A/N Hello! Here comes an update on the eve of my birthday. Hurray!! I bet there're loads of mistakes but I was in a rush. So really sorry about that. Don't forget to leave a comment!
Chapter VI A surprise for two
Marissa's POV
"Coop? Are you still on the phone?"
"Yeah. Sorry---where were we?" I could hear the words rolling off my tongue whereas my mind was caught up in the maddest of frenzy in which I was playing two opposite roles spontaneously. A part of me was still cuddling up in bed with Ryan, basking in the kind of bliss that only he could make me feel. Yet, my other half scooted off to the place where it should be, finally coming to a rest in a pair of arms which had kept me accompanied for numerous nights. The colossal task of keeping up with two separated acts was putting my sanity to the test and for the reason alone, I got no attention to spare as Summer's voice buzzed through my ear.
"I just asked you about what happened last night," she said warily. "We had a decent meal and watched The Notebook afterwards. And since it's raining, Jack suggested me staying out for the night so that I didn't have to endure the tough drive. Well, I saw no reason not to comply." I felt like depicting a foreign life that was not my own as I continued to rambled on and on. "That is? Not mind-blowing kiss and stripping of clothes?" she pressed. "Yes---but…" "Good Lord! I just knew it. How can you do this to Jack? Or have you forgotten that you're now engaged?" She shouted into the phone with a tone colored by disapproval. My defense mechanism kicked in at the moment for I refused to be chided for something that I had not done, not intentionally anyway. "Like what? Sleeping around maybe? I thought you're on my side, Sum." I spat back whilst the angry tears were beginning to form at the corners of my eyes.
Silence lingered on for an immeasurable period of time which I could only prayed that it was spent on her account of pondering over the words that I had said. "I am always on your side. It's just…I don't know what to make out of it. So you just sleep through it and nothing happened?" Her mind was clearly still clouded with doubts which sent my ebbing rage firing all over again. Had I been able to forgive Stacey for not buying my feeble claim, I would not have expected my best friend to have the same kind of suspicion in me. Was it impossible to believe that a man and a woman could have simply found comfort in each others' embraces without sleeping together? But you have close to crossing the line…
Trying to ignore the voice which appeared like a scoff to my own argument, I only held harder onto the phone without realizing my knuckles had all turned white. "What do you expect really? I thought you knew me long enough to make a comparison of a whore." I let out a heartless laugh. "You know that's not what I mean, Coop. So…no sex?" Her voice still withheld a faint note of uncertainty but no sense of anger could be detected from it. 'No sex," I said, knowing that the fight was over for now.
"Then why are you calling if there's no complication at all?"
"I don't know, Sum. I really don't know what to do," I replied with chagrin. "Trust your heart. I'll be there for you even if it involves kicking Chino's ass or tossing Jack to Greece," she promised before letting go to take care of her "other business". I was waiting for an epiphany to show me what exactly her words meant but nothing came. I broke down then knowing that my search for a clear sign was in vain. After what seemed like forever, the sulky feeling locked up in my chest was drained away by the flow of tears. It was then I decided to leave the lifeguard stand with nothing but confusion encroaching on the mere perception that was left.
Jack's POV
Seven twenty, the digital clock on the night stand read. My gaze lazily traveled to the door, a repeat of an action that had kept me occupied for the past few hours or so. But still, the door remained dormant as my thumping heart completed the cycle of accelerating at the faintest noise and deflating due to the idiocy of hoping. For each passing minute, I found my hands getting nearer to the phone which refused to drone until the reflex action was denounced by reasoning and hence retreated to fists. Like every lovebirds, which my friends have always teased about, I held nothing but fear over our separation if only for a few hours. We were seldom apart and my mind was filled completely and only with her image for the rare chances that she was away from my sight. It could, perhaps, explained the ridiculous anxiety which was eating up me at the moment. While I was well aware that I bore part if not whole of the responsibility for the separation as I myself volunteered the idea of her staying out, the decision seemed almost dubious nonetheless. I had no control over the subtle vigilance whatsoever.
I must have fallen asleep when I continued for my wait. It was the delightful ring of the bell which awoke me from the hollow dream. For the life of me, the sound of the door bell couldn't have been more appealing than it had come to be. I almost tripped over the air as my heart leapt with joy. Little did I know that having expectations were doomed to be disappointed, and looking back, it marked the definite moment when I realized the mistake of letting her go, for I was under no illusion that I was about to be buried by restlessness of my own production.
Standing in the doorway was a middle-aged woman adorned with exquisite jewelry, no sign of familiarity rang in my head when her face showed up at the half-opened door. "Hello? You must be Jack. Is Marissa here?" My arms blocked her advance as I leaned against the edge of the door, trying hard to figure her identity out. "Oh, I am being rude. This is Julie Copper by the way. We have talked on the phone before," she said, flashing a crooked smile which bore strong resemblance of Marissa's dazzling kind. I loosened up a bit at her words but not enough to pass for one to be called a cool impression during an encounter with your future mother-in-law.
"She wasn't here but will be back soon. Is there anything I can do for you, Mrs. Cooper?" I offered, feeling both dumb and uncomfortable. "You don't mind if I wait for her inside, do you?" It was clear that no invitation was needed as she stormed into the room at once, staring a monologue on her own. "Actually, I just want to see her before I head to work today. You can't imagine how hard it is squeeze time out from the schedule and meet up with my girl. How long have you guys been here?"
"We arrived four days ago---
"Four days! And she still hasn't as much as paid me a visit, not unless I kidnap her."
"I'm sure she's planning on it--- I said, my voice was a bit louder than necessary.
"It means you don't know her well enough then. Speaking of which, when are you two going to marry?" Her eyes pierced through me, as though I was a specimen to be investigated. "We haven't talked about it," I confessed, knowing there was no satisfactory answer I could give nor would I ever be able to deceive her. "Well, you better start working on it now. I know she's always wanted a fairy tale wedding, one in which surrounded by friends and family. She also has a thing for the beach, you know? So that makes it a sensible decision to be married here." Her face scrunched up in a manner indicative of day-dreaming, or rather, getting lost in the memory which I was not allowed a peek. From the twinkle that danced in her eyes when she delivered her speech, I knew for a fact that she was telling the truth.
As if on cue, Marissa walked in at the very moment and caught the glimpse of her mother just as she turned to face the doorway.
"Mum? What are you dong here?" I wanted to reach out for her but she seemed to be oblivious of my presence.
"I was talking with Jack about your wedding." I thought there was a hint of sarcasm in her voice but I could have wrongly interpreted.
"Since when do I have a wedding?" "I'll tie the knot next month so why not make it a double?" I could only stare at her at her announcement, my throat suddenly went dry. Digging into the memory, I searched hard for the piece of missing information that may fill the blank but to no avail. Glancing at her direction, I met the look of astonishment which mirrored mine.
"But Mum, you don't even have a boyfriend."
"I don't. But you and I are gonna talk now. Can you excuse us for a minute, Jack?"
It was again not a question but rather a command, to which I could only nodded and left the room.
