The Island of Love - Chapter Ten Part Four

"I'm sorry to barge in like this, but Demetri is deeply upset about everything and I thought it was my duty to come in and explain who I was. I'm sorry about answering the telephone in his hotel room and I assure you I wasn't there on my own with Demetri."

Phillipa fidgeted with the blanket on her bed. "What do you mean, explain?"

"I'm Lydia, Demetri's first cousin, and for years I have been infatuated with him. I admit that now, but I didn't know it at the time. For years I've grown up watching his every move and loving him for it, but not in the way you think. You see I thought I loved him, but it wasn't like that at all. I love him like a brother. I realise that now. I have only learned this since meeting Jake."

Phillipa shot her a surprised glance. "Jake? What has he got to do with this?"

"Did you not know that he married?"

"Yes, but I don't think he has anything to do with this."

"But he does now, because he married me. Before I met him I followed Demetri everywhere and when Hellena died, I thought I had a chance, but then I met Jake on the night of my party. He and I went to see Demetri at the hotel yesterday."

"It was your party?"

"Yes, it was. Demetri stopped by to give me my birthday present and he couldn't stay long, because he said he had to meet someone and I didn't think to ask who that was, because I'd fallen for Jake by then. I told Demetri that I was seeing someone, but without telling him who that was. He didn't seem to want to linger and ask questions, so I quickly told him how sorry I was to have acted like a fool on all the other occasions when I was trying to capture his heart. I was silly back then and too young to even realise what love was until I met Jake. We're just right for each other and we love one another a great deal. I hope you're not upset that I married him."

Phillipa smiled and felt too relieved some how, although she still didn't know what she would do about Demetri. She knew that Lydia was the only woman she had seen with Demetri, but it still didn't make her feel any happier. Demetri had never been clear about his feelings for her. He didn't give her any indications that he loved her either. He just wanted to do the right thing now that she was pregnant. Before that it he had only wanted to lust after her.

"I'm not upset about your marriage to Jake. I was never upset to hear that he'd married in Cyprus. I'm over Jake. It's been over for a long time. I congratulate you in capturing him and especially, marrying him. I never thought that he'd settle down, but to do that he must love you a lot. I'm happy for both of you."

"And what about Demetri? Do you love him? I know that you are pregnant with his child. I will keep it a secret if I have to, but please don't give him up if you love him. He is a good person."

"Is he? I felt hurt when I thought he was seeing someone else."

"I know and I think that's because you love him. Am I right?"

"Yes. I do love him, but he doesn't love me back and I can't live with or marry him knowing that he doesn't feel the same way about me."

Lydia laughed and Phillipa looked at her strangely. "How can you be so blind Phillipa? Can't you see how much he's hurting inside when you turn him away? Don't you know what that means?"

"I don't understand what you mean."

"That he's madly in love with you. He's not acting like the calm Demetri I used to know. When you left Cyprus he was torn to pieces. He didn't think you would leave the country. In fact he was lost without you. He thought Jake was pursuing you again and that you wanted to be with him. But then he found out that I'd married Jake and Demetri realised how stupid he'd been. At the hotel yesterday, Demetri was bursting with happiness. He said you and he were going to get married and then you called and everything turned upside down for him again. I swear if you two don't get together, then Demetri will fall apart for good."

"Are you sure he loves me? Because he hasn't told me himself."

"You don't have to hear it. With Demetri you can see it. Do you understand?"

Phillipa sighed. She didn't know what to think, but she was slowly coming to terms with it all. She realised she shouldn't have been too hasty with him and now she felt emotionally disturbed at how she'd upset Demetri. She hoped that Lydia knew what she was talking about, because Phillipa was going to take a big risk and cut all her losses and ask Demetri how he really felt about her.

"Lydia, I'm going to try and understand and take everything in that you have told me. Do you think Demetri might still be here, so I can talk to him?"

"I'll go outside and see. I hope you feel better now and I'll see you again." Lydia touched her hand and Phillipa watched her leave the room.

She closed her eyes, lying back on the pillows and waited. When she opened her eyes again, she knew she must have drifted off for a while, because Demetri was sitting next to her in the armchair where he was fast asleep. She was nervous about seeing him again and didn't know what she was going to say to him, until she remembered that Lydia had been into to see her earlier. Emotion for Demetri suddenly overwhelmed her when she saw how rough he appeared. He looked worn out and the lines on his face were deep and drawn in. She didn't want to see him in this way. She wanted him to be happy. She was determined to ask him how he felt even more now, as she watched him sleep.

Feeling worried for him, she slowly got out of bed and touched his cheek with her hand. He stirred slowly and she felt the urge to sit on his lap and kiss his lips. She would regret it afterwards, but it was a temptation she had to take. She felt his arms go around her waist and then he opened his eyes and saw her.

"Phillipa? Are you okay?"

"Mmmm...I am." She moved closer to him and then peered seriously into his eyes.

"Why are you suddenly sitting on my lap? I thought you didn't want me."

"I've been thinking and I want to ask you something. But you must answer me truthfully. Okay?"

"First you must get back into bed." She felt him lift her and place her sitting back onto her bed. Instead of going back to his chair, he sat on her bed next to her. He stroked her cheek and then moved his fingers through her hair, pulling her face towards his. His lips came down on hers softly and it was a long time before they stopped. It was Phillipa who stopped first, as she wanted to talk.

"Demetri, I want to know how you really feel about me? You've never once mentioned it and I think it's important for you to tell me now."

"Phillipa, I've always loved you right from the start. I thought you knew that, but now I can see that you didn't."

Phillipa's eyes lit up. "You do? Then Lydia was right? That you love me and care for me?"

"Lydia was here? She came to see you?"

"Yes Demetri she did. Didn't you know?"

