William Jarvis - Sky Valley 02 - Beaches & Coffee

by William Jarvis

  “Exactly.” Daniel said. “And that’s why you have to believe me that I didn’t know she’d be coming here and that she’s your client whatsoever.”

  “I know.” Emmy said. “It’s just…it’s all too weird.”

  “You can stop, I told you.”

  “Yeah, but what good would that be, Dan?” She said. “We’re here, we should just do what we have to do.”

  “I don’t want you to feel this way.”

  “The wedding’s in a few days. Maybe, things will get better after that. Maybe, things would finally go back to normal.”

  “Are you sure that you’re going to be okay?” Daniel asked.

  “No.” She said. “But what exactly could I do? She’s obviously still into you and I have no idea what her angle is, but obviously, there is something that she wants to do but that she doesn’t know how to. Or maybe, I’m wrong. Just…just leave me alone for a bit. I need time to think.”

  He took a deep breath. “Okay.” He said. “Okay.”

  CHAPTER 7

  HE’LL NEVER STAY WITH YOU

  That evening, Emmy woke up with a feeling of dread. She saw that Daniel was not by her side and there was this nagging feeling inside her that urged her to go out of her room. She put on her robe and combed her hair then she went down the stairs. Luckily, there were not a lot of people at the resort then so she felt like she could spend some time with herself by walking around.

  She bumped into Edward who was then making his way upstairs with a bottle of beer in his hand.

  “Hey.” He said.

  “Hey.” She shot back.

  “Going down?”

  “Yeah, I thought I’d fancy a walk. I’m feeling pretty down and all…must be the weather.” She quipped.

  He smiled. “I’m really sorry about what happened earlier.” He said. “I didn’t know she would act that way.”

  “That’s okay.” She said. “You guys having a drink together?”

  “Oh no.” He said. “Ruby said that she wants to walk around alone or something. She’s probably getting a fit of the nerves again. I mean, the big day’s coming up soon, you know.”

  “Right.” She said. “Well, I should get going.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you around.”

  She then trudged down the stairs and opened the back door so she could walk around. It was a cold night, a rarity in August. She hugged herself as she tried to tighten her rope.

  She remembered her mother as she walked at the yard. They used to play with Rhoda there. They used to pretend that they were having a tea party and sometimes, her father would join them.

  Emmy still has not told her father about Ruby and what’s going on with the resort. She wanted to prove that she could make things happen without letting her father get worried because after all, he had a lot to deal with in the past couple of months and she wouldn’t want to add up to that.

  Plus, she also wanted to prove to herself that she can be trusted with this and that she could be successful. She does not want to be labeled as the girl who had everything but couldn’t make any of it work for her.

  Was she competitive? Maybe, she was. She just wants to see that good things have come out of leaving Paris instead of the other way around.

  She stopped in her tracks when she noticed that two people were talking near the wheelbarrow display at one end of the mini-lagoon at the back of the resort. She was surprised as to why they were there at this time of the night but what surprised her even more was the fact that these weren’t just any ordinary people. These were Daniel and Ruby.

  She stood behind them but not exactly near them. She just wanted to hear what they were talking about. She listened intently.

  “Why are you doing this?” Daniel asked, oblivious to the fact that Emmy was just there. “What exactly is your angle here, Ruby?”

  “What do you think?”

  Daniel sighed. “Emmy’s a great girl.”

  “And I’m not?” She said. “I loved you, Danny. And…and I never did anything wrong to you. I loved you with all of my heart and what did I get?” She was crying now and Emmy noticed that she was crying real tears and not the kind of tears that they saw last night. “I loved you so much but…but you never loved me back.”

  “That’s not true.” Daniel said. “You know that’s not true. I did love you, Ruby. It’s just…”

  “It’s just what? It’s just that you love her more and you’ve never loved anyone as much as you love her?” Ruby said. “Me too, Dan. I’ve never loved anyone as much as I loved you. I gave you my all. I even gave it up to you right in one of those rooms up there even if I told myself that I wouldn’t give it up until the day I was married. But I loved you and I thought we were going to get married. I don’t even love Edward, you know?”

