William Jarvis - Sky Valley 02 - Beaches & Coffee (6 page)

“And what? You’re going to suggest that I should just go home so that you could stay here with her?”

“That’s crazy.” He said. “Fine, you want to know the truth? I didn’t think I still cared about her, but I guess I do. I do care because she was an important part of my life and that’s that. I am no longer in love with her. I haven’t been for a while and I sure as hell am not right now so please just…calm down. It’s definitely what you think, Emmy. I want to go home, yes, but I want us both to go home. I want to just get back to the way we were before this whole fiasco started and I want things to be alright again.”

“What if they’ll never be alright?”

“That’s right.” They heard Edward say. They turned to look at him and noticed that he looked every inch as angry as a man could be. Ruby was trailing behind him, looking confused and scared.

“Edward, don’t even—“ Ruby said.

“Shut up.” Edward said. “Hey, Emmy,” he said. “I talked to my wife,” he said with emphasis on the “wife”, “and she told me the truth. She had a past with your boyfriend! I saw them come home together. I can’t believe you didn’t even call them out on it! See? This is why this is all so crazy. Ruby is not in love with me…”

“That’s not true!”

“You know it is!” He shouted at Ruby. “You’re not in love with me because you’re in love with Mr. Good Guy Daniel right here!” He shoved Daniel.

“Quit it, man!” Daniel said and shoved him back.

“You quit it!” Edward said. “You’re lucky to have Emmy and you are flirting with my wife! How dare you?!? You son of a bitch!” He shoved him once more.

“One more time and I’m going to—“

“Knock it off, both of you!” Emmy said. “Edward, I told you to talk to Ruby but I never told you to hurt Daniel or to hurt anyone. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Why aren’t you even surprised?” Edward asked. “You knew about this, didn’t you? What? Was this all a trick so you could all play on me? I know I was arrogant and all that but do I deserve this, huh? Why are you all being crazy?”

“Edward, stop!” Emmy said. “Yeah, I knew about this. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you but I just don’t know what to say or do anymore. If this is painful for you, what more is it for me? You think it was easy for me to go through with this? It’s not. I’m just trying so hard to keep my act together and make things work for everyone because this business is my father’s baby. This is all he has right now and I can’t screw this up.” Her blood was boiling and everything else that she tried to keep inside for the past couple of days was now spurting out of her mouth. “If you think that I’m playing, then screw you. Screw all of you. You think this is all an act? Then how do you think am I feeling? That’s my boyfriend right there and her girlfriend pretended to be someone else so she could hire my services and she says I poisoned her and that her dress was slashed and she does not want me to call the police—“

“I don’t want any commotion, okay?!” Ruby said through gritted teeth.

“Yeah? Then why did you hire my services in the first place?” Emmy asked. “I know you have a hidden agenda, Ruby, and I’m going to find out what it is sooner or later so you might as well tell me now.”

“And now you’re accusing me?” Ruby said. “Why don’t you ask Daniel. Maybe he knows something about this.”

“What?” Daniel said. “What have I got to do with this?”

“I don’t know,” Ruby said. “Maybe you can tell everyone that you still care about me. Maybe you can tell them how you promised me right by that beach a few years ago that you love me and that you want us to stay together for the rest of our lives. Why don’t you tell them how much you loved me, Danny? Why not?”

“Oh damn it.” Emmy said. “You have too many issues, Ruby.” She then looked at Daniel. “And you are one confused man.”

“Emmy, I am not confused.” He said. “Yes, I did tell her that but it was when we were together. It has been years.”

“So you’re fond of telling every single lady whom you get together with that you are in love with them and that you’ll be with them forever?” Edward quipped sarcastically. “Sounds like a nice man to me.”

“Shut up.” Daniel said. “Why don’t you ask your wife why exactly is she marrying you if you think that she’s still in love with me?”

“That’s between the two of us!” Edward said.

Just then, Emmy noticed that a lot of people have been flocking around the area. “Quit it, all of you!” She said.

“Why? Are you scared that everyone will know how incompetent you are?” Ruby asked.

“Talk to her like that one more time and you won’t like what I’ll do, Ruby.” Daniel said.

“Don’t you dare threaten her!” Edward screamed.

“Then back off.” Daniel said.

“No, you back off.” Edward said. “Your days are going to be over soon, I swear.”

“Enough!” Emmy cried out. “Enough, okay? I don’t want to hear anything anymore.”

She then walked towards the coffee shop, shutting the door behind her.

CHAPTER
12
HE’S DEAD

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Re: Ruby

Emmy!

I am so sorry I haven’t responded earlier. Was busy with the shop. There’s this big event that’s happening soon at the beach and yeah, it’s tough on us. Anyway, how are you?

I wish I could fly back right away but…well, you know, I got to stay here. But if you really feel like things are getting out of hand, just tell me. I can go back.

As for Ruby…

Well, she really could be such a bitch. Okay, I know I say that about almost everyone but well, she has her moments. She is a nice girl, for what it’s worth, but sometimes…she really could be a bitch.

I never pegged her for someone who’s going to marry a person she met two months ago right away, though. That doesn’t seem like Ruby. Plus, with Daniel there, I’m pretty sure she’s so conflicted now and I have no idea why she went through with the wedding but she’s the only one who can answer that. I just hope she has the right reasons.

Anyway, why don’t you just kick her out of the hotel? Haha! Kidding. You’re way better than that. And maybe, that’s the problem. You’ve always been so nice and patient and sometimes, people can take advantage of that.

