CHAPTER 36
Yaya flops down into the chair, distraught and staring blankly into the crowd of people. Her heart beats loudly, tuning out the loud laughter and noise that surrounds her. A sharp pain pierces her heart repeatedly. The old painful memories of Nadech evades her suppressed mind. She grows numb as the bittersweet memories flashes before her. Images of Nadech begins to flood her thoughts as she replays their earlier encounter-- unexpected. That's how she's feeling. It's still too soon to face him. Although it's been two years-- two long years-- since she seen him, she didn't expect to him at a place like this. She hadn't prepared her heart for this. She takes a deep breath, feeling her throat shaky and a bit dry.
Why is she so nervous? she asked herself.
She's lost with words as the images of Nadech continues to pour into her mind. The image of Nadech looking helpless in front of her was hard to believe. He's grown so much in the past two years. His soft baby faced, now covered with a peach fuzz. He appears more mature but she couldn't possible know if he had or not. Her knees trembled the minute he called her name. Dazed and confused when she saw him but she didn't show any signs of weakness. No now. Not ever. She's a different person now. That innocent and naive gal no longer exist.Taking another deep breath, she shakes the thought of Nadech from her mind. It's vile to her thoughts and it was poison to her.
No more of this nonsense. She takes another deep breath and reaches for the bottle of champagne in front of her, pouring herself a glass.
One thing's for sure, the past two years without Nadech has helped improve her tolerance for alcohol. Truth of the matter was alcohol was the only comfort she had when she had no one. She drinks the whole glass, downing it like it's water. Without hesitation, she pours another glass.
"Whoa…"
Yaya looks up, unaware that Eric was watching her drink. She quickly finishes her second glass.
"You practically downed that whole bottle of champagne." Eric chuckles, taking a seat next to her.
Yaya could feel her cheeks turning red, "It's -- it's been a long… a long day," she stammers over her words.
He grabs the bottle from her, placing it far away from her. "Take it easy kiddo…" he chuckles, shaking his head. "You haven't drank that fast in a while…" his eyes widen, "You don't want a repeat of last time now, do you…?"
"Uh… well…" Yaya pauses, caught off guard, suddenly remembering that night she thought her body had no limitation on alcohol.
"Just take it easy…" he utters, grabbing her empty glass of champagne. "You don't want that horrible incident again…"
She chuckles, "You're right…The morning after was brutal. Just awful…" She sigh loudly, not wanting to repeat that night. "Fine…" she exhales loudly, "that night was just… awful…" she chuckles.
"Yes it was… i've never seen so much vomit in my life…" Eric shakes his head, shivering in horror, "Never have I experience such a thing…" he laugh.
Yaya gives him a quick elbow, giving him the evil eye.
"Jokes… just jokes…" he laughs, smiling down at Yaya. "But in all seriousness-- stay away from clear liquor… that's your worst enemy…" he smiles at her comfortably.
She nods her head at him.
"Now come on--" he gets up, nudging her towards the crowd of women
She looks up at him in confusion, "What-- what are we doing?" She ask.
"It's that time…" he raises his eyebrow, pointing to the center of the stage where women swam the bride nearby, "The bride's going to toss her bouquet."
"Oh dear…" She slowly rises, feeling her heart drops, dreading for what's going to happen next, as she stares at the large crowd of women, eagerly waiting to catch the bouquet. "Can't I just sit this one out…?" She begs with a loud sigh, "I really don't want to catch the bouquet…"
"Come on…" he grabs her by the arm, pulling her up, "Just go out there…" You don't have to catch it -- just go stand there and stand in the crowd."
"But I don't--"
"You know what they say about the woman who catches the bouquet right??" He ask her, "She's the next in line to get married." he answered his own question before Yaya could.
"Oh please…" she rolls her eyes, as she's being dragged by Eric, "I don't believe in marriage anymore," she grunts under her breath.
"Just go out there…" he pushes her into the crowd of women. She gives Eric a dirty look but she stands behind the huge crowd of women, not wanting to get trampled by the women who wants the bouquet.
"Okay! Do we have all the single ladies here?!" The host shouts through the mic. The crowd of women screams with excitement as if they're meeting their favorite boy band. Yaya exhales deeply, folding her arms, patiently waiting for it to be over with.
"Okay!" The bride shouts, turning her back towards the group of eager women, "One… two… three…" she tosses the bouquet nice and high. The women jumped high, screaming and shouting, pushing and shoveling one another.
Yaya's eyes grows bigger suddenly noticing the bouquet flying towards her at full speed, although it appear to be flying in slow motion. She open her arms and let the bouquet fall perfectly into her arms.
