Chapter 6

Maria

My eyes slowly unfurled, the sun shining through the open window, settling on my face. I groaned, sitting up and stretching. My heart hurts, so much. I drank too much.

I was rubbing my eyes when everything that happened yesterday came crashing down like a building that was struck by a bulldozer.

My party, meeting the hot man that could ready through my though girl facade, caught Jason cheating on me with my little sister Chloe, returning to the bar, finding the hot man outside, followed him to his house, gave me a room in his house, sat with me under the moon by the pool side and…

Oh my freaking goddess.

I cried.

I cried last night in his arms after I lamented about what happened, I cried. I remember he sat there, watching me as I cried my eyes out, before he gently pulled me into his arms, gently patted my back, and comforted me without saying a word.

His scent still lingers on my body, wrapped in his arms, I could still feel his heat, his muscles, his uneven heartbeat, his gentle taps on my back, his breath on my skin.

Oh my goddess.

I slammed my hands over my face embarrassed and how I cried in his arms last night.

I noticed my phone buzzing on the soft bed I sat on, and I reached for it. Cara, my friend has sent me over a hundred messages.

Shit.

Right, today was supposed to be my wedding. I’m sure Chloe already told them that I canceled it. I’m sure everyone is wondering what happened.

I wanted to ignore the messages, pretend I didn't see them and just lie on the bed for a few more hours before I figure out how I want to face that handsome man who I still don’t know his name.

But Cara wouldn't stop texting and calling and she is a very good friend so I opened her messages and I saw something I couldn't believe.

Chloe, in my wedding dress, the same wedding dress she and I picked out together, the same dress she begged me to buy despite the price because she said it looked perfect on me, the same dress she cried when she saw me in because she wished our mothers was there to see how beautiful I looked in the dress.

Chloe was wearing that same dress, with the bouquet she and I picked out, in the shoes she and I picked out for me.

CARA: Girl, what the fuck is going on?

CARA: Why aren’t you answering my calls?

CARA: Girl, this shit isn't funny, why is Chloe in your wedding dress?

CARA: Are you okay?

CARA: Ria, please talk to me, this isn't funny anymore. Are you okay? Where are you? Send me your address! Why is your location turned off?

CARA: Chloe and Jason are getting married? What the fuck?

CARA: Girl, if you do not reply to my text, I am going to the next police station and report you missing.

CARA: Did Jason do something to you?

CARA; I should not have missed your party yesterday, please talk to me, Ria.. What the hell is going on? I am worried sick about you.

CARA: Maria Rory, pick up your damn phone!

The next messages she sent were pictures of Chloe and Jason on the altar, smiling, holding each other's hands. Jason in a black suit, the same suit we picked together because he was scared he was going to make a terrible choice, the Rolex watch in his hands, the one I bought for him on our last anniversary, in shoes that I sent to him to pick for our wedding and,  Chloe, unbothered, happy, smiling, looking at him with love filled eyes.

How did I not notice this? How was I so stupid, all these years? How did I not realize that she was in love with him? How did I not realize that something was going on?

Was I that stupid? Naive? Or did they just hide it well?

I still can’t believe, Chloe did this to me. She is my baby sister, I love her so much and she loves me just as much. We have only each other, we’ve always had each other, we have always been each other’s best supporter, best fan.

Ever since our parent died, I have loved her desperately, I became her mother, her sister, her best friend, she tells me everything, from her first kiss, to the first time she had sex, to the boy she loved the most, the one she just wanted to have sex with, her secret crush…. Chloe always told me everything.

This… This still feels like a horrible nightmare and I want to wake up already… I just want to wake up because this is torture, this is too painful.

It hurts not because Jason cheated… honestly, I guess I need him to cheat or to act weird for me to realise that I never actually loved him enough to want to be tied with him forever.

It hurts because Chloe broke me.

I placed my phone back on the bed, turning the screen away as hot tears rolled down my cheek. My heart felt like it was broken into a million pieces and I couldn't put them back together.

Cara kept calling but I could t bring myself to answer her call, I couldn't bring myself to do anything.

I love Chloe, I love her so much and this shit hurts as hell.

I gently knocked on the door, and I quickly wiped my tears because I didn't want him to see me crying again.

“Yeah?”

“It’s Rose, may I come in?” She asked.

Oh, Rose, the housekeeper, the woman, he was bantering with when he brought me in yesterday.

“Yes.”

The door creaked open and she walked in, dressed in a blue dress, her hair tied up in a bun, her dress flowing down below her knee, resting right above her ankle. In her hand was a tray of soup with meat in it.

“It’s a great hangover cure.” She muffled politely, placing it on the table at the corner of the room. She plastered a smile and turned to leave.

She was almost at the door when she halted and turned to me, “Are you… Okay? I heard you crying and I know Lan has nothing to do with it because he is not home at the moment and besides, you were crying like you were really heartbroken and Lan is not capable of that.” She rambled but was concerned laying on each word she muttered.

I wanted to force a smile at least just so she could leave the room but I couldn’t, I was too broken to say a word or form an expression I didn't mean.

I wanted to talk but instead I shook my head and burst into tears.

Rose made her way towards me, she sat on the bed and pulled me into her arms, patting my back and comforting me without saying a word.

All she did was gently stroke my back and allow me to cry till there were no more tears to flow down my cheek.

“Do you feel better?” she asked, gently stroking my hair, taking it off my face, and placing it behind my ear, She wiped my tears with her hands and cupped my cheek. “It’s hard now but I promise you, Maria, that you will be okay, you’ll feel better soon. Until then, do not deny yourself of the emotions you need to feel, cry when you need to cry, be sad when you need to be sad, it’s the only way you’d feel better.”

Her words were soft, gentle, careful, and soothing. They were so calm, they touched every part of my million-piece broken heart and proved to me that I could heal from this heartbreak.

She patted my hands and rose from the bed, making my way out of the room.

“Thank you.” I managed to pull myself together to speak.

She smiled, “Do not let your soup get cold.”

Rose was right, but first, I need to leave this man’s house.