  “If you don’t love him then why are you marrying him?”

  “Because...because I have—because I want to.”

  “There’s something you’re not telling me, Ruby.”

  “Well, you’re the one who’s good at keeping people in the dark, Dan.” Ruby said. “You’re the one who made me believe that I was loved and that everything was perfect then surprise! Nothing was actually perfect. I was such an idiot for you and now you’re back with her?”

  “I love her. We may not have spoken for so long but—“

  “But what? But you have such a connection and you have something with her that you’ve never felt for anyone else before? But she’s different from me? Of course she is. The question is, does she love you the way I do? Do you think her heart really is for you? Or is it still in Paris? Or, are you keeping her in the dark, too?”

  “I can’t believe I’m hearing all this from you.” He said. “You really should stop right now.”

  “Right.” She said. “Just remember how you broke my heart when she finally breaks yours. Or wait, maybe you’re going to break her heart. I bet it’s already broken now.”

  “Ruby—“

  She then turned her back on him and bumped into Emmy who was so shocked at what she heard that she wasn’t able to move right away.

  Ruby stared at her for a while, took a deep breath and spoke. “He’ll never stay with you.” She said. “And that’s the truth.”

  They looked at each other for a long time, both hurt, both grasping for straws. Ruby walked away first.

  “Em.” Daniel said as he saw Emmy and approached her.

  “I’m going to bed.” She said firmly and walked away, too, leaving Daniel alone in the cold, dark night, the moon his only company.

  CHAPTER 8

  HERE COMES THE BRIDE

  Three days later, the wedding was all set. The sky was overcast but it cleared up just as night time started to settle in.

  The wedding was being held just by the beach. There were large jars of lilies lining the aisle and there were Rose petals on the floor. There weren't many people who were invited. There was Ruby's sister, Grace, Edward's parents, and a few of their friends. Emmy's father was also there.

  For someone who wanted her wedding to be perfect, Emmy thought that there was a certain kind of sadness about Ruby's wedding. She was a bitch, alright, but she thought that everyone deserved to have a great wedding day.

  But, Emmy thought, maybe the reason why thtre weren't many people invited is because some of the guests would be staying at the resort for two days after the wedding and although Emmy didn't really sign up for it, she knew that is was another good way of marketing the place. If everything goes well, what transpired in the past couple of months can be forgotten and they could finally start anew.

  She didn't even want to think about Daniel and Ruby's conversation that she overheard. She just wants everything to be over and done with, but for now, she just has to endure Ruby first.

  Grace walked Ruby to where the wedding officiator was standing.

  Ruby was wearing the White and Pink Lace Organza gown that Emmy made for her. It was almost the same as the first one but this one was better becau
se there's some combination of colors and it suited Ruby better. She was gliding down the aisle like the mean stepsister in a fairytale except that this time, it was her time to shine.

  The ceremony didn't last long. To be honest, Emmy thought that it was all forced and that everyone wanted it to end right away.

  The reception was better, though. It was held at Beaches and Coffee and in the middle of the grand dining table was the peach and mint red velvet chocolate cake. Peppermint Coffee was also served as well as tropical cocktails for those who wanted them.

  But the best part was that Emmy also made cupcakes based on Ruby's wedding cake with fortunes on them, just like fortune cookies--only this time, fortunes were underneath the cakes and there is no need to break anything.

  "You did a great job, sweetheart." Troy, Emmy's father told her while they were standing together on one side of the room. "I'm not sure how you managed to do all this. I mean, that's Ruby in there but wow...I'm really proud of you."

  Emmy smiled. "Thanks, dad."

  "So...you and Ruby got along well? You had no problems and all that?"

  Emmy wanted to tell her father the truth but he would just be worried and she didn't want to burst his bubble. She loved her father far too much for that.

  "Well, you know how brides can be sometimes..."