The women turn around and look at Yaya. Stunned by her perfect catch. Yaya smiles wearily, chuckling a bit as the women who stares her down in envy.
"Alright, let's give it to the bridesmaid who caught it!" Everybody claps their hand for Yaya.
Yaya smiles embarrassingly at the crowd, nodding her head as a thank you gesture.
"It looks like you're going to the lucky soon-to-be-bride!" The host chuckles.
Yaya could feel her cheeks turning red and all she could do was chuckle and walk away. She spots Eric from a distance, who's laughing at her.
"Didn't I tell you you'd catch it." He arch his eyebrow at her with his arms crossed.
"It's not funny Eric…" she pouts, "This is ridiculous. Why did I have to catch it…?" she whines.
He shrugs, "When it's time… it's time…" He smiles. "Now it's the groom's turn to toss the garter…" he sighs heavily, shaking his head.
"And I hope you catch it," she squint her eyes at him, jinxing him like he jinxed her.
"Oh god no--" he shakes his head, "I'm definitely not catching that!" He burst into laughter.
"Why not?! You said I was gonna catch the bouquet-- well it's your turn to catch it!"
"No you don't understand--" he clears his throat, "I
can't catch that," he utters, "Because if I catch that, it means I'm doomed to marry you." He raises his eyebrow at her.
"Doomed to marry me?" Yaya tosses her head back and burst out in a loud laughter. "You gotta be kidding me!"
"This isn't a joke…" He crosses his arm in all seriousness, "It's true-- the woman who catches the bouquet and the man who catches the garter will get married-- and well-- Seeing that we're just a friend-- it'll be weird if we got married." he nods his head.
"You can't be serious…" Yaya stares at him, hoping he was pulling her leg. "That's got to be a myth-- a urban legend--"
"It's the truth--" he cuts her off, "Trust me on this… The person who catches that garter will be the man you will marry. It won't happen over night but it will be the man you'll marry…. I definitely won't be catching that garter." He shakes his head, "It might be hard to believe in such a crazy thing like this but it's true. That's how Michael met his wife… my parents met because of it too…"
"But that's within your family!" She cries.
"It's happen to couple of my friends…" he shrugs, "If it's your turn to get married, that bouquet and garter will find you." he nods his head, "That's just how it goes…"
Yaya's body grows numb. She doesn't believe her ears. The person who catches the garter will be the man she'll marry.
Nonsense. She tells herself as she watches Eric walk towards the crowd of men. She stares at the bride's bouquet.
This stupid bouquet of flowers is suppose to determine my love life She sets it down on the table, rolling her eyes at it.
Bullshit. Absolutely ridiculous She utters under her breath, then quickly shifting her attention to the crowd of men. But she couldn't help but feel nervous by the idea of the man who catches the garter.
From a distance, she spots Nadech slowly trudging towards the crowd of men. Yaya's heart sank, eyes grew bigger. She swallows hard, suddenly replaying Eric's words in her head.
Please God… No… she whispers to herself, praying to the man above.
"Alright! Are all the men in places?!" The host ask loudly. The crowd of men hoot and holler, ready for the garter.
Nadech stood off to the side, with his hands in his pockets, not wanting to be apart of the shenanigans. Only reason why he's here was because his mother begged him to participate. All he wanted to do was leave. He had no reason to stay. His encounter with Yaya went horrible and he's still limping from the blow Yaya brought upon him.
"Take it away Michael!" the host shouts to the groom.
"Alright…." he pauses, turning his back to the crowd, "One… two… three…!" he pulls the garter back like a slingshot and lets it out with force, letting it shoot into the crowd.
Nadech carelessly looks up, noticing the garter making way towards his face at full speed. He pulls his hands out of his pocket and catches it in time. A flawless catch. He stares at the garter in hand, surprised that he caught it. The guys around him began to murmur, giving him the smirky look. Nadech swallows hard and clears his throat, unsure of what to do with it.
"Looks like we have the next groom!" the host shouts with joy.
Nadech's eyes grow bigger, "Next-- The next what?" He ask confusingly, staring at the host dumbfounded.
"Now--" the Host clears the dance floor, walking up towards Nadech, "May I please have the bridesmaid who caught the bouquet come to the center of the dance floor!" he shouts.
Nadech takes a step back, puzzled by what was going on. He still had the garter in hand, unsure of what to do with it. He's never caught one before. From the distance he could hear Yaya's soft spoken voice. He turns quickly towards her, seeing her being forced to make way to the center. His heart drops upon seeing Eric wrap his arm around her waist.
"Ah!" the host shouts, "Here comes the winner of the bouquet toss!" he signals Yaya to the center, grabbing her by the hand.
