"Where have you been???"
Claire screamed when I opened the door of our hotel room.
Brian who was seated on my bed stood up and walked towards me.
"Are you okay? Where have you been?" He held my arms, checked them then cupped my face, worries written across his handsome face.
"Whose shirt is this?" He held the hem of my sleeves and asked when I didn't say anything.
I freed myself from Brian and walked toward my bed while Claire was still glaring at me.
"I was with Alex." I simply said.
As I sat on my bed, I saw Claire flipped and squinted her eyes at me.
"What the hell, Cara? Do you even know how worried we were? You disappeared last night, you didn't even call or just stop by and say, I don't know... bitches I'm getting laid, bye!"
"I didn't get laid, Claire!" I hate it when Claire is this sarcastic, it means she is really upset.
Well, I'm really at fault. I didn't even tell them where I was the whole night, but with what happened with Alex, I honestly didn't think about them.
I mean, nothing happened. We stayed the whole night at the beach and talked about random things. We went to the souvenir shop last night just to get me a shirt, and that was it.
It is six in the morning and I am sleepy but I guess I won't get my sleep without facing the anger of Claire.
"I'm sorry." I looked both at Claire and Brian.
Claire shrugged her shoulder in an upset way while Brian kept a straight face.
"I'm gonna go get some sleep." He said and then he left.
"He even called the hotel management to do a search party if you didn't show up for the next couple of hours, Cara!" The vein in Claire's forehead is popping. It scares me more whenever it shows.
"What the hell were you thinking? Are you still in your teenage years that you just run away without caring about the whole world behind you?" She continued, still yelling.
"Claire..."
"I was freaking worried about you, Cara!"
"Claire!"
"What?"
"Alex is dying..."
Claire's brows furrowed, she sat on her bed across from me.
"What?"
"Alex is dying, Claire."
"I heard that, but what do you mean?" Her face which was fuming with anger a second ago has now softened.
"She's sick... and she's dying." Remembering last night, how painful it was to hear it from her came rushing back.
The whole night we were together, we both avoided getting on that topic again.
I told Claire the whole thing, I needed to get it out, I needed to cry more, I was scared to cry my heart out last night in front of Alex because once I did, I didn't know if I would be able to stop.
"Does Brian know?" Claire asked.
"I don't think so." I shook my head.
"Ohh, I'm sorry, babe." She shifted beside me and hugged me. "I'm so sorry."
"So am I." I sniffled.
Claire let me sleep the rest of the morning. When I woke up, it was already lunchtime.
"Finally." I heard her say. She was lying beside me, we probably slept in one bed.
"What time is it?"
"It's almost one in the afternoon. Brian already came to check on you but you were still sleeping and we didn't want to wake you."
"Did you... Did you tell him?" I sat on the bed looking at her, panic hit me.
"Of course not. Come on, change your clothes, I'm hungry. By the way, there was an activity in the morning and your colleagues were looking for you." Claire got out of my bed and sat on hers checking something on her bag.
"Did you talk to them?"
"No, Brian mentioned it. Go, Cara, change, I'm starving!"
I went to the bathroom and fixed myself quickly. Thinking that I would see Alex again made me move faster.
In no time, we were both on our way to the cottage outside where they always set up the food.
"Hey!" I was startled when someone from behind anchored her arm to mine.
"Alex!" I exclaimed in both excitement and surprise.
"I was looking for you. I left you messages but you were not responding." She nodded at Claire, acknowledging her presence. Claire did the same.
"Oh, I um, I haven't really checked my phone since last night."
Claire gave us some space, she was close but you'd know there is still space between us.
"Oh ok, did you get any sleep?"
"Yeah, you?" I held the top of her hand that was on my arm.
"A little. There was an activity this morning and I kinda needed to go, so... Anyway, I'm glad you're fully clothed, though I guess that didn't stop the men here from staring at you."
I was wearing a yellow shirt with short jeans.
We all three lined up to the cue where the buffet table was, I could see the same stares I was receiving before when Alex and I were very close in the office.
At this moment, I have zero care about the people around us. Life is proven short, you're healthy or not, you're fit or not, if it is your time, it is your time.
Live your life like it was your last.
Live and stop planning.
Those words, now I fully understood what she meant by those. How she wanted me to let loose a little, stop caring about what people think, eat a lot, and live my life carefree.
I looked at Alex's face, seeing her now up close, and in broad daylight, I started noticing how her face changed.
It showed the weariness of battling the illness.
Her cheeks, which used to have color, had paled as if they had drained some of her energy.
Her eyes, once full of life, looked tired like they had seen too much.
At this moment, even if I didn't want to, I felt pity for her. I know she was trying to be strong but I can see her clearly.
"Stop staring at me like that, Cara." Her voice with a hint of warning made me smile. It's a warning that I don't feel scared but excited.
"I missed staring at your beautiful face." I whispered to her.
"Do you not stare at me in the office?"
"No, I don't. I was actually avoiding to look at you in the office." I told her honestly.
Alex met my gaze and understood what I meant.
"Love birds, you're next."
"Claire!" I exclaimed and Alex just laughed it off.
Claire just smirked at me.
"Where is Brian?" I asked when we were all seated.
"I think his Dad came unannounced." It was Alex.
"Ohh!" Both Claire and I were surprised to hear it.
We haven't met his Dad, not even at the party he threw last time, but during college, he used to tell us stories about how his Dad was very strict with them growing up, and that they were very afraid of him till now.
No wonder he didn't show up for lunch today.
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