  He chuckled. "Yeah, your mother was that way, too. She was extremely hands-on for wedding and she had these fits of nervousness. It was pretty funny."

  "This place makes me miss her.,"

  "I know." He said. "Me too."

  "I keep on wishing that she'd just reappear and I don't know, maybe we'd get to talk or something."

  "I'm sure if she was here, she'd be extremely proud of you. No, I take that back. Wherever she is, she is already so proud of you."

  "You do know what to say to your daughter."

  He laughed and saw that Daniel was making his way towards them with players of mini fortune cakes in his hands.

  "Troy." He greeted.

  "Hey Daniel." Troy shot back. "Looking good, eh?"

  Troy laughed. "You are dashing, dear boy." He said. "Anyway, I shall leave you two alone.,"

  "Later, Troy!"

  "Later, dad."

  Daniel then smiled at Emmy. "Hi." He did. "Fortune cake?"

  She laughed as he handed her a plate. She knew what she wrote on the fortunes but of cours, she didn't memorize where they were placed.

  "Thanks." She said meekly and took a deep breath. "What does yours say?"

  "Let's see." Daniel said and pulled out a fortune underneath the cake. "You already have two choices. Go for the best."

  "That's deep." He quipped.

  "Not really." She laughed. "It's like, there's Ruby and I and--"

  "I don't think I still have to choose. It's always been you, Em."

  She shrugged. "She loves you. I honestly don't know why she went through with this."

  Daniel took a deep breath. "Who knows?" He did. "What does yours say?"

  She took a deep breath and pulled out her own fortune under the cake. She ripped it out and read. "Your life may be shaken up, but you’ll manage. Just be strong and don’t fall off track.” She sighed and laughed. “Whoa, that wasn’t so nice, was it?”

  He laughed, too. “Not really.” He said. “But on the other hand, it’s like, fortunes are telling you to stay on course and just you know, be the strong woman that you are.”

  “Oh believe me, Daniel, I am not a strong woman.”

  “Of course you are.”

  “Yeah? Says who?”

  “Says me.” Daniel said. “Says everyone. And you know that you really are that kind of woman, Emmy. You have to believe it.”

  She put down the plate of cake on a table and drank some tropical cocktail. “These days I just have no idea what to believe in anymore.”

  “Em, if it’s because of what you heard let me assure you that it’s not…it’s not what you think it is. I just…I just wanted to hear why she’s here and what she has in mind and I didn’t think that she’d actually say all those things.”

  “No, you know what? It’s fine. I probably should have heard all of those anyway.”

  “Em—“

  But before anyone of them could say another word, Ruby’s screams enveloped the room, making everyone turn towards her.

  CHAPTER 9

  JUST A FEW MORE DAYS

  "Noooooooooooo!" Ruby's bloodcurdling screams filled the air, defiling what seemed to be a perfect moment.

  "What the hell--" Emmy said.

  "What's going on?" Daniel asked as Ruby stood up from her seat at this grand table.

  "I think I've been poisoned!" She shouted. "This punch is just not fresh!"

  "Excuse me?" Emmy said. She couldn't believe that Ruby could say the things because she knew for a fact that she used fresh ingredients and that the security at Beaches and Coffee had been tightened ever since what happened at Time for Coffee. Plus, she didn't want to hear these things now because it would really scare people away.

  "Ruby, can you please calm down? I'm pretty sure you haven't been poisoned."

  "You better be sure." Grace said, "Or else it means that all of us here have been poisoned, too!"

  Emmy noticed the horrified looks of the guests. She saw that her father was beginning to be worried, too.

  "Everyone," Troy said, "Please. I'm sorry but this is just a misunderstanding. Please calm down."

  "Easy for you to say." Ruby fake-cried.

  "I'll call an ambulance." Edward said.

  "No, no, wait." Daniel said. "No one's calling an ambulance. No one has been poisoned."

  "What?" Almost everybody said the same time.