"The two winners!" The host shouts. The crowd clap their hands as the lights slowly began to dim.
Yaya and Nadech looks around the room, noticing the dimly lit hall.
What's going on…? they both thought.
"I know this is suppose to be about the bride and groom-- BUT--" he pauses, staring at Yaya and Nadech with a big smile on his face, "Call it superstitious or perhaps a tradition-- the winner of the bouquet and garter usually are destined for one another!" He pauses, "Wit that said-- you two gets a slow dance."
The crowd hoot and howls. Yaya's eyes widen, palms sweaty. Her heart drops, unprepared for a dance. It meant she had to get close to Nadech and she didn't want to get close to him.
"So can I have both of your names?" The host ask, pointing the mic to Yaya.
"Ya--Yaya…" she whispers softly, forcing a smile on her face.
"And yours?" The host asked Nadech.
"Nadech…" he smiles out into the crowd, although he couldn't make any faces out there. He's feeling nervous about the whole situation. He couldn't possibly be the next groom in line. But then again, it must have been faith that he and Yaya caught the bouquet and garter. It must mean something.
"Hello Nadech-- Hello Yaya--" The host smiles at them, "Can we get some music playing for the two to dance?" He asked the DJ.
SONG PLAYING: QWOTE - FALLING FOR YOU
Nadech listens to the song slowly playing. He glances at Yaya, sensing her nervousness. He takes a bow, placing a hand in front of Yaya. He gives her a gentleman-like smile, waiting patiently for her hand.
Yaya's hand still ball into a tight fist. She stares down at Nadech's hand, unsure of what to do. Spotlight's on her while the crowd watches on. The crowd whistles and howls, cheering her on.
It's just a show they're after. She tells herself.
I'll give them a show. She smiles at the crowd. A sudden surge of confidence erupts from within. She pushes aside her rambling thoughts of him and everything that reminded her of the past.
Show time. She says to herself.
Everyone's here for the show, even Nadech. Her lips curve upwards slightly, giving him the go look as she place her hand into his waiting hand.
Nadech takes her by the hand and gently pulls her close to him for a dance. Yaya rest her hand on his shoulder. She could feel his hands slithering around her waist.
I'll give you the show of a lifetime. she tells herself, smiling to herself. They sway effortlessly to the song as the crowd watches on. Yaya keeps her mind blank. No thought runs through her mind. She's focused on this dance, wishing and praying for it to end. She could sense Nadech watching her from the corner of his eye.
He clears his throat, trying to get Yaya's attention but she pays no attention to him.
"So…" he softly coughs as he held her in his arms. "Uhm…" he utters softly, leaning his head towards her ear. He glances at the crowd, spotting Eric from a distance. His stomach turns with butterflies. "Is there something between you and Eric…?" he ask with a concerning tone.
She pretends she didn't hear him, despite the fact she heard him loud and clear. Although she was curious how Nadech knew Eric but she dare not ask, not wanting to strike a conversation with him.
A minute of awkward silence passed.
"You know-- I've known Eric since we were kids…" he tells Yaya as if she's paying any attention to him. "He's a really nice guy… girls would call him a sweetheart..." he continues on, rambling about nonsense.
Another awkward silence fell between them.
"Listen Yaya--" he clears his throat, "I don't know what Eric is to you…" he glances down at her from the corner of his eyes, "And it's killing me that I don't know... But I won't ask you about it. I only hope he's treating you with respect… and showing you the love that you deserve…" he swallows hard, clinches his jaw. Those words tasted bitter on the tip of his tongue. Something he never wished to say to Yaya. His stomach turn with disgust. The thought of Yaya being with another man was poison to his mind. He couldn't imagine her with anyone else beside him. Selfish thoughts, even though he's put her through a lot but he couldn't let her go. Not just yet.
Yaya listened half-heartedly. Careless of what Nadech had to say. She kept quiet, waiting patiently for the song to end so she can leave him be.
Five long minutes finally ended and the song ends.
Finally. She thought quickly pulling back from Nadech, unable to stand another second with him. She forces a smile on her face and smiles to the crowd before dismissing herself from the dance floor, leaving Nadech hanging dry. She makes way towards Eric, who she spots right away. Without thinking, she quickly grabs him by the hand, pulling him towards the door, "I need some fresh air-- come with me." she exhales loudly.
As Nadech begins to walk after Yaya, he froze upon seeing her hand in hand with Eric. A dagger to his heart. Yaya stabbed him right in the heart and pulled it out. He lowers his head and walks the opposite direction. He's been dissed twice tonight. Not sure how his heart will be able to take such pain. He walks outside to get some fresh air. A headache suddenly erupts from nowhere. He rubs his templates, exhaling deeply.
