Chapter 4

“BILLY?” Eunice asked. She felt like there was someone behind her. She could not think of someone who will approach her while she was at the shore except Billy. When no one responded to her, she turned around.

She frowned at the knowledge that it was not Billy who was with her but his stepbrother. “I guess Billy and you are close already,” said Neil. Eunice can’t seem to fathom if he was smiling or grimacing.

She turned her back on him instead of answering then she marched away. “Eunice, can we talk?”

She stopped walking. Do they really need to talk? Well, maybe yes. Five years was such a long time. She breathed deeply and faced him. “Come on, talk,” she replied without any emotion.

“I know that you’re still mad at me, it is really hard to be forgiven after what I’ve done. I and Erish hurt you so bad. But please believe me that we broke up during that time because I love you.”

She shook her head because of what she heard. “So? What do you want me to say now?” She sighed again. “Look, Neil. No matter what you say, there is nothing that can be done to change everything. You hurt me, both of you hurt me. Even if my wound has healed, it still has a scar. And that scar serves as a reminder to me how I let you fool me. Also, you are getting married. Why are you still saying that now? Why are you still explaining? If you want forgiveness, I will give it to you. That was a long time ago. But don't expect our friendship to return because I can no longer trust you.”

Neil lowered his head because of what she said. In fact, what she said was even lacking in compensation for all the pain he had caused her in the past. That was not in the least of all the painful things she can tell him. She only restrained herself because she did not want to go back to the painful memories.

“I understand, Eunice. I can’t blame you if you’re still mad at me right now. If you want, you can hit me, slap me, hurt me. Just to lessen your anger even a little.”

“There is no need to do that, Neil. I just wish you and Erish happiness. That was enough for me, at least our relationship that you throw to the trash would not be wasted.” Eunice turn her back on him after saying that. She walked away and did not look back.

She did not expect to meet Billy on her way home. "Looks like you've already talked," he told her. She did not speak. She just took a deep breath. "I'm going to my mom's pineapple farm; do you want to come?"

She looked at him and then she nodded. They just walked towards the pineapple farm because it was not that far. As they walked no one spoke between the two of them. Perhaps he was trying to weigh the situation.

“This is such a huge pineapple farm,” Eunice told Billy when they reached the farm.

“There is a small coffee farm here too. Do you want to see?”

When they reached the place where the coffee beans were being dried, her thoughts seemed to disappear like bubbles. She loved coffee and she also grew up seeing their neighbors drying their coffee beans so they did not need to buy commercialized coffee.

“Do you want me to make coffee for you? We already have some coffee ready to brew,” he said while pointing to a hut house. She nodded with a smile. He made her sit on a high chair after arriving at the hut. She did not think that the inside of the hut looked like a bar. She already believed in the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover".

“I didn’t know that only coffee will make you smile,” Billy said while brewing.

“I’m lucky that there’s coffee here,” she said, smiling while watching Billy being busy with brewing.

“Good thing there’s coffee here.”

She was even happier when she smelled the very fragrant aroma of coffee that he made. “I am already excited about that coffee. It smells different from my usual coffee.”

“The beans we grow here are really from Hawaii. Macadamia flavored coffee is what I make for you.”

“Wow! You’re spoiling me,” she joked. He just smiled at her. Billy shook his head and averted his eyes. There was something in his smiling eyes that was bothering her.

A few more minutes passed and the very fragrant coffee was in front of her, Billy out the mug on the table. "Thank you," she told him.

"Anything for you," he replied and winked at her. “So? Are you going to tell me something?”

“I didn’t know you like gossips,” she teased him.

“Not really. Earlier it seemed like you wanted to hit someone on the face. Instead of hurting other people, just tell me what happened.”

“I almost hit your brother! It's a good thing I can still think. If I am not abnormal, if I only want to, I will hurt him to reduce my anger towards him. He said I should hurt him physically to compensate for all the pain he caused me before. Also, even if I slap or punch him, does he think that will erase his sin?” She was very annoyed.

“I thought you’ve already moved on?”

“It's different when you face the person who hurt you, again. Honestly, I really thought I was okay but when I saw Neil again, it was like I came back yesterday. Can you understand me? I feel like it was only yesterday that I caught them cheating on me. Then I felt even agrier when I saw your stepbrother earlier. It's hard to explain.” She sighed. Why was she even telling Billy how she feels?

“I understand. What they did to you was really painful. It’s not easy to forgive when you’re not ready. Sometimes, time is not enough for the wound to heal no matter how long you waited. Maybe the solution is to find a new lover.”

Eunice raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think so. Someone new to love? For what? For me to get hurt again? I don’t want to. I’m good. I’m contented being alone.”

“Don’t refuse so easily. You know what, Eunice, the time will come that you will love again. Sometimes love comes when we least expected it.” Billy said “Watch out,” he added then smiled sweetly.

Was he implying something or that was only her imagination? Maybe she was just overreacting. She just drank the coffee but she almost blew it away because he was burnt. Shameless Billy even laughed at her.

“EUNICE is here and you have met. Why didn't you tell me?” Billy was surprised by Neil's question. They were together on the front porch and drinking before going to sleep.

“I was about to tell you,” Billy lied. "But we do not meet here at home because you are already busy arranging your wedding so I forgot to tell you that." The truth was he really didn’t want to tell him that he saw Eunice because he didn’t want Neil to see the woman.

It was as if someone was telling him something would change when Neil saw his ex-girlfriend again and he did not want that to happen. He did not know why. Maybe he just didn't want Eunice to be hurt again when she saw Neil. Just like what happened earlier.

“You know what, bro, I am having second thoughts,” Neil said seriously while playing with the beer can on his palm.

“What do you mean?” he asked, shocked.

