CHAPTER 12
GEORGIA
It had been quite a day, and I was way tired. Nevertheless, it was all worth it. The talks and discussions gave me in-depth knowledge about new medical practices I could apply in my own specialization. The whole thing still excited me. I was far from reaching my ultimate dreams and goals.
As I trudged back to my cabin, hands shoved in the pockets of my jacket, the cold wind blowing in my face and making my hair whip around, I thought of Drake. I wondered where he was and why I hadn’t seen him.
His absence was giving me mixed signals and emotions. Partly I was sad and annoyed because it seems like he was only after getting into my pants. But there was also a part of me that felt relieved because he’s obviously a “ghost from the past” that I should just get rid of completely. Besides, he would only serve as a distraction in my career journey.
When I opened the door to my cabin, I gasped. The entire room had been filled with bouquets of flowers—different kinds, different colors. The ceiling had also been covered by white and light blue balloons. I felt like I’d been transported to a flower shop.
Frozen in shock, I didn’t move for a few seconds. Then my eyes shifted to a single red rose on the bed with an attached card. Slowly I walked forward and opened it with trembling fingers.
Dr. Hill, Could you step outside and accompany me to dinner? – Drake Walton
The message was plain and simple. I was confused for a while, but I blindly followed the instructions. I went out of the room and looked out.
He was standing there donning a simple sweater and jeans underneath a casual windbreaker, leaning against some kind of car with his arms folded across his chest.
Without thinking, I went down to meet him, my heart burning with passion.
He straightened up upon seeing me. “Hello, Georgia,” he said. “Did you get my note?”
“Yes,” I answered, wondering what this was all about. “Mind telling me what’s happening? What’s with the flowers and balloons and… and…” I peeked behind him and saw the white buggy he’d brought along. “What is that?!”
He moved to the side and showed me the buggy, a small motorized vehicle that was open on the sides but had a roof. It was built for different types of terrains, so it seemed like he was planning on taking me somewhere.
“This is a buggy,” he said. “We’re going to ride it. I rented it for tonight.”
“Really? What for?” I looked at it curiously. I’d never been on one before, though I have seen pictures of it in the past.
“Hop on, Georgia,” he said, motioning for me to climb into it. He took my hand and guided me as I did. Then he went to the driver’s seat and started the engine.
“Is this even allowed in here?” I wondered out loud.
He only chuckled. “Relax, it’s still early in the evening. We’re not disturbing anyone.”
There were actually some people still wandering about. They were now looking at us with great interest.
Without another word, Drake drove off into the woods, following a trail that was lit up with some makeshift lights hanging from trees.
“Aren’t there dangerous animals here or something?” I asked once we were deep in the woods. I felt like we had already gone far from civilization.
“No, this is still part of Everland Mountain Lodge. They’ve made sure to keep dangerous animals away, which is why there are boundaries around the entire land.”
“Alright,” I said, though not fully convinced. “But where are you taking me, anyway?”
“We’re nearing it,” was all he said, sounding mysterious but piquing my curiosity.
Soon we came upon an opening where a rustic cabin-like structure had been built. It looked a little worn, but was charming still. There were vines and flowers crawling on its exterior walls. The roof appeared to be made of glass and it was shaped like a dome.
Drake parked the car and assisted me in going down. He took my hand and invited me into the structure. “This used to be a quaint café, but it isn’t operational anymore.”
“So why are we here?”
“Because I want to have privacy,” was his simple answer. Something about his words sent electric currents shooting across my body.
Looking around, I had to admit it was all sort of romantic. He had something up his sleeve, and I was dying of curiosity already.
When we went in, I was surprised to see that the interior was actually spacious especially without any furniture anywhere except for a glass table and two matching chairs in the center. There was a lovely centerpiece with classic candelabras. The lit candles added a soft, dreamy glow to the entire scene. There were also micro LED lights hanging around the walls, adding to the somehow magical ambiance of the place.
For the second time that evening, I gasped in shock. I turned to Drake, ready to bombard him with questions. But he quickly held up his hand to silence me. Instead, he led me to the table. Once I was seated, he asked me to look up. That’s the only time I noticed the glass ceiling showing the sky above us, shimmering with the twinkling stars. Everything was just perfect.
“Uhm, why are you doing all this, Drake?” I asked. Something felt off. What was with the grand gesture? It wasn’t as if he’d suddenly fallen in love with me and wanted to propose marriage or something. I could smell something fishy.
“Can we eat first and enjoy this feast?” he asked, gesturing to the delicious food in front of us. I felt my stomach grumble. I was certainly starved, so I found myself nodding and settling into a comfortable conversation with him again.
However, I could sense that he was hiding something. He seemed to be guarded the whole time, which made me even more attentive to his every move and every word.
