2 Chapter 1: Skye
"Guess what I did today
Those were the words I said to you
It was last May, dont know the exact day
In my hand there was a ring
Then you told me that you loved me
More than anything in your life
So I asked you would you do me
The honor of being my wife"
"Yes I will
I will be your man
Your protector, your best friend
Till my humble life is ended
And time begins again, couldn't we be..."
"Couldn't we be happily ever after?
We could be strong together for so long
My love is oh so strong
Couldn't we be happily ever after?
Couldn't we be?
Leaving you never till forever's gone~"
EVERYONE in the four corners of the church feels happy listening to the wedding song picked by the bride and groom themselves.
But one specific person in the whole place is the happiest of them all.
"Hey Red! Are you ready?" A man in a suit asked as he approach his friend whose busy tying the bow of his suit.
"Of course. I'm just nervous, that's all." The man replied while staring blankly at his own reflection on the mirror.
"Oh! Wedding jitters? Or you are now having a cold feet? You better back out now dude when you still got time so that you won't regret it later." He teasingly said.
"Nah! It's too late for that Drei, we've already sacrificed too much for this wedding." He replied again, this time looking directly at him.
"Fine, I will not argue with that anymore. I just wish you two to live happily together. Anyway, I'll go down now to help welcome some guests." He bidded goodbye and give his friend a gentle pat on the back before exiting the room.
Alone again, he smiled at the thought of having his friends supporting him on this marriage even though many people are against it including both of their parents. "Am I really getting married today? The time is indeed so fast. When I was a kid, it was just a toy ring I'm putting on; but now it's already a golden one that affiliates with a big responsibility." Red Andrew Salazar said talking to himself and laughing at his own thoughts.
Still on his own little world, he didn't notice that there's someone knocking on the door of the room where he is staying. He was just startled when the visitor suddenly talks, getting him out of his trance. "Sir Red, I'm so sorry for disturbing you and for just suddenly barging in, you weren't answering so I thought something was wrong but I'm glad that you're okay. Anyway, you need to go down now 'cause the guests are waiting." Said Diane, the wedding coordinator.
"Okay Diane, just give me a minute. Thank you." He answered, standing up. He took a deep breath and look at his appearance on the mirror for the last time before confidently go down on the church. Inside, he was greeted by his highschool friends, colleagues, and close co-artists in the showbiz industry. They send him their congratulatory messages and some advice about married life. After saying his thank you's, everyone was told to standby on their position particularly the entourage who will play a big role on the wedding ceremony.
Red being the groom, nervously stands at the altar just waiting for the bride to arrive. This is it! I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with her after this. He thinks to himself as his gaze never leaves the iron steel gate of the church. He can't wait for it to open and reveal the most beautiful woman he loves very much.
*Bzzzttt Bzzzttt Bzzzttt*
The non-stop vibration of his phone disturb Red from his imagination. It's a special day today and he don't want to be bother by anyone or want it to be ruin by her Mom whose probably the one calling so he decided to just ignored it. He excuse his self for a minute so he can turn off his phone. Seeing the screen, instead of the call from his Mom that he expected he got, he reads a text message instead that make his knees go weak and his dream slowly turning into a nigthmare.
From: Skye ♡
══════ Saturday, October 4 ═════
Red, I'm really sorry but I think I'm not yet ready. I hope you can forgive me, please.
04:44 PM
His smile starts fading, the message sucked up all his energy making his knees turn into jelly. "Drew what's wrong? Are you okay?" Andrei asked when he saw Red pale red from the shock.
Red force a smile so he won't be worried. "I'm fine Drei, let me just excuse myself, I need to use the comfort room." Before he could even answer him, he rushed out fast leaving Andrei and the guests bewildered. "Please excuse our groom for being so grumpy, he was just so nervous." Andrei reasoned out that had the guests laughing.
Meanwhile, Red went to the rear of the church where there was a mini-garden filled with blosomming flowers and a built-in wishing well situated in the middle. The place is secluded and only few of the locals know about the garden. The tranquility of the whole place is one of the reason why Red loves the place so much, thus he decided to get married there.
He sat on one of the benches and tried to calm himself down. "No Drew, don't believe it yet. Maybe that's another one of Skye's jokes. Right! It was impossible for her to recede, she promised that she'll never leave me."
He tries to calm down again even though he doesn't really feel good about the situation anymore. Though his hands is shaking, he was able to typed a message to reply to Skye.
To: Skye ♡
══════ Saturday, October 4 ═════
Hey babe! Don't joke around like that,
it's not the right time to joke. I'm here at the church already. Where are you? Do you want me to get you?
04:48 PM
While waiting for her reply, his phone suddenly rings. He answer it faster than the speed of light with the assumption that it was Skye calling, but to his disappointment it was Diane who answer on the other line.
"Sir, it's an emergency! I've just got a call from the team that was supposed to take care of ma'am Skye and they said ... her hotel room is empty, she's nowhere to be seen as well as her belongings."
Red couldn't handle it anymore, his mind completely went blank and his hands felt numb. His breathing seem to be cut off by the tightening of his chest. But the pain somehow subsides when the phone rings once again, receiving another text message.
From: Skye ♡
══════ Saturday, October 4 ═════
I'm really sorry Red. I cannot pretend to love you anymore. I hope you can forgive me. I'm doing this for our sake, so don't look for me anymore.
04:54 PM
After reading that final message, tears started to roll down his eyes. "Pretend? So all this time we've been in a relationship for 5 years, I'm just the one genuinely in love? And she's just pretending? Damn! It's even more painful to know that she never really loved me than her not showing up here." Red whimpered to himself.
He just stop crying when he heard a woman's voice not far from his seat.
He couldn't see what the girl looks like as the wishing well was covered with long vines. He slowly walk towards the well because he was intrigued by what the woman was doing there as he ordered that no one is allowed to go to that part of the church even guests of the wedding.
"Dear wishing well, please listen to my plea so that my wish will be fill."
Red raised his head as he heard those words. Those words sound so familiar to me, I wonder where did I hear that? He spoke in his mind and tried so hard to remember where he had heard it, but his head just ache from so much thinking.
"Heal my mom please, I can't afford to lose her. I can't live without her so please help me." The woman plead at the well while saying each words in between sobs as she's crying too much. Red felt sorry for her but he can't help but laughed when he saw how the girl kiss the coin before dropping it on the wishing well.
He decided to leave already so the girl can have privacy, but he didn't realize he was relying on a long soft vine; and because Red was heavy, the vine could not bear his weight anymore and it fell down also dragging him.
The woman was surprised that the vine had fallen, even more so when she saw that someone was lying on the ground. "Omo! Hey! Are you okay?" The woman worriedly said while approaching the man's body lying on the ground.
Red become speechless upon hearing that voice, his heartbeat slows down and he can feel his insides churning.
He can't be mistaken, that voice ... that voice belongs to ...
He raised his head to confirm his suspicion ...
Am I dreaming? Its Skye!!
