The Heart Break Vacation

Charlotte

My phone hasn't had service since we crossed into international waters, but as soon as I was on Bahama land, my phone lit up with 150 missed calls, 275 texts, and 86 voicemails. "Put your phone away Charlotte, this is a vacation" Briar nudged me playfully, as Blane tried to take it away "ooo, who you texting, your boyfriend?" Blane teased "I'm right here" Oliver pointed to himself, while I was distracted in the confusion, Blane managed to take my phone away, and well... he threw it in the ocean. Now it was just resting on the shore, but still, it was soaked and completely ruined.
"No... come on work" I begged drying my phone off and pressing the home button "stop being so attached, and get into nature" Briar was going psychedelic, now and I was about to scream "you don't understand, my grandmother is in the hospital, she had a massive heart attack and then a stroke, and I've had a bunch of missed calls and texts.." Oliver pulled me into a hug "Lotte, I'm sorry... I didn't" "well maybe grow up a little... you can't carry this charade on forever" "you want to talk about charades? Of all the people..." "Blane, don't" I tried to sound forceful, but yet look apologetic Briar and Oliver were giving us odd looks.
                           "Oliver may I use your phone?" "Yeah of course" walking away I called my mother "hey is everything ok? I have over a hundred missed calls" there was a deep breath as though she was composing herself and I feared the absolute worse "your grandmother passed away" the phone fell out of my hand into the sand "Charlotte?" I faintly heard her yell, picking up the phone "bye" I hung up and stood there staring at the ocean, wanting to just jump in and start swimming away from the coast, not stopping for anything.
                             "Here's your phone" I handed it back to Oliver with my eyes wide open, still trying to process the whole thing "you ok, Lotte?" "No" I turned around and just walked away, slipping into the crowd, hoping to find some relief somewhere on the island... or a bar... a bar would work nicely.
As I sat in that miraculous bar, men started to hit on me, and in that moment I wished Oliver had proposed, so I could wear a ring that warded off men. The more I got upset, the more they seemed to swarm, about me, which made me more upstream and you can see the cycle. "Oliver told me what happened" his mom sat down beside me "we were expecting it... just not yet" she patted my hand, staring at my fingers... as if a ring would magically appear the more she stared at them. "When's the funeral?" "Three days" "you and Oliver can leave as soon as you need" "I think Oliver is going to stay" "why would he do that?" If I said anything remotely true she would know everything "I don't want to steal him away from family time, since he's so far away..." "when he moves back to California, he'll be close enough, take him with you... you'll need support" with that she got up and left, leaving me slightly confused.
                                  I couldn't enjoy the Bahamas, and knowing that if I tried, it would just ruin them for me. After 6 hours of wandering the ship, solitaire, and a massage, I sat in our room, and tried to figure out what I would do. "Oh there you are" Oliver came in, but I just laid on the bed, not wanting to respond "you coming to dinner?" He sat down in the chair next to the bed, waiting for a response from me "I don't think so" "what happened?" And it had dawned on me that his mother had seemed to know, but I never told Oliver, and she said he had told her... which isn't possible "my grandmother died" "Lotte, I'm so sorry" "Oliver, you mother had already known, and said you told her" "I didn't know until now, I guessed that might of happened... but I didn't know" "so how does she know?" Sniffling I held onto a pillow, getting a little worried "I have no idea... maybe your mom called mine" "so why wouldn't she tell me?" "Charlotte I don't know" "well maybe you should be a little less useless and figure some things out!" I yelled, throwing a pillow at him "Lotte..." "just go to dinner... I want to be alone for a while"