Day 7

I'm counting down the minutes until this trip is over. Another day, another twenty four hours that will have passed and I'll be one step closer to freedom. After our spa morning, all I wanted to do was go back to my room and hide. Unfortunately for me that wasn't something that I was able to do.

I'm sitting in a trance as life is thriving all around me. Jason surprised us with tickets to a live show where performers would be dancing to traditional Greek music and giving us a closer glimpse into their culture. The event was hosted by a famous Greek comedian that had everyone clutching their stomachs from their laughter. I, on the other hand, wasn't finding the humor in anything.

The event was held on the beach, the sounds of the waves crashing offering a soothing hum. It was a sold-out night and from my understanding, one of the most sought-out forms of entertainment on the island. With Jason's parent's connections, we were able to get a table right in the front for the eight of us. The spot beside me sat empty, one that had been reserved for Cole. It was taunting me. Reminding me of what I had done. No one besides Trini knew that he wasn't coming.

Along with the entertainment we were given a traditional dinner. More of the same that we had been enjoying all week. Jason, Zack, and Rocky were having the time of their lives, with Trini occasionally joining in on their laughter. Aisha and Giselle were quickly becoming new best friends and Tommy, well, he was in the same boat as I was, but unlike me, he was doing his best to not let everyone know about it. He would laugh at something Jason or Rocky would say and pull Giselle a little tighter when she whispered in his ear. Something was different with him today. He hadn't once looked my way, I wasn't feeling the heat from his gaze anymore. All I felt was a cold chill radiating from him.

The show had an intermission while we enjoyed our meals and the table fell into conversation.

"You doing alright?" Trini whispered my way.

I turn to her and offer a small smile. It was all the strength I had to do. I couldn't continue this lie. It was eating at me from the inside out.

"I still can't get over it," Aisha squeals. She picks up Giselle's hand and shows it to Rocky, "Will you look at this thing?"

Giselle's engagement ring is unconventional but beautiful. It's a large emerald ring, with a halo of smaller diamonds surrounding it. It has to be one of the most beautiful rings I have ever seen in my life.

"Yeah, yeah," Rocky rolls his eyes and then gives Tommy a gentle shove. "Do you have to make all of us look bad, dude?"

Giselle throws her head back and laughs before tenderly rubbing Tommy's cheek. My chest tightens.

"This actually belonged to my great grandmother," Giselle tells the table. "When Tommy asked my family for my hand in marriage, my mother insisted that this ring be used. He already had a ring but this one was extra special. It has been through three happy marriages over the years." She looks at Tommy, "Ours will be the fourth."

Wait, what? He had a ring for her and she chose different?

Aisha sighs, her hands falling over her heart. "If that is not the sweetest thing I have ever heard." She turns to Tommy, "You asked her family?"

Tommy presses his lips together and then gives Aisha a small nod, "Yeah.. um… I felt like I had to."

From across the table, I can see Giselle rub Tommy's leg and my hand forms a fist. I can't stomach to see more of them together. This is exactly what I told Trini that I wanted to avoid.

"My family is very traditional," Giselle says, "He had to or we wouldn't be here today."

Aisha rests her chin on her hand and looks over at Giselle. "How did he do it?"

Oh my god. This isn't happening. I am not about to hear this, am I?

"How did he propose?" Giselle asks and Aisha nods in return.

Giselle gives Tommy a look, silently asking him if he wants to explain but he gives a shake of his head, prompting her to tell the story.

"Well, it was right before his last deployment. He was in Chicago visiting me before he left and it was his last day before he had to leave. We had just come back from ice skating," and then Giselle giggles as if recalling a memory, "Tommy is not made for the ice, let me tell you that. He kept falling and flailing and flying!"

"This guy?" Zack put an arm on Tommy's shoulder, howling with laughter, "I wish I could have seen that. This guy is naturally good at everything. So there are some things you can't do, huh?"

Tommy gives a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. He's physically here but he appears miles away, lost in his own thoughts.

"It was hysterical," Giselle continues. "So we come back home, our butts sore from falling for the last few hours and he has this genius idea to have a picnic outside."

