As she walked outside once more, she could hear the chirping of crickets. A warm breeze passed over her neck, making her shiver. As she stopped to look around, she heard muted voices. Slowly, she followed the sound. She realized it was coming from the little house beside the main one, the guest house. The windows stood dark, the building slightly in need of repair. Chelsea walked along the side of it until she heard voices again.
“I didn’t know she was going to show up.”
“You knew you were engaged.”
Chelsea recognized Andrew’s voice. “I meant what I said earlier. I do want a chance to get to know you. I’m breaking it off with Emily.”
She heard Sangi give a derisive laugh. “Oh right, I’m sure. No thanks, I’m not going to be your little side thing. I don’t know who you think you are!”
Chelsea didn’t hear anything after that. Slowly, she stuck her head around the corner. Andrew was holding Sangi’s face in his hands, kissing her deeply. Chelsea covered her mouth before backing away. She briskly walked back to the house. Well, at least that problem had been cleared up fast.
Matthew was waiting for her outside, rubbing his hands together and looking very nervous. When he spotted her, his eyes lit up. He jogged up to meet her, his eyes full of questions.
“Yes, I found her. Did everyone leave?” Chelsea asked.
Matthew shook his head. “Some of them. Most are still hanging around. Was she okay?”
She smiled, nodding. “I think she’s going to be okay.”
They walked back into the house where her mother and father were waiting for them. Together, they all said their goodnights before heading upstairs. Chelsea was more than exhausted from pretending everything was perfect. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Catherine would ever change.
Matthew tried to follow her into her room, but she threw him out. There was no way she was going to let anything happen when her parents were so close. They kissed at the door. Chelsea found herself not wanting to let go. After the long day she’d had, she really just wanted to curl up with him, lay her head on his chest and get some rest. Their lips lingered before they finally separated saying goodnight.
*****
The next morning, Chelsea woke up to someone knocking repeatedly on the door. At first she thought it was Sangi, but her friend wasn’t exactly the knocking type. Besides, they’d known each other too long to knock. Chelsea glanced at the alarm clock on her bedside table. The red numbers flash 6:00 am. She groaned. Pushing herself up on one elbow, she ran fingers through her hair before she called out sleepily to come in.
The door slid open soundlessly as Catherine stepped into the room. Chelsea’s hazy eyes quickly cleared as she rubbed them. She began to wonder if she was really awake or having a really expressive dream. Catherine was dressed in a white pant suit, her golden hair spilling over her shoulders in soft little waves.
After a moment of staring, Chelsea seemed to find her voice. “What are you doing here?”
Catherine closed the door behind her. In her mind, Chelsea could see the woman murdering her then making her disappear. She knew she watched too many crime shows. The woman crossed her arms over her chest. She sighed, glanced around the room. Chelsea raised an eyebrow, but she let her gather her thoughts.
“Chelsea, I’ve been kind of unfair. I wanted to apologize to you and help you plan your wedding.”
Chelsea’s fingers rolled over the blanket on top of her lap. “What made you change your mind?”
“I just want my son to be happy,” she said after a long moment of silence. Her long fingers adjusted her collar. “So, are we alright?”
Chelsea thought it over before sighing. “Fine, we’re alright,” she mumbled.
“Wonderful! I know Matthew’s going to be so pleased. Don’t worry, I’ll call my planner today and have her work some wedding magic for you two.”
Chelsea tried to protest as the door was pulled closed by Catherine, but the woman either didn’t hear her or didn’t care. She settled on didn’t care. Groaning, Catherine threw herself back on the bed. She stared up at the ceiling. As she began to drift off again, she realized that Catherine hadn’t actually said sorry. She’d come to apologize then skipped right over it. She scoffed, shaking her head. That woman was a pain in the ass.
She dozed off again, this time her dreams traded in for nightmares of Catherine. The woman kept making her wedding more and more ridiculous. In the end, it was a big circus of overly done everything. It was so embarrassing that Matthew even left her. Chelsea woke up cranky as someone knocked on the door again. She called for them to come in. Her mom was at the door telling her it was time for breakfast. Once she was gone again, Chelsea spent a while mumbling into her pillow before she forced herself to get up and start her day.
She slipped from the bed, eyes still half closed as she headed for the bathroom. The warm water woke her up. When she stepped out, she wrapped herself up in a towel before heading back into the room. Sangi was perched on her bed. She had gone back to her normal self apparently, now wearing jeans and a blue tank top. She also had a huge grin on her face.