“Earlier, when I saw Eunice, it seemed like I suddenly wanted to withdraw my wedding with Erish. It may sound crazy but I think I'm still in love with Eunice.” Neil seemed to have a hard time.

“Isn’t that unfair to Erish, bro? She was hoping that you’ll reach the alter and all of a sudden, you wanted to cancel all of your plans?”

“It would be more unfair if we continued this but I could not give my whole heart to her. I know a lot of people can get mad at me when I cancel our wedding but I would rather have that being unhappy. Erish would be miserable too.”

He almost finished the beer he was holding because of what he heard. "Does that mean you're going to get back with Eunice?"

“I want to, bro. I love to but I know that in these moments it will not work. There is not the slightest hope. But if I prove to her that I love her and I can wait no matter how long, as long as all the anger in her heart is gone, she might feel sorry for me and come back to me.”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“I don’t know. But if you love someone, nothing is impossible, right?”

Billy just nodded. He did not know what to tell Neil. If he opposed him, he may say that he was not on his side. But why did it seemed so hard for him to support his stepbrother in that moment?

“EUNICE, a kid gave this earlier. He said this is for you but he does not told who it came from,” Eunice’s mother greeted her. She just woke up and was about to go to their yard to visit Gladys. As soon as Gladys woke up, she was going to their yard to write her novel. According to her their yard was the best place for writing it.

“Thank you, ‘ma.”

She was able to stay peacefully in their house because she did not get along a lot with her grandmother and sister these past few days. Her mother said that the two were busy because of Erish and Neil's wedding. She did not ask about it again, nor did her parents tell stories about it because they knew what had happened before. If her parents agree to the wedding, they did not tell her anything too.

“Glads, good morning,” she greeted her friend after sitting across her seat.

“Good morning too, girl,” Gladys replied without even looking at her.

She remembered the paper bag her mother had given her, she put it on the table and then looked at what was in it. There was a paper cup with a lid and a little Tupperware. When she removed the lid of the paper cup, it contained coffee. It smelled good, she couldn't be wrong, that's the aroma of coffee that Billy made the other day in the hut-slash-bar at his mommy's pineapple farm. She also looked at the contents of the Tupperware, there was a sandwich in there. On the side of the paper bag, she found a note.

“Good morning. I remembered that you love coffee, there’s a lot of that in our house so let’s share. I added a sandwich to complete your breakfast.”

She put the note inside her pocket and enjoyed the delicious coffee. “We had a good morning? The size of your smile says it all,” Gladys noticed her.

“Huh? What are you talking about?” she defensively asked.

“High pitched tone, a smile that can reach Pluto, blooming, defensive… Hmmm… I think I know where is that going, girl,” Gladys teased her.

“You’re crazy.” She just shook her head then ate the sandwich Billy prepared for her.

“And where did that sandwich come from? There was nothing like that in your kitchen before! The deception!” her friend complained. "Can I have some?"

"You can't, it is not enough for me," she grumbled. “Just eat any food in the kitchen. Go!”

“That came from Mr. CEO, right? You are not naturally stingy. But when it comes from that man, your true color comes out,” said Gladys then sniffed as if she was very annoyed with her.

“I am just hungry,” she replied.

“Don't fool me. Fool them all, but you can’t fool me. With the amount of love stories that I wrote, you have nothing to deny to me, my dear friend. Just admit it if you have time.”

“You’re really crazy. Go to the kitchen, look for food,” she dismissed her.

Gladys stamped her feet and left her. She seemed unsatisfied so she stared at her with fiery eyes. Eunice shook her head and just sipped coffee. "Good morning." Eunice searched for the source of the voice. It was Billy, he was at their gate and he was smiling at her. Fortunately, their gate was not very high so she could clearly see him.

“Come in,” she invited him. He did not refuse. She made him sit on Glady’s vacant seat. “Thanks for the breakfast.”

“What breakfast?”

"This," she said, pointing to the food on the table. "It's not from you?" she asked shyly. Why did she think just now that it might not be from Billy? Neil also knew that she loved coffee, he also lived on the same roof with Billy so he can have the same coffee as Billy did in the hut. Also, Neil may really want to be forgiven by her. Why did she automatically think of all that now? She's embarrassing!

“Yeah, it’s from me,” he said then laughed.

She looked at him, annoyed, and then punched him softly in his arm. "You are really shameless!"

“I’m just kidding," he said laughing. “Why? You thought it was from Neil, huh?”

“You are annoying!”

“Peace! Neil doesn't like coffee very much so he probably hasn't tried that Macadamian coffee yet so you're sure it came from me. Also, he doesn't seem like he would dare to woo you here at her fiancée's house.”

“Woo? Are you okay? Why would someone who’ll get married woo me?” she asked with a frown on her face.

“You’ll never know if he still loves you,” Billy replied and shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, sorry to tell him, I don’t love him anymore even if he cried blood in front of me.”

“Really?” Billy asked, he seemed more energetic.

“Really. And one more thing, it is impossible that he is still in love with me. Hello? He will marry my sister. He may finally receive a slap from me when he says he loves me. What is he doing? Tripping? When we were together, he cheated on me. Now that she is going to marry my sister, she will say he really loves me?”

“Your heart, just relax.” Billy tried hard not to laugh. “Anyway, did you like the sandwich? I don't really know how to make a sandwich, I just tried because… ”

“Because?”

“Because I saw some bread at home. It is a waste because no one in the house is fond of bread,” he replied, grinning.

He kept her hanging and hoping and he will only say that! “Thank you,” she said then raised an eyebrow for him.

“What do you want for lunch?” he asked her instead.

“What are you? My personal chef?”

“I’m bored at home so I’ll just cook.”

“Do you know how to cook?” she asked him, unsure.

“No,” he immediately replied then laughed.

“Then, I’ll cook and send some food in your house.”