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There weren’t a lot of people, about fifteen or so. Juana’s friends were more or less just like her. Crazy, full of life, and had the knack to make you feel at ease. Maybe it was all the weed they were smoking? It sure as heck would put anyone in a chillax mode.
My eyes trailed towards the Juana. The eighteen-year-old sure wouldn’t let any man treat her less than she deserved. If only I had her kind of backbone. Then again, had this happened with another man, it wouldn’t even be a question. However, this was River—leaving him never was an easy choice. Never will. Even if he had already placed me in the backburner, I owed it to him to wait … and hopefully he’d forgive me someday. For how long did I intend to remain vigilant? Until I was fed up, so that could very well vary, depending on my mood and patience.
Seeing how Silas was so in love with Juana set my mind adrift, making me realize what I lost with River and what could never be recovered again. That pure, undying, hearts and flowers, to the moon and back, you’re the center of my universe, look of love—the kind that lets you know with absolute certainty that you were the only one for him, no one else would do.
Universe…
River was the earth and I was floating in space—though surrounded with beauty, nothing held meaning. So, I floated away with no harness to anchor me home, suspended from the life I knew, while I watched the world go by from a distance, gravity drifting me away into the vastness of infinite space, basked in darkness, aimlessly floating, drifting in my loneliness, biding time until I ran out of breath and death finally came and ended my agony.
“Cara,” Juan greeted me as he took the empty chair next to me, appearing approachable and not the hostile man I had gotten used to in the past weeks.
I viewed him tentatively. “So, you’ve decided to be a decent human being again?” I levelly gazed at him, incredulous.
“I apologize for my temperament.” He licked his lips as he tried not to break into a smile. “I was in a bad mood.”
His smile did nothing to sway my resolve. Not yet, anyway.
“Really? Bad mood is the best you can come up with? Accusing me of leading you on, hatefully stating I’m a coward, or that I’m a fool for declining your offer—all that because of ‘bad mood’?” I scoffed. “Well, if that’s ‘bad mood,’ I wouldn’t want to know what a ‘bad day’ is like.”
He rubbed his thigh, seeming nervous, before he leaned over and whispered in a lower octave tone, “Lo siento, forgive me for acting like an asshole.”
“You weren’tactinglike one;youwereone.”
“I’m sorry. It’s been hard … seeing you every day and wanting you like crazy. It wasn’t easy for me.” He looked away for moment before reverting his gaze on mine, pleading. “But now the movie’s done. I hope, someday, maybe, we can speak again and maybe even become friends …”
Sure, he was a royal jackass to the highest order, but could I really blame him? We were placed in a very odd position. Two attractive young adults, filming naked scenes, stuck in an island for weeks on end. Sparks were to be expected. But what happened between us wasn’t just a spark. Fireworks exploded after that first scene.
He was a sexually active male, and, I, was well … quite the same. Temptation made it all the more insane between us. Juan, being the passionate man that he was, felt it harder more than I did. Hence, the disaster waiting to explode on our faces.
He was furious, and yes, it was aggravating at times—most of the time—but at the end of the day, Juan was just trying to deal with rejection. Had it not progressed as it had, maybe he wouldn’t have been so unkind. But it did, and I wasn’t inclined to hold it against him.
We lived and learned, and we moved on eventually.
Tension eased as I calmly collected myself. We both felt too much at the wrong time, but it was all over now. “All’s forgiven, Juan. I was partly at fault, too.” I did kiss him back as fervently as he had kissed me. So yes, I was greatly at fault for responding to his advances.
He let out a long whistle, relief easing his furrowing brows as he beamed at me. “I knew you couldn’t leave hating me. We had good times.”
“Lucky you.” I snickered, not sure to laugh or to be appalled his cockiness.
Oh well, Juan was just being him—crazy playful and one who didn’t mask his emotions. How could I hold that against him? He did, after all, treat me with generosity and wassomewhatof a gentleman up until that moment in the car.
We stayed until midnight before Juana declared it was time to carry the party on to the next destination. Herrealparty was held in a rented villa somewhere along the coast.
We rode in separate cars. I stuck with Juana, even though her brother offered to take me. But it didn’t feel right. Sure, we had addressed his douchie ways, but it didn’t mean we could revert back to how we were in the beginning. Besides, what the past five weeks had taught me was how Juan could get really temperamental once he didn’t get what he wanted. For both our sakes, it was best to keep him at arm’s length.
“My brother will bring your things to your bedroom.” Juana directed me a smile as her and her friends began to get out of her BMW. I sat there for a moment, wondering why I couldn’t just do that myself. “Let’s go and party up, pretty girl!”
I paused before sighing. “All right, all right.” It was her birthday, so I let her boss me around.
The villa was quite similar to Juan’s friend’s, but a little smaller. Smaller in a grand scale of things.
Juana dragged me into the house and into backyard where a five-tiered cake was a centerpiece, proudly standing next to two almost life-sized like ice sculpted unicorns.
There were about over three hundred people easy. And it seemed the guests kept pouring in.
“Juana! Tenemos un problema!” Ana Maria yelled out at Juana, beyond hysterical.
“Un segundo, Ana Maria!” she hollered back before giving me a reassuring look. “There seems to be a problem; she needs me. Why don’t you go around, dance, meet new people. Most guys here are in their twenties; maybe flirting with someone younger will be the cure you need tonight!” She waved me away as she strode away towards her impatient looking friend. Apparently, there was a problem with alcohol shortage.