"But you guys just went ice skating?" Jason asks, "wouldn't it be like 30 degrees out?"

"Fifteen!" Giselle tells him, "It was insane. I immediately said no."

"What the hell were you thinking, man?" Rocky asks Tommy and he shrugs in return.

"He was thinking that it doesn't really snow in Angel Grove," Zack laughs.

"Anyway, everyone is telling me to go with him, but I put my foot down that I'm not going." She shakes her head, smiling, "I don't do well in the cold. So my family somehow convinces me but as we're driving to the location, we get a flat tire."

"You're kidding!" Aisha exclaims.

"No," Giselle laughs at the memory, "So Tommy changes the tire but once we get back on the road he realizes that he forgot the food for the picnic."

"Doesn't surprise me," Zack shoves Tommy's shoulder again, "What doesn't he forget? Don't tell me he forgot the ring too."

"I'm getting to it," Giselle laughs. The way that she's speaking has the table hanging off of her every word. "We drive back and get the food, only to find it out on the porch… frozen! But we didn't know that at the time. So we drive back to the park and get ready to eat and we realize that it was completely inedible. It was hard and cold. So now we have nothing to eat and it starts snowing. Hard! Everything was going wrong."

The table is erupting in laughter and I catch Tommy's haunted eyes from across the table for the first time today. He isn't smiling, simply staring at me in a way I can only read as regret. Or maybe that's just what I wanted to see.

"So he gets up and tosses the food in the bin. I've finally had enough at this point and I tell Tommy that I'm completely done for the day. I just want to go home and get in bed and fall asleep for the next twenty-four hours."

"What happened next?" Aisha asks.

"Well, he lost the ring," Giselle shakes her head and Rocky is roaring with laughter, slamming his fist on the table.

"No fucking way," Zack laughs. "I knew it! I knew he would do something like that."

"That ring?" Aisha points to the ring sitting on Giselle's perfectly polished finger.

Giselle shakes her head, "No it was the original one. The one that he bought for me. Tommy forgot that he had placed the ring in the basket. Just as he's walking back to the table, he remembers. You should have seen the look on his face. He sprints back to the large bin and starts digging through the garbage. He is swimming in it."

Jason presses his eyes close and throws his head back, laughing hard.

"I'm confused," Giselle starts again, "I don't know what's going on and then he just blurts out that he had bought me a ring and was planning on proposing but that he just blew it. At this point, I'm shocked and I dive in and try to find this ring that I had no idea about. The night starts to creep in, we're cold, smelly, the snow is piling on top of us… we are a mess. He has to go back and start packing because his flight is going to leave without him if he doesn't."

"Did you guys seriously lose the ring?" Rocky's mouth is hanging open.

"Never found it," Tommy shrugs. His thumb is fixed on the table, his fingers brushing back and forth on the fray of his napkin, almost like he's deep in thought.

"This is the best story I ever heard," Zack laughs. "I'm sorry, man, but you just have the worst fucking luck."

Tommy presses his lips together, "Yeah, well, I took one for the team. Hopefully the next time someone gets engaged it won't be as bad." He grabs his glass of beer and brings it to his lips, chugging the thing.

"No one can be as bad," Giselle laughs and then she places a kiss on Tommy's cheek, "but it's a memorable story to tell our kids one day, yeah?"

Immediately Tommy gets into a coughing fit, the contents of his beer sliding down his chin. He thumps his chest a few times to control himself and I see fear flash across his face.

Giselle's brows furrow as she gently rubs Tommy's back, clearly oblivious to his reaction. This story was different than I thought. There wasn't a big romantic gesture like I assumed, but the intent was there. He never got down on one knee, from my understanding, he never really went through with the proposal at all, only that he planned on doing it. Trini's words ring in my ear, 'We were all surprised when she showed up with a ring on her finger. Honestly, Tommy did too. Probably the most out of all of us.' The questions were beginning to form in my head.

"When are you getting married, Zack?" Giselle asks.

Zack leans back in his chair with a smug grin, "Whenever Beyonce tells me she's ready."

