Save Me

Seven

Dinner seemed like an early Thanksgiving for me. Due to being a big family, we were seated in a very long table at the Rivers dining hall. What made it more like a Thanksgiving dinner was the roasted turkey sitting on the middle of the table, and the loud chatter of everyone as if this was a big reunion and we haven’t seen each other in ages when it was supposed to be a ‘sorry’ dinner for me for what a certain Rivers did.

A few of their close friends also joined us. Robbie’s nephew and Denise’s brother, Scott Jacoby showed up. He was a tall guy, thin but lean and slightly muscular. I think he has a thing with Monica since both of them always glance at each other once he arrived and then they’d both turn away when the other would catch them looking but it seemed to me that there was another person in their love story. Nicholas Wilkins was also here, and so was his brother, Myles. According to Gerry, they were very close friends, well, he was close friends with their parents who have passed away. There was also a pair of dark skinned people in our group, Roland and Hannah Baylor. Roland worked with Gerry at the barn and Hannah had a boutique in town and she was also Shaira’s best friend. And lastly were the Smith sisters, Kristina and Sheresh. They owned the bakeshop beside Danielle’s café and they both happened to be Danielle’s best friends.

It was funny how the Rivers seemed to welcome all the people around us, especially me since I was just new. It was like they were used to have this huge amount of people in their home that they didn’t really mind having them. For some reason, they all seemed like family. And for some reason, I could feel jealousy in the pit of my stomach because my family never had this kind of view with other people, even my Mom. It was always just us with Mom. And with Dad? Well, he doesn’t really seem to remember that he actually has kids but neither Louise or Collin or I don’t mind since we’re basically used to it.

“So what brings you here, Falen?” Rachel asked as I took a bite of the chicken casserole she made.

I shrugged, “I just wanted to find a fresh start.”

“He got his heart broken by a city girl,” Robbie said, butting in the conversation.

I looked at him and he just smiled at kindly as if telling me that it was okay to tell these people the real reason of my arrival here in Wilmington, “Yes, Robbie’s right.”

Hannah turned to look at me, her dark brown eyes boring into mine and it seemed like she wanted to know the entire story, “Mending a broken heart?”

I just nodded, “I guess you could put it at that.”

“Who was she?” Kristina probed and everyone’s attention turned to me. I flushed, nervous on what I should say. I just can’t lie to all of them, they’ve been so kind.

But I can’t really just blow my cover away. It’s been almost a week and I’ve been doing really well, “Monique McCoughney.”

“Care to share?” Sheresh asked, genuinely curious, well they all were.

“But you don’t have to if it makes you uncomfortable,” Monica added.

I just smiled and shrugged, “It’s fine. I have to get it off my chest eventually. Well, we’ve been together for a good of two years. During the first year, it was all bliss. Everything was so easy for both of us. But in the second year, we became so accustomed and comfortable with each other that whatever we had just lost its magic.

“Don’t get me wrong, I did love her. That was why I stayed even if there seemed to be nothing between us anymore. But one day, she talked to me and said she didn’t love me anymore. I wouldn’t believe her when she said she had fallen out of love with me. I couldn’t believe it so I asked her if there was someone else. She was honest enough to tell me yes and who he was. Turned out he was my close friend and a colleague.

“At first I thought that I’d be okay with it. But then, the pain was too much that I decided to run away like a coward so here I am,” It wasn’t all lies. Monique and I did break up and one of the reasons was because she met someone new and that she was fed up with me constantly cheating on her on the second year of our relationship. And the guy she met turned out to be, Gerard, my assistant. They were still together until now but I didn’t mind and Monique and I settled to just being friends.

“Why didn’t you fight for her?”

I looked at Danielle, surprised because she seemed angry, “I would. I wanted to. But I realized it wasn’t my battle to fight.”

“Then you didn’t truly deserve her,” she spat. Why did she seem so angry suddenly? It wasn’t like she was the one who was ‘supposed’ to be hurt with the break up that brought me here, “If you loved her truly, you would’ve fought for her.”

Everybody was silent as they watched and waited for me to respond, “But I did love her! I do!”

“If you did or if you do, then you wouldn’t have allowed some other guy to sweep her off her feet! You would’ve done everything in your power to remind her why you were together for two years in the first place!” she said, her face red with her sudden outburst.

“Camille,” Gerry said, his voice warning. Danielle and I and everyone else in the table turned to look at him, “Please go see if there’s another bottle of red wine in the liquor cabinet and bring it here.”

Everybody was silent after Danielle came back with the wine. We finished dinner and Danielle and the rest of the girls offered to wash the dishes while the guys pushed me to their backyard to have some beer. Gerry, Rachel, Angel and Robbie stayed at the dining hall to discuss whatever.

“Sorry about Cam,” Roland said, handing me a bottle of beer.

I stared at the bottle, remembering the last time I got myself drunk. I ended up waking up because of a nightmare, with a girl I didn’t know in my room, and after a playful banter with my little sister, everything went downhill from there. Why did it seem like it happened like a year ago? I ran a hand through my blonde hair, tousling it before taking a huge gulp of the alcohol.

“Why did she seem so angry all of a sudden?” I asked wondering.

Scott patted my back, “It’s because like you, she just got off a relationship.”

“Four years ago,” Nicholas said, shaking his head.

