Me-Before-You-by-Jojo-Moyes

worked out that if he gave Will the correct size straw and placed a tall glass in
his holder, Nathan and I need not be involved at all. As dusk fell, the three of us
talked of our childhoods and our first boyfriends and girlfriends and our first
jobs and our families and other holidays we had had, and slowly I saw Will reemerge.
Except this Will was different. This place seemed to have granted him a peace
that had been missing the whole time I had known him.
‘He’s doing good, huh?’ said Nathan, as he met me by the buffet.
‘Yes, I think he is.’
‘You know –’ Nathan leant towards me, reluctant for Will to see we were
talking about him ‘– I think the ranch thing and all the adventures would have
been great. But looking at him now, I can’t help thinking this place has worked
out better.’
I didn’t tell him what I had decided on the first day, when we checked in, my
stomach knotted with anxiety, already calculating how many days I had until the
return home. I had to try for each of those ten days to forget why we were
actually there – the six-month contract, my carefully plotted calendar, everything
that had come before. I had to just live in the moment and try to encourage Will
to do the same. I had to be happy, in the hope that Will would be too.
I helped myself to another slice of melon, and smiled. ‘So what’s on later? Are
we doing the karaoke? Or have your ears not yet recovered from last night?’
On the fourth night, Nathan announced with only faint embarrassment that he
had a date. Karen was a fellow Kiwi staying in the next hotel, and he had agreed
to go down to the town with her.
‘Just to make sure she’s all right. You know … I’m not sure if it’s a good place
for her to go alone.’
‘No,’ Will said, nodding his head sagely. ‘Very chivalrous of you, Nate.’
‘I think that is a very responsible thing to do. Very civic minded,’ I agreed.
‘I have always admired Nathan for his selflessness. Especially when it comes
to the fairer sex.’
‘Piss off, you two,’ Nathan grinned, and disappeared.
Karen swiftly became a fixture. Nathan disappeared with her most evenings
and, although he returned for late duties, we tacitly gave him as much time as