Savior

Chapter Twenty-four

Luna

When I woke up this morning next to Sole, I knew I was done for. His peaceful face was no less than a child who’d slept after hours of working on a science project. I caressed his hair and then placing a soft kiss on his cheeks got up from the couch not before gathering all my clothes. After a shower when I stepped back into the living area of the cottage, Sole was still asleep. Not wanting to wake him up because I was afraid I won’t be able to walk away from him if he did, I tip-toed my way out the cottage and left him there.

Because it was already noon the sun was warm enough to be enjoyed in this weather, hence I decided to go to the beach area. I was busy taking a stroll by the beach when my phone rang. It was Gina, and from that I was reminded of Dave. Where was he? He didn’t contact me since yesterday and since there wasn’t any Mr. Clarke in the conference room, he should’ve been back but he didn’t. Did he go back to his room?

Picking up the call slightly nervous if Dave had her call me, I said, ‘Gina, how are you?’

‘Forget about me, what did you do to Dave?’ s**t! He told her about Sole.

‘Uh, I can explain.’

‘Oh can you now?’ She chuckled which was not the reaction I was expecting. ‘To be honest I don’t care what you did to make him pre-pone the wedding but since it’s been decided between you two, all of us couldn’t be any happier.’ Hold on what? Pre-pone the wedding? Dave did that?

‘What are you talking about?’ I asked.

‘Now stop playing dumb and tell me where you are? Are you in your cottage?’

‘Why are you asking……..Are you here?’

‘Of course! Mom and dad are too.’

‘But why?’

‘Luna, don’t tell me you don’t want us there for your wedding.’

‘But there’s time for the wedding.’

‘No there isn’t. Oh my god! Did Dave plan this as a surprise for you and I spoiled it?’

Looking up in the sky in frustration I asked calmly, ‘Gina, tell me everything clearly please.’

‘Uh well, Dave said he wanted to pre-pone the wedding and that the ceremony will take place tomorrow.’

‘Tomorrow!’

‘Yes, that’s why we all came here in a hurry. I couldn’t even pack properly.’ I closed my eyes as my brain refused to think properly. Dave announced the wedding ceremony without asking me. He definitely was up to something. ‘Now are you going to tell me if you’re in your cottage or not.’

‘I’m not in my…..’I was about to say and then was reminded that Sole was in there. ‘Don’t go there!’

‘Why are you shouting?’

‘Sorry. I am at the beach, come here.’

‘But I’m already by your cottage. I’ll wait for you here.’

‘Gina, no…’

‘What the hell!’ She said loudly and I cursed in my head.

‘Gina, I can explain why he’s in there. It’s not what you think…’

‘Hold on…what are you talking about?’

‘Huh?’

‘Who’s was in your cottage, Luna?’ She asked sternly.

‘You didn’t see him? Then why did you shout?’

‘Because there’s a huge cactus right next to the door to your cottage and my expensive skirt got stuck in there.’

‘Oh.’ I sighed in relief.

‘But who is in your cottage?’

‘No one. Stay right where you are, I’ll be there in a moment.’ And I rushed towards my cottage. She can’t see Sole in there. It’d taken so much strength in me to finish this drama, if she or anyone from my family knew this, they’ll blow this out of proportion.

On reaching the cottage I noticed the door was open. Hell! I hoped for the worst and went inside. To my surprise it was not the horror scene I was expecting it to be. Instead, Gina was sitting on the couch turning pages of a magazine and Sole was nowhere to be seen. He was gone. I should be thankful that he was but, it felt strange. He left without asking for any explanation.

‘You’re here.’ Gina brought my attention back to her.

‘Gina what is going on?’

‘I should be asking you that. Who was in here that you panicked?’

‘Um….’

‘Sole was here, wasn’t he?’ I wanted to refute her claims but she raised a hand, ‘I was the one who told him you were here so don’t

even think of lying to me.’

Not having the energy to lie to her I confessed. ‘He spent the night here.’

‘With you?’ She raised a brow.

‘Obviously.’ I muttered.

‘Are you two, back together?’

‘No!’ I said immediately.

‘Then why….’

‘It’s complicated Gina. I think both of us had some unresolved feelings which we….’

‘Made even more complicated by sleeping with each other.’

‘It’s not like that!’

‘Then what it is like. Explain to me. You were with Sole last night but it is Dave who’s planning a wedding with you.’ She slammed the magazine in her hand on the coffee table.

‘Calm down. Even I’m shocked that Dave announced it all of a sudden. I mean we were anyways going to get married in few days then why the rush?’

Gina slouched on the couch and rested her hands on her forehead. ‘Maybe he knows.’ She looked at me and continued, ‘He must’ve

seen you and Sole together.’

‘I don’t think so. He wasn’t here when we…’ I cleared my throat.

‘There’s no other explanation for him to pre-pone the wedding like this.’

‘Did you meet him? What did he say?’

‘We talked over the phone but ever since we got here he’s been MIA.’ I was about to ask her what did he say to her exactly but then her phone started to ring. ‘It’s mom.’ She said to me and when the call ended she told me, ‘She wants to meet you and Dave.’

I reluctantly walked with Gina to my aunt’s room where she was sitting along with my uncle, both of them with half-smiles on their faces. It was hard to tell if they were happy about the wedding being early or not.

‘Why the sudden decision to marry tomorrow?’ Aunt Maria asked.

‘I had no idea about it. Dave decided it on his own.’ I told her.

‘We don’t mind you getting married early, Luna. You’re happiness is all we want at the moment.’ Uncle said. Only if I could remind him that I marrying Dave was something all of them wanted since the beginning. It had nothing to do with my happiness.