"What am I gonna do… what am I gonna do…?" He gasp out loud, lost and confused. He grips the rail tightly, wanting to break it off out of frustration and anger. Lowering his head in shame, he listens to the quiet of the still night. Although the music, laughter and fun could be heard from a distance. He ignores it all, however. Didn't want any part of it.
"Barry…?" a soft spoken woman calls his name.
He glances over his shoulder-- His mother.
He erects his body straight and smiles politely at her. "Hi mom..." he utters.
"I've been looking all over for you for the past couple of hours.." she tells him.
"Oh…" he utters, checking his watch, unaware of how long he's been out here. "Sorry mom…" he chuckles uneasily. "I just needed fresh air…" he tells her.
His mom leans in, giving him a back rub, "Everything will be okay sweetie…" she tells him, knowing exactly what he meant by it. "Let's get going sweetheart-- It's getting late and I know you don't wanna be here anymore…" she smiles at him.
He smirks a bit and nods his head. He held out his arm for his mother and led her the way to the front where they valet their car. As they made their way to the front, he noticed a commotion from behind him. He glances behind him, seeing crowd making way towards him. He moves aside and out of the way, unsure of what was going on.
"Watch her head-- watch her head..." Someone said in the crowd, through the ruckus and noise.
Nadech couldn't stop his wandering eyes looking at the commotion but he couldn't see what was going on with.
"I got her-- I got her…" A man replies, quickly breaking free from the crowd. "She'll be okay…" he utters.
As Nadech walked outside, he spots Yaya immediately, being carried into the car. Eric carefully caters to her need. A disgusting feeling takes over him. She's out cold, lying lifeless in the seat. He's feeling unease as he watches Eric take care of her. His mind begin to stir with the worst cases possible. Filled with
what ifs. Sadness strikes him in the heart as he see Yaya's unconscious body in the hands of another man. He swallows hard, wanting to run to her and sweep her away but he holds back. Yaya wouldn't want him anywhere near her.
The bride comes running out to Eric's side. "Is she okay!?" She asked in a panic.
"Yeah, she's fine…" Eric sighs loudly, "She just had one too many drinks-- even after I told her to cool it with the drinks…" He chuckles.
"Oh thank goodness…" the bride exhale with relief, "I thought something bad happen to her…"
"She's fine…" Eric chuckles, "She just need to rest that's all. I'm gonna take her to my place and let her rest up until the morning. Just go back inside and have fun. Tell Michael, I'll call him tomorrow." Eric walks over to the driver side and gets in.
Nadech clinches his jaw, angered by what he heard. He didn't want to imagine Yaya in another man's house. He's getting choked up but he bites his tongue as he sees Eric adjusting Yaya in the seat. A squeeze to Nadech's arm snaps him back to reality.
"It'll be alright sweetheart…" his mother comforts him, "Let's get going… you don't wanna be around for this..." she smiles with her kind eyes.
Nadech lets out a thunderous sigh and smiles wearily at his mother, giving her a nod. He helps his mother into the passenger seat. As he closes the door, he couldn't help but glance over his shoulders to get one last at Yaya. His heart continues to sink lower than low, making him feel even more worthless and helpless than before as he watches Yaya.
[SONG PLAYING: 4 P.M. - SUKIYAKI]
Her arms wrap around tightly around Eric's neck. She's smiling and laughing. More conscious than before. His teeth cringes as he his hand grips tightly into a ball. He wanted to take his anger out on something. He quickly glances away as it appears she's about to lock lips with Eric. Closing his eyes tightly, he bit his bottom lip, wishing he hadn't been watching. Sighing loudly, he quickly walks to the driver seat, getting in quickly like a mad man, which he was. He switches gear, pedal to the metal, speeding off as fast as his car could accelerate.
He glances in the rearview mirror, unable to escape what he just saw. His heart's pounding with frustration, defeat and sorrow. What is suppose to do now? Should he continue fighting for Yaya? He sighs out loud, unable to remove the horrible image from his mind. Alone with his thoughts again and all he could do was fill them with the worst scenarios possible. It's jealousy, no doubt Similar to the plague, it corrupts his mind, clouding his judgment. It's so toxic to his mind but he couldn't help but assume the worst possibility has happen with Yaya and Eric. Nadech bites his lips, wanting to feel some sort of pain to numb his uncertain, aching heart.
"Everything will be okay… Things will be okay…" he reassures himself, contemplating with his thoughts. "
Things have to be okay…" he sighs softly, holding his head up high to keep the tears from falling.
"It will get better…" he utters, although there isn't an ounce of confidence behind his words. Not when the imagine of Yaya and Eric eats away at his mind.
