The Missing Gem

01 | Game Over

Nicole

The sound of the wind blowing at full speed, the rain hitting the windows at full force and the thunders, which seemed to be approaching the resort we were staying in closer and closer, bringing with themselves another round of Yale, the storm that was scaring everyone who wasn't from the Bahamas, was the original soundtrack of mine and Matt's turn of events, of what was happening now in this hotel room that was surely more expensive than anything I ever owned.

"What the hell were you thinking going back into the ocean to try and get the ring?" I wasn't mad or furious at him, at least not at that moment yet. I was purely and innocently concerned about Matt and what on Earth he had in his mind when he ran away from me when locals were calling us out. A storm was settling, the waves were crazy wild, and he still did all he could and tried fighting Mother Nature. 

"I was trying to get the ring back! For you!" Now Matt, he was clearly upset. The ring seemed to be consuming all his attention, and he somehow forgot about me. But of course, I didn't notice that at the time, my mind was racing. " I spent half my savings on it."

"Matt, I could not care less if you got me a stupid, expensive ring! I love you. Don't you understand that? Instead of caring only about the ring, how about caring about the fact that your girlfriend said yes when you popped the question?"  By this time I was getting upset but I was trying my hard not to show it. But hiding my true feelings had never been something I was good at so, I blurted out whatever was on my mind and I told him what I thought he needed to hear.

"Stupid? Oh, is that what the ring is to you? Stupid?!" He repeated himself once more as if I were really some dumb girl who was turning down diamonds for the love of the only man she loved. "Well, it isn't to me!"

I was starting to get uncomfortable with the whole situation that was going on in that hotel room. 

How were we fighting over jumping into the ocean to retrieve an engagement ring when I had already said yes when he had proposed?

This was something that I simply couldn't fit inside my head and I could not comprehend why the money spent on the ring was his priority when it should have been me. 

It should have been me, right? I thought so too. 

For a brief moment we were standing face to face, a few inches apart from each other, and in other circumstances being that close to him lit up a urge in me to grab his face and kiss him, but not in that moment, no.

I felt the wet dress clinging onto my body in a discomforting way, almost as if there was only glue between my skin and the fabric, the strangeness of the feeling made me take a step back, acknowledging the state I was in. I touched my head and twirled my hair in between my fingers, noticing how wet it was. I wouldn't know if it was the touch that sent chills down my spine or if it was my body actually realizing what had been going on but all I could do was shiver. Let's face it - I was completely wet because a (cold, very cold) ocean wave hit me like a brick when the temperature around the island was no less than 100ºF - this could not mean any good.

"I... am going to shower." I said in a whisper before turning around. I didn't quite know what was happening between us. Were we fighting right after getting engaged? I needed time to think that through and a shower seemed like the best idea at that moment. I got my pajamas out of the suitcase and made my way inside the bathroom, quickly turning on the hot water while taking off my dress. Another chill ran down my spine.

When I looked at my expression in the mirror I almost didn't recognize myself - one of the most important moments of my life had just happened and my eyes were bloodshot, I looked exhausted, my face was pale, my lips were dry, I was sad... I looked like I had been hit by a truck.