"HEY!"
"'Hey', your face!" I replied, annoyed. I sat down on the edge of the bed and glared at the empty air. "You," I emphasised, "are the most incapable host I've ever met!"
"I'm sorry," she mumbled. And she sounded really sorry. Well, she should be. "I got busy because of the wedding. I don't even have the time to talk to my mother."
Was that supposed to make me feel better?
Well, it did not.
"Can't even make a call?"
"Tatia, really, I'm terribly sorry. How about this? Let's meet up. I'll treat you to the town's most expensive restaurant."
I fell silent.
"Is the food delicious?" What's the point of expensiveness if the food wasn't worth it?
"Yes!"
I tapped my fingers on the bed, thinking whether I should go or stay in this bouncy bed the whole day. Eventually, food won!
"Okay. Where should I meet you?" Aseyana had been telling me which building was which. It was the right time to test my memory and sense of direction.
"Don't you want me to fetch you?"
"No need," I waved my hand. "So, which restaurant are we going to eat at?"
"La Stonefield Cuisine."
I frowned. That sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember which part of the town it was located in.
Nah.
I would come across it, anyway.
"Alright! See you there!"
I ended the call right away. Then, I took a quick shower and wore my most comfortable clothes. Looking around the room and ascertaining I didn't forget anything, I took my phone and left the room. When I got downstairs, I saw Aseyana seated on the counter, staring blankly at nothing.
"I'll be out," I said.
She immediately looked at me and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Out for," I looked at my wristwatch, "brunch."
Aseyana nodded. "Okay. Be careful."
"I will," I smiled, waving my hand to bid goodbye.
I have no car, so I had to walk there myself. Unsurprisingly, I didn't find my way to the restaurant for an hour. But to my luck, some people pointed me in the right direction (still getting lost, unfortunately).
It only took me an hour and a half to reach 'La Stonefield Cuisine'. Finally, I must say. Any more minutes now, and my feet would fall off my legs. That would be a terrible experience, if ever.
"I should've fetched you."
"It's nice seeing you too," my reply to Brittany's remark. I sat down, gasping. Despite my healthy routine (morning jog), I always go back to the way I was once I stopped doing it for a month because of writing— breathless and exhausted with only just a few steps.
"You need to exercise more," she commented, raising her hand to call for a waiter.
I rolled my eyes. "I already did. But this is my body. I have to accept my flaws."
The waiter came, giving each of us a menu.
"I don't know which to pick," I said, frowning at the content of the menu. "I love everything in it!"
This restaurant was clearly a seafood buffet! Oh, I love seafood!
"I told you," she smiled cheekily. "You're gonna love it here."
I pointed out everything my craving told me— it was a treat, anyway— before saying, "It still doesn't change the fact that you left me alone in a place I'm not familiar with." I smilingly gave the menu back to the waiter.
Brittany also gave her order to the waiter before responding, "Alone, yes, but I think you enjoyed your time with the inn's owner."
"You're monitoring me," I said accusingly.
"Of course, I have to," she said as if it was a common thing a human should do. Well, it wasn't for me, though. That was creepy. Being monitored without your knowledge was creepy— insanely creepy! "You're my friend, my bridesmaid. I should ascertain you're alright, no matter how busy I am. And I'm glad you had a good time these past few days. It eases my conscience." She mumbled the last part.
I frowned. That was off. I didn't know why, though.
However, Brittany didn't let me overthink again as she quickly said, "Forgive me, okay? I'm emptying my wallet for you as compensation. Forgive me. Please?" She fluttered her eyes, much to my contempt.
"Fine," I said, disgusted. "Enough with that."
Apparently, that made her happy!
-
The food was better than I imagined! I thought I would have leftovers, but I was wrong! I finished everything I ordered!
Was it okay if I asked the owner for their chef?
"I don't know what to say," Brittany uttered in disbelief as she gazed over my empty plates.
"'You're welcome'," I said. "You should say 'You're welcome' because I am about to say— thank you!" I rubbed my belly to show my good friend how satisfied I was.
Brittany shook her head, giggling. "We need to melt these fats away," she remarked. "I know a beautiful place. Do you want to come with me?"
I opened my mouth to agree, but my heart suddenly beat rapidly. I froze in my seat as I tried to understand what it meant.
Nervousness.
I was nervous.
"Tatia?"
I snapped my head back to Brittany. "Where?" I asked, looking directly at her eyes. "Where are we going?"
Brittany's eyebrows knitted together as she worriedly said, "In a lake. There's a lake near here. Wallis and I loved to go there to have fun. Is there something wrong?"
I didn't respond. And Brittany was kind enough not to disturb me.
"O—" I took a deep breath, "—kay!"
"Are you sure?" asked Brittany, still worried. "We don't have to go if you're not feeling well."
I shook my head and stood up before my mind would change. I'd really love to see that lake, anyway. I wasn't going to let an absurd feeling stop me from enjoying myself.
Brittany smiled. She stood up, hooked her other arm to mine, and walked toward the parking lot while talking about funny things. We used her car to reach our destination. If we walked, like I usually do, we'd definitely arrive at the place no later than an hour. And my feet haven't moved on from my earlier journey. They still hurt like hell!
"Oh, this place is beautiful!" I exclaimed, closing the car's door. "I could never imagine a place like this is just at the back of Arcane Town."
The lake was crystal clear, and it was wide. The smell of the water carried by the wind was terrific. I felt relaxed!
"I told you so," said Brittany. "You'll love it here."
I nodded as I sat on a large boulder. "We should've ordered takeout and eaten it here."
There was silence. A sudden silence and it became rather eerie. I couldn't help but frown as I looked back, checking on my companion.
"Brittany?" I asked as soon as I peered over my shoulder. Brittany just stood there, unmoving, blankly looking at the lake. I thought she would remain mute, but she suddenly opened her mouth.
"I love Willis."
I froze, not knowing what to say. Heck, I don't even know how to comfort someone! Especially when it came to talks about love! I did lecture some friends about love. But comforting someone who got ditched on the wedding? Well, I was still working on that.
Don't get me wrong. I wasn't assuming. She sounded like the world turned her life upside down. So, my initial thought was that 'the wedding's off!'.
"And he loves me as well."
I blinked. So, she wasn't heartbroken?
"And I will never let fate destroy our love for each other," she added.
Brittany was confusing me. So, the first thing I did was open my mouth to question her about her babbling. But the moment I did, music, so calm, so soothing, entered my ears, piercing even the deepest part of my soul. It spread throughout my body, chilling me, rendering me frigid. I could feel the cold, hurting my lungs, my heart— heck, my organs!
I tremblingly kneeled on the ground, gripping the boulder as my support. Then, I looked up; and saw Brittany staring at me with cold, penetrating eyes. There was no compassion. No sympathy. For almost a second, I thought I was facing a stranger.
I tried to speak. I truly did. But the chilling coldness reached my throat, going up to my brain. And once it did, I couldn't take it anymore. I lost consciousness. But before that, I saw a group of people in cloaks emerging from the surrounding forest.
Ah!
What a disaster, indeed!