  "Ruby is probably just suffering from her allergies. It's not too bad; it's just that when she drinks too much tropical punch, her stomach somehow feels heavy and she doesn't feel good. It happens like, 99 percent of the time. She just needs to drink some water and some bit of garlic. I also have no idea why but it works for her."

  Everyone was astounded. Even Ruby seemed to be impressed and surprised by this turnout of things.

  "Is that right?" Edward asked Ruby. "And why exactly do you know this?" He turned to Daniel.

  "Oh uhm...Daniel and I know each other from way back. We were uhm...we used to be friends."

  Some people who knew about Daniel and Ruby's past raised their eyebrows. Some whispered to one another, but no one said anything out loud. Emmy was already feeling shaky.

  "That's right." Daniel said. "We go a long way."

  "Wow. I can't believe I never knew this." Edward said.

  "We weren't exactly close." Ruby said. "Daniel just knew that because he...well, he had a really good memory and I always had these reactions and wow, I couldn't believe I forgot about it." She laughed nervously. "It's probably just my nerves. I mean, it's not exactly easy being a bride."

  "Oh." Edward sjust said. "Oh. So...are you okay now?"

  "Yeah, I'm good. Let me just drink some water."

  "Alright, everyone." Troy said. "Sorry about that..."

  Emmy felt like her head was spinning. She wanted to get out of there and so she did. She made her way out of the coffee shop, ignoring the fact that Daniel was calling her. She just felt like she needed a lot of air to breathe.

  Soon, she found herself staying at the beach. It was so tranquil and deep. Somehow, she felt like she just wanted to be part of it.

  If only it was that easy, she thought. She wanted to go back to that time when she still has the choice to accept this project or not. Was she an idiot for pushing through with it? Sometimes, she just has no idea anymore.

  "Emmy." Her father said.

  Emmy turned to look at him, surprised that he was there.

  "You can go home now, if you want. I can stay here."

  "No, dad, don't do that. I'll be alright. This will all be over soon."

  "Look, honey, he may remember that about her but I don't think that means anything." Emmy felt like house father
was just trying to convince himself of this so he would no longer worry about her.

  "I'll be okay, dad." She said. "You know? Maybe you should send Audrina a letter or something. Ask her how she is."

  "I think that will just complicate things. She deserves a life."

  She took a deep breath. "As weird as this sounds, I actually miss her." She said. "She's tough but she's really nice."

  "Yeah she is." He said. "But well, we really cannot keep her here. " He took a deep breath. "Anyway, are you sure you'll be okay?"

  "Yeah, dad. Don't worry. You can go home now."

  "Okay." He said and gave her a peck on the forehead. "Call me if anything."

  "Yes, dad." Emmy said although she knew that she really would not do it. She always tried to fend for herself but some days, she really didn't know how.

  Emmy watched her father walk towards the parking lot. Once again, she was left to her own devices and although it was what she wanted, somehow, she felt like she was just pushing herself too far and she really didn’t know how to feel about that. She took a deep breath and decided to go back inside the coffee shop to see what else could be done but she was surprised when she heard Ruby talking to someone just by the gutter on one side of the shop.

  “It’s supposed to be my wedding, okay? I tried what I could.” Ruby said. She was trying to lower down her voice but Emmy was still able to hear what she was saying. “I tried my best. And okay, fine, I faltered but don’t be too hard on me. I can blurt everything out, you know? Yeah, I won’t, okay? But…” She sighed. “Fine. Just give me a few more days, okay? Fine. Bye.” She then ended the call and was about to put the phone back inside her gown when she saw Emmy. “Jesus Christ!” Ruby said and dropped the phone down. She rummaged to get it back right away before Emmy could ever get her hands on it.

  “The bride’s feeling like a mess on her wedding day, huh?” Emmy said. “You have a nice way of keeping that phone.”

  “It shouldn’t matter to you.”

  “Well, I’m your wedding coordinator and you’re still staying in this resort for a couple more days so it kind of matters.”