Engagements and Entanglements

“Isabella,” Rosa called out, but I ignored her and dialed once more, pacing back and forth in anxiety. “Isabella,” she said, stepping closer and gently holding my shoulders. “He’s not answering,” I replied, my voice trembling as tears threatened to spill. “He’s probably on his way. Chill out; come on, let’s breathe,” she reassured me, starting to take deep, calming breaths. I followed her lead, mimicking her rhythm until I finally began to relax. Rosa leaned in and whispered, “Smile, beautiful,” I couldn’t help but smile as we opened the door and headed back to the waiting area. “I’ll go check on the guests, okay?” she said, and I nodded. I opened the door and stepped inside, my eyes immediately locking onto Mama's. I smiled as I settled into my spot next to her, holding her hand once again. I could feel Papa’s gaze on me, but I chose not to look his way. The same soft music from the church played repeatedly, Victor was nowhere to be seen, and my panic began to rise as I struggled to catch my breath. I clung tightly to Mama's hand while she gently stroked my back, trying to calm me down. Papa's anxious movements only added to my distress as he paced back and forth, the minutes feeling like an eternity. Just when my worry peaked, the door swung open, and there stood Victor’s Papa, Don Alvaro. The owner and Don of the Hacienda we all lived on. He shut the door firmly behind him and scanned the room with a worried expression. Papa hurried to his side, asking, “Don, what’s going on?” My gaze was fixed on Don Alvaro, sensing that something was very wrong. “Victor is not coming,” he replied, and an icy chill ran down my spine, making me feel cold from head to toe. My heart raced violently in my chest, and Mama gripped my arm tightly, sensing my fear. Don Alvaro stepped closer, pulling an envelope from his pocket and handing it to me. Papa stood there, frozen in shock, and with a commanding tone, he asked, “And why not?” as he turned to face him. “I have no idea,” Don Alvaro replied, “he just told the messenger he can’t go forward with it.” I clutched the letter tightly, struggling to catch my breath. It felt like my heart was breaking into pieces, and my vision was becoming blurry. “Calm down, Isabella. We’ll call Victor, okay? He’ll come back,” Mama said, trying to comfort me, but her words didn’t reach through my deaf ears. “Mama….Victor…..no,” I mumbled, tears starting to fall. I began to sob, and a rush of adrenaline surged through me as I jumped up and dashed out the door. I could hear the panicked cries behind me, but I lifted my dress and ran as fast as I could, bursting out of the church. I didn’t care if people were staring; I just wanted to escape. I ran without thinking, ran like a cheetah was chasing me, somehow I preferred that danger over the pain I was trying to flee from. * * * I ran for what felt like forever until I finally found myself sitting for hours by the natural swimming pond at the Hacienda. Gathering my courage, I finally opened the letter. Dear Isabella, I can’t express how sorry I am for not being there on our special day. It breaks my heart to think of the pain my absence may have caused you. I want you to know that my reasons for not showing up are valid, even if I can’t share them right now. Please trust that I would never hurt you intentionally. You’ve been such an important part of my life since childhood, and I cherish every moment we’ve shared. I truly wish you all the happiness in the world and hope you find everything your heart desires. With all my love, Victor That was it? I couldn't tell if Victor had changed completely in or if he hadn't even written this letter himself; it felt so different and disconnected from the person I knew. My childhood lover, the man who promised heaven and earth to me, who was elated just two weeks ago when Don Alvaro announced our wedding suddenly. He flew in from collage and took charge of all the preparations. Even last night, I ignored Papa's warning about bad omens and called him on the phone. What went wrong in just a few hours? I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't even cry anymore. I gripped the letter tightly, my palms turning white as I poured all my frustration into it. As I stood up, holding onto my chest, I remembered how my dress had snagged on a tree branch, tearing it and exposing a significant amount of my cleavage while I was running earlier. I could almost hear Papa's harsh words if he saw me like this, but I felt too numb to care. I snatched my veil off and jumped into the pond, letting my body relax as I held my breath and sank slowly into the cool water. Just as I was about to start swimming, someone dove in after me and grabbed me tightly, pulling us both back to the shore. Panic surged through me as I sat down immediately, my heart racing and hammering against my ribcage. I coughed out some water, and when I finally steadied myself, I heard his voice first, saying, “Are you f*ck*ng crazy?” He spoke with a voice full of irritation, and I finally took a moment to look him over from his toes to his head. He wore long pants that took forever to his waist, and his shirt clung to his muscular frame, revealing tattoos that peeked out from his neck and large hands. His body was dripping wet from the pond, and as I took in his familiar face, I realized he looked even more striking and manly than before. “So what? Are you really going to throw your life away over some loser who can’t even show up for his wedding?” he said, his tone laced with disbelief. “Doesn’t seem so worth it to me,” he added, clicking his tongue in disapproval. “Vincent?” I was completely taken aback; he could actually talk now? I thought to myself in disbelief. Whenever Victor and I played, he always stayed in the background, quiet and distant. Even if you tried to talk to him, he wouldn’t reply. “It’s Tonto to you, remember?” he snapped, and I felt a wave of shame wash over me. That’s what Victor told me to call Vincent when we were kids, meaning Dummy. We always teased him because his mother was the other woman, and the whole hacienda looked down on them. “You can speak now,” I managed to say, astonished. Over the years, he had moved away from the main manor and isolated himself in this area, and I had never heard him say a word before! “Guess I found my voice just in time to save you from your dramatic exit,” he said, drying himself off as he glanced away from my chest. It was only then that I realized my cleavage was exposed, and I instinctively covered it, feeling self-conscious. That’s when it hit me, he must have thought I was about to end my life. “I was just having a casual swim to think about my life choices,” I said, giving him a wry look. “But seriously, you can talk now? What happened?” My curiosity was overwhelming; I was just blown away that he had been silent all this time. I finally stood up, water dripping off me, and looked up at his tall frame towering over me. I had always thought of myself as tall, but next to him, I felt small and unsure. “When did you find out you could? Did you see a doctor or something?” I pressed on, thinking this had to be some sort of miracle. I remembered all those times Victor and I picked on him, throwing sand at him while he just watched or ran away, even though he was way older than us. "Look at you, so invested in my speaking skills for someone who just got left at the altar….oh wait, you didn’t even get to step foot on it, did you?" he said, his dark eyes piercing into me, irritation evident on his face. If looks could kill, I felt like I would have dropped dead right there. He was right; my curiosity had almost pulled me out of my own reality. “In case you don’t know, this is private property, and I don’t allow trespassing,” he said firmly, his voice strong and authoritative. “I was just leaving,” I replied, still clutching my torn dress, water dripping from me. I knew Mama must be worried sick about me, but I needed this moment. I took a deep breath, gathering the remaining pieces of myself as I turned to find my way back. “Wait, I’ll drive you,” he said, and a wave of mental relief washed over me. I had been starting to think about how I would get home, and my entire body ached, especially my legs from all the running. “Thanks,” I said softly. He turned around, and I followed him closely. We reached a building I had never seen before in this part of the Hacienda. It was tall and modern, with a sleek black transparent gate that made it feel like I had stepped into another world entirely. “Stay here,” he instructed, clearly not inviting me into his house. I couldn't help but wonder what the inside looked like as he vanished through the door.