Trust Daniel. I know some days, you’d feel like it’s hard to do that but that’s love, I guess. Maybe in the end, it will be worth it.

Say hello to your dad for me. Or not. I don’t know.

Xx

Audrina

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Re: Ruby

Audrina!

I miss you so much, you have no idea.

One of the worst things happened today. I found some scissors—possibly the one that was used to cut Ruby’s dress in half and some papers with the words that were found on the card in Ruby’s dress. The thing is, those papers seemed to have been practiced on by whoever the person responsible for this is. I wanted to bring it to the police but Ruby said that I shouldn’t.

But damn, I left it outside. How much of an idiot could I be?

One more thing: Edward found out about Daniel and Ruby’s past and he is so mad. To be honest, I feel like Daniel’s been hiding something from me and that maybe, he’s still in love with her or at least, he has a lot of feelings for her. I don’t know anymore.

Oh and you and dad have a lot of issues. *kidding* You guys should write each other. I know he misses you, too.

Emmy

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Re: Ruby

Emmy!

Girl, get your grip on, okay?

Fine. Maybe, Daniel still cares about Ruby but you cannot fault him out for that because well, he’s a nice person. And okay, I know it’s weird and it’s not nice knowing that but you’ll manage, okay? You will. I have complete faith in you.

And well, yeah, that sounds weird. About those papers and the scissors, I mean. Maybe you could bring it to the police. You should.

But then again, you know how stupid McMahon and her cohorts are. Damn, I wish I was there.

Where’s Daniel?

And no, I cannot write Troy. I think I’ll confuse him a whole lot more.

Let me know how things go.

Audrina

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Re: Ruby

Daniel’s outside, I think.

I checked the trash bin, and damn it. Those evidences were gone. Someone took them. I have a bad feeling that either Ruby or Edward has something to do about this. No one knows about those things but them and Daniel.

Or if there’s somebody else, then maybe that person saw that I know about the evidences and he or she tried to take them away. I really am an idiot. I should have kept them when I had the chance.

You and daddy are confusing. But I love you both.

Come back soon! Or maybe, I could go to Guatemala and see you.

Another thing, Audrina. I think I want to see Jimmy. Somehow, I’m still not convinced that he really is the mastermind behind all these.

Em

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Re: Ruby

Emmy!

You know, I was thinking about that, too.

Audrina

But before Emmy could make another reply, she was astounded by the loud, terrifying screams of Ruby from the other room. She got up from her seat and hastily opened the door to check out what’s going on.

She opened the door and noticed that Ruby was crying so bad that she was pretty sure that a lot of the people in the hotel heard what was happening. Ruby was slumped down on the floor near the entrance of the bathroom inside her room, her phone in one hand.

“What happened?” Emmy asked. “What’s going on?”

“No, no, no!” Ruby cried. “Oh god no.” She said, shaking. “This shouldn’t—I—“

“Ruby!”

“What’s going on?” Daniel said. He just got into the room and went towards Ruby and Emmy.

“He—he’s dead.” Ruby said.

“What?”

She pointed towards the bathroom door. Daniel opened it and he and Emmy were shocked at what they saw.

Edward, his face sucked out of life, his body limp, was sitting on the bathtub. He was dead.

CHAPTER 13
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

“Oh god no!” Emmy said as Daniel came to her rescue and wrapped his arms around her. She wanted to cry but there weren’t any tears coming out. She was shocked and she didn’t know what to say or what to do.

“What happened?” Daniel asked Ruby.

“I---I don’t know. I—I went out for a bit to…to get some fresh air and when I came back, I noticed that the water was on.” Her voice was shaking. “So, you know, I thought that he was just taking a bath and I went back to reading one of the books from the shelf and…and suddenly, fifteen minutes turned to an hour and he still wasn’t coming out and I thought that it was weird because he never takes a long time in the bathroom. So, I knocked and he didn’t answer and that started to bother me. And…and so I decided to open the door and I saw him like that.” She cried some more. “It’s like…it’s like he has been electrocuted.”

“Jesus Christ.” Emmy muttered. “It’s just…it’s just so weird. I mean, this never happened before. I just can’t believe this is happening.”

“Maybe this has something to do with your company’s security problems.” Ruby said. “My husband’s life was cut short because of your problems! This is…this is crazy!” Emmy thought that she looked like a deranged person saying all those things.

“Can you stop that, Ruby?” Daniel said. “We’re not even sure what happened or how it happened. He looks electrocuted, fine. But maybe it was just an accident. Like you said, you just went out for a bit and when you plan for electrocution, that takes a long time because you have to be sure that you won’t get electrocuted, too. Besides, why are we speaking this way? Call the paramedics.”

“I—I can’t.”

“What do you mean?” Daniel asked. “Ruby, you have your phone with you!” Daniel then knelt down and tried to get the phone from her but Ruby was hesitant to give it to him. She actually pulled it back.

“Oh no I am not giving you this!” She shouted.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Daniel asked.

“Oh for crying out loud!” Emmy said. She was shaking. “Your husband just died and you care more about your phone?! How long has he been there, anyway? Why didn’t you call 911?”

“Don’t you dare blame me!” Ruby screamed at her.

“Fine!” Emmy said. “You don’t want to use your phone we’ll just—“

“Oh my god! What happened?!” Ruby’s sister, Grace said. Apparently, she heard about the commotion so she decided to go to Ruby’s room. She was now staring at Edward’s dead body.

“What is wrong with you all?!” She said. “Why hasn’t anyone called 911?!”

“Ask your sister.” Emmy said. “I bet she’s hiding something.”