ENGAGED, the big headline over the photo read, with a photo spray of flowers underneath. Then came Kate’s message to the world.
“We did it. It happened! It’s official. Clay and I are engaged. I couldn’t be more excited and thrilled. He’s the perfect one for me. We are so, so, so happy together. This is everything I’ve ever dreamed of. Clay proposed on the top of a cliff, looking down at the ocean. We can’t bear to be apart any longer. This is the start of a whole, new life.”
Cindy scrolled through the messages that came in response. Amazed, friends from all over sent congratulations.
“Wow, that was fast.”
“I love you Kate, I want you to be happy.”
“Oh my God, this can’t be true. I’m sure he’s as wonderful as you say and we can’t wait to meet him.”
“He looks great, so handsome. Wow.”
“I can’t believe it, Engaged? Already?”
Kate had quickly replied to the first messages that came in.
“It’s true. It’s happened, I’ve never been so happy and I know you’ll see why when you meet him.”
Some other messages were more hesitant. “What do you mean engaged? You barely know him. Give this time, Kate. It’s been a long distance relationship. How many times have you and Clay actually been together, face to face?”
“What about Sean?” another message said. “I’d say you’re jumping the gun. Be careful.”
Another message was halting. Must have been from a friend of Sean’s.
“Come on, Kate, this is on the rebound. You and Sean just barely broke up. It’s too soon. Give yourself a chance. I know you were hurt, but -.”
Cindy stopped and read the last two messages over a few times. Kate had been hurt by Sean and soon after that she and Clay met.
Cindy looked through Kate’s friends, trying to find Sean’s photo. It wasn’t there. He’d been de-friended a few weeks before. It made sense.
As Cindy kept scanning the page, she looked up and saw that Clay had stepped out on the patio and was sitting on a chair at the end, watching her.
“Do you happen to remember Sean’s last name?” Cindy called to him. She wanted to look at Sean’s page as well.
“No I don’t, Kate never told me,” said Clay. “Sean wasn’t important to her anymore. She didn’t talk much about him. Why should she, she had me now.”
“I know,” said Cindy, “but sometimes girl’s like to talk about what happened with their ex.”
Clay bristled, stood up and walked over to Cindy.
“I don’t really consider him her ex, I consider him her nothing,” he said, tossing the idea aside with the flick of a hand.
“Her Facebook page says she was hurt by Sean,” countered Cindy, waiting to see how Clay would respond. “It also said that you and she just recently met each other.”
Clay stopped walking and froze again. “You don’t understand,” he finally said. “Time means nothing when you meet your soul mate.”
Cindy shivered as he spoke.
“Kate didn’t talk about Sean, but she did talk about his girl, Riva,” Clay continued. “Kate blamed Riva for stealing Sean away. She said Riva was a nasty, low life.”
“What did you say?” asked Cindy.
“I told her that Sean was the loser, that they probably deserved each other. And, that no one could ever hold a candle to her,” said Clay.
“Kate must have liked that,” said Cindy.
“She did,” Clay agreed, “she liked everything about me, adored me, felt completely wanted by me. But she still would go on about what an awful person Riva was. I was surprised when I actually met Riva that night.”
“Surprised?” asked Cindy.
“I didn’t think she was so awful,” said Clay. “She seemed sweet to me. And, since Kate’s died, she’s been emailing me to offer support.”
Cindy shuddered. Then it struck her like a bolt. “Emailing you? She’s still here in the hotel? Sean’s still with her?”
“Yes, of course,” said Clay.
“Of course? Some guests have been cleared to leave,” said Cindy. “How do you know they haven’t?”
“I just got an email from Riva a couple of hours ago. She said they were staying at the hotel for another few days.”
“Do you happen to know their room number?” asked Cindy.
“Of course I don’t. Why would I?” Clay was becoming perturbed again.
“It’s okay, thanks Clay,” Cindy’s heart started beating fast.
“Do you want to see the emails Riva sent me?” asked Clay his eyes growing wide.
Cindy just wanted to get out of there and let Mattheus know that both Sean and Riva were still at the hotel, but she also wanted to look at the emails he’d received.
“Sure, show them to me.”
Clay came over, took the computer and soon brought up their correspondence.
Clay, I’m so, so sorry to hear about what happened to Kate. It’s shocking. It’s awful. I can’t believe it. Riva.
Thanks Riva, appreciate it, Clay replied.