Broken Obsession - Part Two (23 page)

Amber was on her way to the cemetery in the rain.
That was their supposed meeting location; the cemetery. When
Eduardo mentioned ‘where’, Amber knew exactly where and she was on
her way there to tell him how she felt when she was struck by
something or some
thing
. She was on her way to the site
where she thought she would be safe…the place where she thought
could help them get together again, a place where solitude and
reflection was always apparent.

Amber woke up in another hospital bed, but this time,
her injuries were not self-inflicted. Upon her arrival she knew
where she had been taken to and was totally coherent in that she
was able to even ask a few questions along the way. She had been in
a vehicle collision, they told her, a car accident and she had
suffered a small contusion to her forehead and a mild concussion.
She would have to be under observation at least another night or
two, or until a doctor said it was OK for her to be released.

She had to get a hold of Eduardo…but how? He had
changed all his numbers a few years back!

Meanwhile, Eduardo materialized at the cemetery
alone; full of anticipation upon arrival, until it ended in the
dark and five hours in a rainstorm. He finally gave up and gave in
and felt stupid for being stood-up and even more foolish for
hanging onto a dream that his former wife would want to reconcile
their relationship. In general, his affair and obsession with Amber
had all been a mistake, he quickly analyzed. Their liaison had come
full circle and to its closing stages and everything that had kept
them together had soon departed. He found it odd, in a way, how a
love that commanding could be diluted so easily.

Eduardo departed the cemetery feeling a bit
remorseful but concluded that he and Amber were better off being
apart and going their separate ways than at each other’s throats.
Marrying Stacey was the right thing to do, he decided. He had a lot
in common with her, she was extremely bright and he loved debating
with someone who could actually speak with intelligence rather than
with emotion. They never argued and if they did have a disagreement
then it would be resolved by the end of the day. A once incessant
demand of wanting to be with another human being had transformed
into a quiet desire of tranquility and compatibility of the mind
and not the heart. The fire and passion he once felt with Amber had
now been redirected into an equal level of deep infatuation for
someone new. Physical attraction had now altered into mental
pleasure and Stacey
could
make him happy…she
had
made
him happy in the past and his old yearning of wanting Stacey for
his very own had been satisfied daily by being coupled with her.
Stacey was easy, uncomplicated and a wonderful lover. She could be
all things to him…if he allowed her to be. A learned love could be
just as good for him as an obsessive one, and this would be the
second time he would actually find himself
in love
.

Obsession was unhealthy, he determined, and for a man
to be completely fixated on one person was also very dangerous.
Their relationship was immoral; therefore, it would have never been
successful. They would have ended up absolutely hating each other,
he also determined. Hating each other to the point where just
mentioning her name would have left a sour taste in his mouth and
he rather not have that.

On his death bed, he finalized, he would like to
reflect on his relationship with Amber as being bittersweet and a
simple stepping-stone to his final destination, which would be to
grow old with Stacey.

Rain beaded down on the St. Thomas Church in
Hollywood, California. Outside the cathedral, it was grey and
gloomy, but on the inside, it was cheerful and gay; a joyful day
for all.

Eduardo Sanchez was about to get married for the
third time and he was anxious about entering
this
union;
impatient to finally close the door on his past and open another to
a positive future. No more drama. No more turbulent passion. No
more enhanced conversation with a woman who drove him nuts. He was
an astute thinker, a peremptory intellectual, admired and accepted
among his peers—why not sustain a personal relationship that could
mutually benefit the two of them?

However he managed to stand on that altar was beyond
his capacity to fathom at that point. He felt a little queasy
watching his future bride stroll up the narrow passageway toward
meeting him. Stacey looked radiant in her cream-colored wedding
gown, her platinum tresses up in an elegant coiffure.

Eduardo next noticed Stacey’s beam when she gazed up
at him and met her eyes with bliss and that’s when he realized he
was doing the right thing. After that, he grabbed her hand and led
her up the steps toward the minister.

Eduardo’s heart began to pound gradually while
hearing the pronouncement that he still couldn’t comprehend. The
minister could have been reciting his ABCs – his mind off in
another dimension…and then, without warning, his heart thumped out
of his chest. The one statement he did hear clearly after “…if
there was anyone here who thinks that these two should not be
joined speaks now—”
was
…

“I have something to say.”

The entire congregation turned to look at her. All
who knew her—gasped at the sight of her simply standing there.
Jackie started to beam and wail while other guests all around them
began to look
her
way now while the intruder made her way in
through the closed church doors.

Amber was in the center aisle, placed center stage
and didn’t look straight at Eduardo just yet. She did however, look
all around her and at all the faces pinned on her and related, “I’m
sorry, it will only take five minutes, I swear, then you can have
your wedding, no one will have to return any gifts—I promise.” She
then locked eyes with Eduardo still up on the altar.

Eduardo was in disbelief, concerned and surprised.
“I’ll be right back,” he just said, walking down the steps toward
the center.

Tears swarmed her eyes instantly as Stacey watched
her future husband hurriedly walking away from their wedding
without her.
That bitch!

Within seeing Eduardo strolling toward her, Amber
walked backward and outside the church and underneath a curved wall
away from the rain.

What a familiar scene
, she then realized, only
Amber had been in the doorway and Eduardo was in the rain. That was
the day when Eduardo came by her house late at night to return one
of Adrian’s videotapes. It was the night she realized that her
brother-in-law meant more to her than she could ever imagine.

They look at each other for the longest time, he in
improbability, she, in heartache. He looked absolutely wonderful,
Amber declared; his black tuxedo, crisp ashen shirt, a white
boutonniere at his lapel.

