Mina…is everything OK?” he had asked gently, seeing as she had shaken her head, upset so clear on her features.
“No, no it’s not”.
Looking at the two before her, she had given a half-hearted attempt at a smile “I’m leaving”.
The other two had shaken their heads quickly talking over each other “Nikos is just angry… he doesn’t mean it”, “You have to stay….he will calm down”.
Both trying so hard to make her stay, seeing as she had looked sadly at them both.
“If he can think that badly of me, then I am better off away from here. I’m sorry”.
Dropping her bag, she had moved to pull in the housekeeper for a hug “Take care Theresa” she had whispered tremulously, moving to hug Yanis, who had wrapped his arms around her “Good luck with your wedding Yanis…she is a lucky girl”, her smile full of sadness.
“I will drive you to where you want to go” Yanis had insisted, as she had shaken her head.
“Thank you Yanis… I really appreciate it…but I already phoned a taxi”.
At that the car had drawn up in the driveway, Mina moving out to meet it, before stopping to take one last look at the villa she had grown to love.
“Thank you for everything and for your kindness” she had muttered softly, before moving inside the taxi, moisture making her eyes blurry, no longer able to see the lovely estate as the car had moved away.
Mina still had the lease on the Villa Aqua, but the thought of moving into the home where her mother had died had filled her with even more pain, choosing instead to give the driver instructions to a small hotel she had spotted when exploring the island with Nikos. As she had booked into the family-friendly cheap and cheerful hotel sitting so picturesquely overlooking the sea, she had felt all her insides closing down, no longer able to process all of the pain her young body was feeling.
Her room was basic, a studio apartment with a bed and a small wet room built in, but it was the French doors which opened out onto the sea that gave her the serenity she so badly needed. Here she sat allowing the soothing sound of the water as it musically washed up onto the sandy shore to envelop her, to calm her shattered nerves, her eyes staring unseeingly over the aqua green waters.
For three days she had holed up in the small room. Unable to eat, she had survived on water, the sight of Nikos’ and her mother’s faces pushing themselves constantly into her thoughts, often when she least expected it, each time the dagger of pain turning so deeply within her. She had come to the island to make one’s dying wish come true, and found her own dream, only to have it so cruelly ripped from her, Mina chastising herself often for her own stupidity. Alexander had been right about one thing. What could a woman like her, an everyday school teacher, born to a man he despised expect to get from a man like Nikos Dupris? A man who had women falling at his feet, women so much more sophisticated and beautiful than her, these thoughts just adding fuel to her already enflamed hurt.#p#分页标题#e#