"No. Phillipa, I have never felt this way about anyone other than you. Do you know that? Did she tell you about Jake?" He sounded cautious for a minute, but she wasn't worried anymore.

"Yes and I congratulated her. I am so happy they have married one another."

"You are? I thought you were upset, because you found out that Jake had married. Isn't that why you left Cyprus, because they'd decided to get married."

"No, silly. I left, because I thought you didn't want me. I've been over Jake for a long time. I love you Demetri and nobody else, but you. Do you hear me? I thought you were seeing Lydia. I didn't realise she was your cousin and that Jake was going to marry her."

"Phillipa, you don't know how happy that makes me feel. Lydia was in my room yesterday, because she arrived unannounced. She was with Jake at the time when you telephoned, so you see she wasn't there alone with me. Jake was with her. They were married in Cyprus yesterday and flew over here after the wedding for a few days, before they go off on their official honeymoon. I was about to have my shower when they arrived, so I let them in and they waited patiently for me to get ready. I didn't tell them anything until later, but then you were on the telephone and everything seemed to go wrong."

Phillipa looked up at him and stared into his eyes. She watched him closely.

"Was she the one who I saw you kiss at that party that night?"

"Yes, Phillipa. It was her birthday party and Jake wanted to be there, as he'd been invited by her father. I didn't realise that at the time. I just thought you'd decided to go back to him. I was afraid I'd lost you. I was annoyed and confused. I hated it when I saw him with his arm around you."

"But Demetri, I saw her kiss you, it was like she was madly in love with you, although she said she was over that? She had her arms around your neck for so long too."

"Lydia has always been infatuated with me. She just does it to get my attention, hoping she'll get me to fall for her. She can't help it, but on that particularly evening she seemed to be more happy about someone else, only she didn't say who that was. She told me she was sorry for all the silly things she had done in the past and that now she was seeing someone else and she wanted to let me know she wouldn't be like that anymore. She hung on to me for so long, because she was saying sorry to me. That's all."

Phillipa suddenly thought of that time in the restaurant, after Hellena's death, and the girl she'd seen flaunt herself all over Demetri just as she'd returned from the ladies room.

"I remember when she kissed you at the restaurant too?"

"You saw that? I'm so sorry mana-mou, I didn't think you'd seen her. Yes, it was Lydia. She really is very nice, but she is sorry to be the cause of all our problems. She's changed, since she met Jake. She no longer cares about me in that way anymore. She came to tell me that at the hotel and to introduce Jake to me, but she didn't realise I'd already met him." He paused and touched her hand. "It was very embarrassing for me to be in the same room as him. When Lydia picked up the receiver, she didn't think it would be you."

"I didn't know you had a cousin. You should have said, Demetri. I feel very foolish now."

"Don't be. Lydia and Jake are very happy together. I can't believe she has found someone she can actually really love."

"I'm surprised Jake has too. I didn't think he was the marrying kind."

She smiled at her words.

"Phillipa, you're not mad that Jake has married someone else? I was worried. I didn't want you to find out, because I thought you might not be over him yet, but when you fainted, I thought that was the real reason why you were upset, because you'd found out."

"No, I'm over Jake. I already knew he'd found someone else and was getting married, but I didn't know she was your cousin."

"Then why were you so upset?"

"Don't you know?"

"No, I don't." He spoke softly, moving closer towards her and she felt his breath on her cheek.

"It was because of you, Demetri."

"You must know that I care for you and I'd hate to see you bring up our child on your own?"

"I wasn't thinking like that. I thought you wanted to marry me, because it was the right thing to do."

"Then why don't you let me take care of you and our child? Don't you know that I want to very much?"

"No, I wasn't sure. I was confused about everything. I thought you only wanted me for your pleasure and lust."

"I do, but I, also, love you too. I love you so much, Phillipa. I can't live without you. That's why you have to marry me. I'm not leaving without you. I can't."

He was in love with her. She smiled and laughed at him. "Can you say that one more time. I'm not sure I heard you correctly."

"I love you Phillipa. Will you marry me?"

"Yes. Yes, I will. I love you so much Demetri."

He kissed her slowly and she felt herself melting. His hands touched her cheeks and then gradually pushed them into her hair, as it flowed down her back.

"Demetri. Demetri...I...I didn't think you loved me. I was so wound up about you seeing another woman that I couldn't think clearly. I never imagined for a moment that you were in love with me. Why didn't you tell me and how long have you known?"

"I wasn't sure what love was. The only feeling I suffered was a horrible ache in the pit of my stomach when you left Cyprus. I knew then that I couldn't live without you. It must have been then that I realised I loved you and for the first time I knew what love meant. In fact, I had always known, just by looking at your picture that my sister had that I would one day meet you. There was something about you that appealed to me just by looking at your photograph. I can't explain it, but it felt like you were going to be part of my life. So, when I knew you were coming to Cyprus, I made it my duty to get to know you and when I met you on the beach that day, I knew I had to have you."

"You knew who I was that day?"

She realised now how naive she had been all along. Demetri had always known who she was and she hadn't even figured it out.

"Yes, I knew who you were and knew you were going to be staying in the bungalow near to mine. I had suggested it to Marina that you stay there. It was my idea."

Phillipa smiled. "I can't believe it, but still, if you hadn't done that, we might have never met."

Demetri moved onto the bed and lay next to her, as her arms went up around his neck and pulled him more closely towards her. From now on she would never leave his sight. Hearing him say that he loved her was the one thing she had wanted to hear him say and now she would have everything, a family, Demetri and his child and most importantly, her happiness. Her joy and bliss at capturing all of this was something she would have to thank Jake for, because he had left her at the right time. She had gone to Cyprus to try and mend her broken heart, only to have it captured by a handsome Greek Cypriot who was promising to love and live a happy long life with her.

The End