Her nerves began to soften however, the moment she
watched him dig his hands inside his pant pockets. She knew in her
heart that Eduardo wanted to touch her...he wanted to contact her
but he held back.

Having Amber stand directly in front of him brought
forth emotions he determined just last night were dead. She wore a
long pink coat, a knitted black and rosy cap; there was something
white showing through the knitting, Good God, what the hell
happened? He couldn’t stop staring at her, she appeared tormented
yet brave. “Pink” he said, trying to breathe.

“What?” She asked.

“You’re wearing pink.”

“I know, it’s my favorite color.”

“Mine too,” he said, feeling melancholy.

Amber suddenly felt a rush of sentiment fall upon
her. Good Lord, she didn’t know how she was going to speak to him
without blabbering! “I wanted to apologize for missing our
meeting.”

He stared at her and said nothing for a short second
and then relayed, “You weren’t there either?”

Amber gulped and her heart fell to the bottom of her
stomach. He didn’t show up? He wasn’t there? Good Lord, rushing to
the cemetery in the downpour and the car accident was unnecessary?
He wasn’t even there? What an absolute fool she was! What an
absolute
idiot
!

Amber, at that moment, realized that Eduardo had
truly moved on and he was actually pleased about marrying Stacey.
There really was nothing else more to say. She felt like her whole
world was about to crumble into an endless pit of woe. “No,” Amber
voiced, holding back the truth about the accident.

Eduardo gazed beyond her out at the rain falling for
a moment and then stared at her a second time, “You interrupted my
wedding…was there a reason?”

Amber glanced away at the cars rushing by on the
street, splashing water onto the curb. “Yes, there was.”

Eduardo stared at her uncertain. Why did she come
here? What does she want now? Good God, why does she do this? Her
endless ways of teeter-tottering his emotions that tug at his
heart!

Amber began reaching for straws. “We’re leaving
California,” she spat out without thinking, “We’re going to start a
new life in Oregon.”

Eduardo’s throat closed up. Good God, he wanted to
tell her he waited for her now, wanted to hear her reasons for not
showing up! “You’re leaving then?”

“Yah,” Amber continued to lie, feeling her heart
about to jump out of her chest, “We bought some property near the
coast and we’re going to build our dream house, the one I always
wanted.”

“We?”

“Yes, after we’re married—that’s where Tony wants to
live.”

Eduardo closed his eyes then reopened them to glare
out at the rain beyond. This was the reason why she was here; to
say good-bye, to mend the fence, proceed on with her life too.
“That’s great Amber, I’m happy for you.”

The emotions in his face were hard to read. Eduardo’s
usual irritated facial expressions were unreadable. “Are you?” She
asked, her voice cracking by the minute. “Because the other day, I
knew you were lying when you said you were happy. I mean, I
want
you to be happy, that’s why I’m here,” her voice
cracked again with tears swelling up in her eyes; she bit down on
her lip, trying so hard to make them subside. “To see if you truly
were,” she continued, “You’re marrying her today...I guess…the
answer is obvious.”

Eduardo was at a loss for words. He didn’t know what
else to tell her. His heart swelled. “Is he...is Tony good to
you?”

Amber finally contained her sniffles, “Yes,” she
laughed now, “He’s a wonderful man. He’s become a very successful
investor now, which was why we bumped into each other in New York.
We met at the Palm Desert Treatment Center when I was there,” she
stopped to catch her breath, “Tony treats me very well—he’s a lot
like you in a way...conceited.”

Eduardo grinned, “I’m not vain.”

“Yes you are,” Amber smiled as well, trying not to
look directly into his green eyes. Amber suddenly noticed that his
expression dropped, “You’ve always known what you desired and knew
exactly how to obtain it.”

Their eyes lock and hold at that moment, so many
memories dash inside her head. The first day she met him at The
Sanchez household. In their backyard, arrogant as hell, walking
around with his head held high; becoming friends, trying to fight
her restraint, her feelings for him, meeting at family gatherings,
fighting her feelings for him, working with him at Aldridge &
Watson, fighting her feelings for him. The night they made love for
the first time…fighting her feelings for him
now
; running
around town spontaneously making love whenever they could, asking
him to leave his first wife for her, recalling his refusal,
slashing her wrist. Her coma, his rescue...her miraculous son!
Oh dear God...
the pain swarmed her heart instantly. Peyton
swarmed her heart! “Oh gee,” she cried gazing down at her watch.
“I’ve kept you out here for almost twenty-five minutes!” She said,
blinking back her tears. “Your bride is going to be furious!”

“Amber,” he murmured, feeling his heart about to jump
out of his skin.

Amber didn’t hear him call out her name and walked
away. She tried desperately not to fully cry. With every inch of
willpower she had, she held back her tears and stepped away and
back into the rain. “Good-bye Eduardo,” she barely got out,
allowing her tears to flow freely under the protection of the
raindrops. “My plane leaves in two hours and with all this rain; I
just hope I’m not delayed,” she laughed, turning around and heading
toward her taxi at last.

“Amber!” Eduardo finally got out.

Amber was about to get back into the car when she
heard his shout. The urgency in his voice sent shivers up her
spine. She thought for a moment he might have changed his mind.

“I’m glad you came here,” Eduardo shouted back at her
at last. “I’m glad to see you’re healthy.”

Rain dripped relentlessly on her face now, thank God,
for Amber allowed the tears to fall as they may. The difficulty to
express anything at that moment was choking her, but she managed to
mouth out the words, “Me too,” and waved farewell.

Eduardo stared at Amber getting into the taxi and
then watched the vehicle as it started back up again and slowly
drive off with her inside. Choking back his own emotion, Eduardo
straightened out his tie and pulled down his tuxedo jacket first
before he returned back into the church.