CHAPTER 20
"What happened at the shore?" Julie scrutinized Lea's face, suddenly alert.
"What do you mean?" Lea asked, responding with the faintest of smiles.
Maggie playfully slapped Lea's shoulder. "C'mon Lea. Give us a break. You've been silent the whole time after you came back from your walk," she went on.
Lea and her friends were back at their room. They didn't finish the festivity, as they were already satisfied with the access they gained during the VIP dinner with some of the artists. They were able to take some photos with Eric Church and other artists. They were even privileged to dine with Eric.
It was already midnight but since they would be flying back to LA as soon as the sun smiled at them, they've decided to enjoy the rest of the night reminiscing at their Myrtle getaway. However, they wanted first to grind Lea about her state of mind. All of them agreed that something was up with Lea after she and Landon strolled alone at the shore.
"Nothing." Lea defensively shook her head. She didn't want to bother her friends. Talking about it wouldn't be good to end their vacation. Since it's their last night in Myrtle, she thought, they should be enjoying every bit of seconds not just talk about her.
Timely, they heard someone knocking on the door. "That would be the boys," Shira guessed as she stood up to open the door.
"It's better for you to tell us now. You know we would uncover it sooner than later," Julie reminded.
Julie's right. Lea told herself. Whatever she does to avoid, they would stop until she spill all out. She then took as deep breath. "I told him about me knowing his deceased wife."
"Uh-huh. And then?" Maggie added.
"That's it." Lea tried not to show her disquietude. Instead, she put her game face on.
"Hello ladies!" Ryan greeted as the boys entered the room together with a hotel server who was with the beverages they have ordered. "Should we start or what?" Ryan asked.
"You're in a good spirit," Julie expressed.
"He still can't get over his fanaticism," Sam added as they gathered at the living room.
"Hey now! It's not fanaticism. It's purely admiration." Ryan opened a can of beer while Sam poured some wine, then set the bottle aside and handed the ladies their glasses. As they took their glasses, Shira and Maggie savored the wine, enjoying the fruity tang it left on their mouths while Lea placed hers on the table.
"That's enough. We're letting Lea off easily." Julie halted them.
"What is it now?" Lea pretended not to know where Julie was getting at.
"How deep have you already unraveled?" Ryan curiously asked. They have actually planned that the corner Lea regarding what happened at the shore. They knew that she would keep her mouth shut unless all of them pressure her.
"So what's the real score between you and Landon," Sam asked Lea.
"Nothing," Lea coolly reiterated, reaching for her glass.
"Oh really?" Ryan glanced at the others. "I don't think anyone in this room believed you on that."
"Believe me or not. There's really nothing going on. Like I said, her wife is just an old acquaintance of mine."
"Wait, what?" Sam shockingly asked.
Lea suddenly remembered that the boys weren't around when the ladies found out about Lea's past with Theresa. She then gave them a background on how she was related to Landon's wife, which made the boys speechless.
"That figures. It's complicated than I thought," Sam expressed, setting his can beside him.
"Complicated?" Julie intriguingly asked while twisting the stem of her wineglass, considering his words.
"Yeah. Just think about it. It's like Lea would be stealing something from a relative." Ryan drank some of his beer.
Lea showed a little smiled, grasping at this ray of hope. The thing was, Ryan just nailed what she was thinking. She didn't want to tell them since she has predicted that some wouldn't agree on her. Now, she thought, she has Ryan on the same page as her. She only needs the likes of Andy, the silencer of the group in terms of debate, to join her side. For the mean time, she would just hide her presence and observe who's who with the topic at hand.
"I would disagree on that," Sam objected and the other ladies nodded. "Don't you think his dead wife would be happier if it would be Lea? She would be at peace knowing that Lea would be the one."
"Well, you have a point," Ryan admitted.
"I believe the question that we should be asking is if Landon also likes Lea or he's just seeing our friend her as mere reflection of Theresa." Maggie blurted out.
Lea circled the rim of her glass with her finger, wanting to butt in. She would like to defend herself from their baseless statements. However, it wouldn't be wise for her. She knew they would only tease her all the more if she goes on a defensive mode. Most likely, she would only be playing with their cards. The last thing she wanted was to dig her own hole.
"He is. I'm one hundred percent positive. Despite the similarities between the two, he knows deep in his heart their uniqueness." Ryan smiled at them. He was speaking out of his experience. His current girlfriend has a twin sister. Though many couldn't tell who's who, Ryan could easily pinpoint his girlfriend. "There are some things our heart knows that our eyes cannot see," he added.
None of the group challenged Ryan's statement. There was honesty in the way he spoke to them. Silence followed. They admitted he was right. They just hoped that it was also with Landon's case for if not Lea would just be left heartbroken.
Andy cleared his throat. "How are you feeling right now?" he asked Lea.
"Me? I guess I'm satisfied as our vacation ended well." Lea smiled at him.
"I mean your heart," Andy pointed out.
She didn't answer. The moment she would say a word, she would be exposed. If there's someone she feared the most to expose what she truly feels it would be Andy. He is after all a man of few words but strike like a bomb.
"Love has its own senses that go beyond nature. It's not bounded by time or space. It simply happens." Andy smiled at Lea. "The way I see things, you have already fallen in love with him. Let me set things straight. There's nothing wrong with that. You can't force yourself to love or hate someone. It just happens. It simply strikes without a warning. It doesn't matter if his wife just died. What's important now is how you would respond to it knowing that you may hurt him as well."