‘So is everything planned for tomorrow or are we supposed to do something?’ Aunt Maria asked.

‘Mom, of course there’s so much to do.’ Gina said to her mother and then turned to me. ‘Don’t worry I’ll make this a memorable wedding for you.’ Too much enthusiasm was her thing but did she really have to be like that when I’d just told her what happened last night between me and Sole. Reminded of last night, I realized both Sole and Dave were missing. Pleased don’t let them come across each other, I prayed to whoever was up there.

‘Luna I think we should start from your bachelor’s party.’ Gina said smirking.

‘That’s for the guys.’ I told her.

‘Oh c’mon, I believe in gender equality. Let’s go.’ She dragged me out the cottage and I wasn’t sure why she was behaving drunk

even before drinking.

‘Where are we going?’ I asked as I was being pulled towards a certain direction.

‘To party!!!’ Gina said and dragged me to the club this resort had. I was in no mood to either drink or dance, party was not even the last thing on my mind right now. Why was she acting oblivious to the whole situation that was so unlike her?

We were right outside the club’s entrance when we heard people cheering. Maybe someone was entertaining enough for the audience to be this excited. It was only when we entered the premises that I realized that people were cheering on two men who were at each other’s throat. And to make things complicated these men were no one but Sole and Dave.

‘What are they doing?’ Gina said, all her party mood replaced by panic now.

Not bothering to reply to her I rushed towards them and grabbed Sole’s arm first trying to keep him away from Dave. He saw me and his expression grew even graver as he pulled away from my grip. Dave noticed this and tried to take my hand but Sole came in between us. ‘Keep your hands away from her.’ He said under his breath.’

‘Sole, what are you doing?’ I asked. By this time Gina also joined me and pulled Dave in a corner away from us.

‘You shouldn’t have come in between.’ Sole said trying to avoid my eyes.

‘So that you could injure him before our wedding.’

His nostrils flared up as I said that. ‘You’re not marrying him.’

‘You’re no one to decide for me.’

‘How can you marry him after what happened yesterday?’

‘I warned you didn’t I, I told you I would walk away from you and I did.’

‘But why?’

‘Did you really forget what happened three years ago? Weren’t you the one who said that you hated me?’

‘That was all in the past. Now I know that you weren’t responsible for whatever happened. I still don’t know exactly who did what

but give me some time I will figure it out.’

‘Then what? What will you do after finding out everything? That won’t change the fact that you didn’t trust me when I wanted you to.’

He looked distraught. ‘Luna’ But I knew I was taking the right stand.

‘You came into my life as my savior but ended up ruining me. Everything was destroyed when you decided not to trust me, when you cut me off from your life without giving me a chance to explain, without clarifying things with me. There’s nothing left between you and me Sole. Whatever was left untended to, was made up for last night.’

‘One night isn’t enough to measure what we have between us.’ He held my gaze for the longest second before moving closer to me but stepped back. For not only was there and audience but also Dave whose eyes I could feel were on us.

Turning away from him I moved to where Dave and Gina were. ‘Don’t.’ Dave said when he saw me approaching.

‘Dave.’

‘I don’t need an explanation Luna.’

‘Half I saw last night and rest half Gina here told me.’ I looked over to Gina who nodded. She must’ve told him the conceited story but I wanted to be honest.

‘I would still want you to hear everything from me.’

‘No need. Just get ready for the wedding tomorrow.’ He was about to leave when he stared right behind me and said, ‘Make sure there are no uninvited guests during the ceremony.’

He left and Gina came by my side rubbing my arm, trying to console me. I looked behind Sole was still standing there and that made me angry. This was all because he’d been so stubborn about the situation. Why couldn’t he stay away from my life? I walked over to him, took hold of his wrist and pulled him out the club.

‘Luna, what are you doing?’ Gina asked as she followed us out.

‘Gina, go back to your cottage, I’ll see you there I some time.’ I said my eyes still fixated on Sole.

‘But….’

‘Gina, please leave us alone. I need to settle this once and for all.’

‘Call me if there’s something.’ She said and left when I nodded.

Now looking at Sole I don’t know what was going on inside my head for I pulled him inside the main building of the resort and

asked him, ‘Where’s your room?’ Without saying anything pulled out his card key and I took it.

When I found the room I pulled both of us in and without bothering to ask him if I could, I entered his bedroom and pushed him on the bed. He got up slightly in shock, but I didn’t give him a chance get out of it completely as I forced my lip on his. He was taken aback for sure as he didn’t reciprocate.

Holding me by the shoulders he pushed me away from him a bit and asked, ‘What is wrong with you?’

‘One night isn’t enough to measure what is there between us. That is what you said right? Then how many would be enough for you?’

He stared into my eyes and then said, ‘Even the millions of moments spent together aren’t enough for me. Forget about the night, there isn’t enough number of days that would satisfy my love for you.’

Tearing up I hit him lightly in the chest and he wrapped his arms around me, placing a light kiss on my forehead. ‘Why Sole? Why are you making things difficult for me?’

‘I don’t intend to but somehow things turn up like that.’

‘You shouldn’t have fought with Dave.’

‘He hit me first.’

‘That’s because he saw us outside the cottage together last night.’

‘Serves him right.’

I hit Sole’s arm lightly. ‘He’s going to be my husband tomorrow.’

‘No he’s not. I won’t let you marry him.’

‘I can’t forgive you Sole.’

‘Then don’t but don’t get married to him.’

There wasn’t any assurance I could give him about tomorrow so I took a pause and then asked something I’ve been dying to. ‘Why didn’t you come to see me in all these years?’