Everyone at the table laughs and I give a real genuine smile. I miss this. I miss being with my friends and enjoying myself. These days will long be over once Tommy and Giselle get married. Jason said that Tommy was planning on moving back to Angel Grove. If he had always planned on marrying Giselle then I'm sure they discussed moving there together. I can't see them like this. I can't see their relationship progress.

"And you guys?" Giselle asks Rocky and Aisha, "Any wedding bells in the future?"

Rocky lifts his brow, "I've been asking Aisha for ten years and she always tells me no."

Giselle turns to Aisha, her own brow raised. "Because he always asks me at the dumbest times. I want it to be memorable, with a marching band, and fireworks in the background, and he definitely needs to secure Oprah to officiate our wedding before he even thinks about proposing to me again. "

Rocky rolls his eyes, "Do you see what I'm dealing with here?"

Giselle falls into a fit of giggles and then turns to me, "And you, Kim? Getting married any time soon?"

Heat creeps up my spine and settles in my chest. Trini squeezes my hand under the table, giving me silent support. No one knows about Cole and no one will. This is a conversation for another time, not right now.

I do the only thing I can think of. I lie.

"Yes," I swallow, "Cole and I have talked about it. It's definitely in our future."

The corner of Tommy's lips curve down. Does he know that I'm lying? When we separated the other day, it was both of our intentions to end our relationships. I did but he didn't get the opportunity. For all he knows, I didn't end it. What must he think right now? I told him that everything had been a lie and he believed me so easily. Maybe it was easier to accept.

"That's wonderful," Giselle looks at me, genuinely excited. "Aisha showed me a picture of you two. Your guys are one of the most gorgeous couples I have ever seen. Your babies will be beautiful."

All air leaves my body when I see Tommy's lips twist in disgust.

"Where is Cole by the way?" Jason asks. He looks at his watch, "Wasn't he supposed to be here? That's why we grabbed him a seat."

Fuck. I didn't think this through. What the hell do I say?

"He was called back in at the last minute," I lie, "Something about the merger not going so smoothly."

"So he's not coming at all?" Jasons says, an edge of disappointment in his voice.

I shake my head, "He tried but he just couldn't do it. He sends you birthday wishes."

That was surprisingly easy. When did lying to my best friend become so easy for me to do? This sucks.

"Damn," Jason sighs, "Well, we'll just have to get together when we get back home."

My gaze falls to my lap. I can count on one hand the number of times that I have lied to Jason. It's usually about something small, but this feels just wrong.

"I'm sure he'd love that," I swallow.

The lights on the stage brighten up again, signaling the return of the show. It gives me the perfect excuse to stop talking about this and I'm thankful for that. This conversation is the last thing I want to have. The performance continues and we watch as we take in hundreds of years of culture. The music that is flowing through the air has switched to something more modern, causing Giselle to dance in her seat. I can see why anyone would fall for her. She's so carefree. She doesn't care who sees her.

When couples begin to head to the dance floor, she stands up and pulls a reluctant Tommy out onto the floor. My heart hurts. It's a pain that I've never felt before. I take them in and I realize just how well they fit together. She compliments him perfectly and looks better in his arms than I ever have.

Rocky shimmies over to Aisha and drags her out as well. She laughs and has him lead the way. When Jason stands and extends a hand to Trini, she pauses. Trini turns to me quickly, her sad eyes holding mine. I know what she's thinking. She's sorry too. But I can't let my fucked up life ruin her good time. I beckon my head to the dance floor, giving her a green flag.

I'm left with Zack, the two without dates. It's not long before he slides a couple of seats down and rests his head on my shoulder, his face holding a goofy grin. I laugh and rest my head on his.

"Want to dance?" He asks and I swallow to keep from crying.

I shake my head no, but he stands up anyway and offers me his hand, "You're rejecting the best dancer in Angel Grove High?"

I roll my eyes, "That was ten years ago."

"And my skills have only gotten better," he cranes his head back and forth. I laugh again, feeling a little bit better. Sure. Why not?

"Then show me," I say taking his hand.


Author notes: Hey guys! This is a short one but only because I'm working on the next chapter and it just doesn't fit with the rest of this chapter. You'll understand what I mean. Let me know what you guys think in a review or PM. Would love to hear your thoughts. Till next time!