I frowned, “She still hasn’t moved on?”

They just shrugged and Myles spoke, “If you want to know more about it, ask Cam. It isn’t any of our places to tell about her love life.”

“Speaking of love,” Patrick said, draping his arm over my shoulder, “You’ve got it bad, don’t you? Man, I know what it felt. But I found someone else, someone better.”

“And you can find someone better too, dude,” Edwin said.

“Don’t worry, there are a lot of awesome girls in Wilmington,” Nicholas said with a grin.

I stared at them, “Are you guys in a relationship?”

“I’m married,” Patrick said, stating the obvious and we all rolled our eyes at him. Before anyone could answer, Danielle called Myles and he excused himself, leaving the six of us alone.

“I got a girlfriend,” Roland said with a shrug, “We’ve been together for three years.”

“Yea and it all makes us wonder why you guys aren’t even married yet,” Edwin snorted at his friend, “Seriously dude, your girl is too pretty and I’m sure other guys would notice that she hasn’t got a ring on her finger and then they’d sweep her off her feet.”

“Well at least we’re in a commitment,” Roland said glaring at him though I knew that they were just both in a playful argument, “Unlike you, you still haven’t gotten Shanna to be your girlfriend. What happened to the lightning fast Edwin Rivers? I thought he could get a girl in just a minute?”

Everybody laughed while Edwin just glared at Roland but then shrugged. I turned to Scott and Nicholas. Scott answered my question, “I had a girlfriend. But we broke up because someone made some story up.”

He emphasized on the ‘someone’ and suddenly, I felt the tension in the atmosphere as Nicholas shifted in his seat and turned to me and answered a question, “Dating someone. Not too serious yet.”

“Who?” I asked.

I heard Patrick mutter, “Shouldn’t have asked that one.”

I looked at Nicholas and waited for his reply, he mumbled, “Monica.”

Honestly, I didn’t expect that one. I was expecting Scott to tell me that there was something going on between him and the youngest Rivers’ girl. But then again, I could feel there was something more in that story since Scott looked like he was about to punch Nicholas but he was containing himself, not wanting to make a scene in front of everyone.

“Oh, good luck with it, I guess,” I mumbled, unsure of what to say. Scott shot me a look and the others were stifling their laughter because I didn’t really know what to say in this kind of situation or if I should just shut up.

Roland clamped my shoulder, “So dude, found a job yet?”

“Robbie said you needed help here and I’ve been meaning to ask Gerry for the job,” I replied, grateful that he changed the topic because I wasn’t clearly in the mood for the tension that had built in between Scott and Nicholas.

“Awesome,” Edwin said, “You can take my shift on weekdays since I just got a job as a real estate agent.”

“And if you really need some cash, there’s also a shift available for you on weekdays at my mechanic shop.”

I grinned, “That’ll be awesome.”

I looked around at their backyard and then my eyes rested on two figures sitting by the pool. It was pretty dark, since Gerry didn’t bother on turning the lights near the pool and it seemed to me like the two didn’t bother to either. But even with the moon the light on them, I could make up who they were. Danielle and Myles seemed to be talking intimately with each other. And suddenly, I could put two and two together.

He must’ve been Daniel’s father. I mean, they had a resemblance. Myles had dark brown hair, much similar to my original hair color and Daniel could take up his blue eyes from his mother. So maybe they were together but aren’t ready for marriage yet but he stuck up with her in raising their child. For some reason, I felt my heart contract and I couldn’t quite put up whatever emotion I felt towards either of them, or to just her.

“Jealous?”

I looked at Edwin who was nudging me, “No.”

Scott rise a brow laughing, “Esh told us you’re smitten with Cam.”

I stared at Edwin. “When did he tell you that?”

“Just now,” Nicholas replied laughing, “But you’ve been too busy glaring at Cam and Myles to stop him.”

“I don’t like her,” I said, shaking my head.

“So you wouldn’t mind her touring you around town?” Edwin asked.

“What?”

Patrick chuckled, “Dad asked to tour you around tomorrow. But since it’s Thursday, we’re all busy. The only one without a jam-packed schedule is Cam.”

“Maybe I could fit in any of your schedules,” I said, though I didn’t really mind having Danielle as a tour guide, the little argument earlier seemed to worry me. I didn’t want to have her as an enemy or as someone who wouldn’t like me because all I wanted was to be someone so close to her.

“Can’t,” Roland answered, “On morning’s I help Hannah in the boutique and I’m here by noon. Nicholas works full time in their supermarket as their manager. Myles is a doctor. Scott’s busy at the mechanic shop, you have no idea how many citizen here can have a car leak or in need of an oil change. Denise is busy at the bank. Patrick manages a restaurant. Shaira needs to stay at her dental clinic. The Smith sisters are busy at their bakeshop and Rachel helps them there as well as Gerry. And Monica is an engineer, she’s pretty busy too.”

“And Danielle?” I asked.

“She runs the café with her friend Ciara,” Nicholas answered.

“It’s a café,” I said, “Isn’t it supposed to be busy?”

“I thought you didn’t like her,” Scott snorted, “I’m sure you wouldn’t mind.”

But before I could even manage to defend myself or wipe away the smirks in all their faces, I didn’t want to hint to them that I really did mind going out with Danielle, “Sure, I won’t mind.”