Finally, when I was actually beginning to have fun, he took a deep breath and went over to join me. I stood up with him, our faces inches away from each other. I could feel my heart beating irregularly. I was both nervous and excited at the same time.
“So… care to tell me now what’s going on?” I demanded. I wasn’t going to let him off the hook.
“Georgia…” he began, the hesitation obvious in his voice.
“Just tell me, Drake,” I pleaded.
He raised a hand and touched my cheek gently, all the while his eyes fixed on mine. They seemed to be communicating something that he was not yet saying.
“I…” he started. It was the first time I had encountered him like such. He’d never seemed like that kind of stammering, uncertain guy. He’d always been mysterious, but definitely brimming with confidence whenever he was around women.
I waited for him to go on.
“Georgia, I just discovered who you really are,” he continued in one breath. His words didn’t hit me at once. I had trouble absorbing them yet. He went on, anyway. “You’d looked familiar when I’d seen you this morning wearing eyeglasses…”
It was sinking in now. I could feel my heart plummeting.
“… and a face popped into my head…”
I could barely keep still and keep looking into his eyes. But his gaze was intense, never faltering. I could sense that he was sincere.
“I did some digging and confirmed it,” he went on. “And now I know that you really are Geeky Georgie, my classmate from senior year at Windfield High.”
I didn’t respond. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Now the truth was out. What did he make of it?
“Now that I’ve come to realize who you are, I can’t believe I didn’t see it earlier. There’s still an uncanny resemblance somehow.”
“I still look that awful, you think?” I said without thinking.
“No, of course not,” he immediately countered. “I mean, you weren’t really bad-looking then. Just different. And there are similar features now, but a lot of things in your appearance have changed. You know that. You’re certainly much more beautiful now. You’ve really come out of your shell. And more than the physical appearance, your confidence, wit, and natural intelligence are what make your beauty glow even brighter.”
I was speechless.
He took my hands in his and we stood there silently for a while under the stars that could be seen through the glass roof. “I’m really beginning to like you, Georgia,” he told me earnestly. “I don’t want what we’ve started to be gone in a snap. And that’s why I want to start over with you. Why didn’t you tell me in the first place?”
“Would it have mattered?” I said.
“Of course,” he answered. “Not because I would have been more cautious or because I might have gotten turned off. The truth matters because I know how much pain I had caused you then. There was no excuse for what I did, and I am very, very sorry for hurting you, for doing what I did, and for not even trying to apologize before you’d gone to college.”
“It’s stupid to even be affected by it,” I muttered. “That was way back in high school. We were all young and crazy and stupid.”
“Not an excuse,” he said sternly. He placed both hands on my cheeks, gently pulling my face closer to his. He was towering over me but leaning over, looking solemnly into my eyes. “Oh, Georgia, that was way beyond stupid. It was mean and I know that it must have pained you gravely while I went on to forget about it and just keep on living my life.”
I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. Here I was standing in front of the boy who had caused me to hate high school and erase even the good memories from those days, and he was actually apologizing after so many years had passed. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Faced with the reality and the hard truth of the past, everything was suddenly resurfacing. All the negative emotions I had pushed down an invisible black hole had never really vanished. I realized that all this time, what had motivated me to keep on improving my physical looks was this miserable and painful experience. What had driven me to become so addicted to fulfilling my dreams and staying away from most men was also this. Though there were positive outcomes, it was so wrong to have lived like that. I’d had so many emotions bottled up inside of me, controlling me and making me feel imprisoned.
“I am so sorry, Georgia,” he repeated. He embraced me then, saying sorry over and over again. I let him hug me tight because I would have fallen if not for his support. I felt the tears finally dropping down my cheeks. And when I began to cry, it just kept on coming.
For a few minutes, we just stood there embracing each other while I sobbed. I cried for Geeky Georgie who had suffered so much while growing up. I cried for who I am today—a person hiding behind a mask, pretending that everything was okay.
The night was deepening. Eventually I settled down and began to calm. “I’m okay, really,” I whispered to Drake.
“Hey, it’s not stupid or silly,” he said. “It’s not childish or anything like that. You have every right to punch me in the nose. I’m giving you the permission.”
It almost made me laugh. Almost. But the overwhelming pain was too strong at the moment. I knew it would soon be released from me, though. But for now, there was just a heavy feeling weighing down on my shoulders. My heart was constricting, though I had no more tears to shed.
“I forgive you, Drake,” I told him. “I know that’s what you need, right? You didn’t need to go to all this trouble just to prove that. But thank you for the effort.”
“But Georgia, it’s not—”
I didn’t let him finish. “I want to go back to my cabin,” I said immediately, cutting in.
He did not protest anymore. Perhaps he saw the grim expression on my face or the seriousness in my eyes. I was exhausted, drained. I needed to rest before I could think, before I could even begin to consider what to do about him or us.
He took me back in my place in silence, letting me brood and be by myself. I knew it was written all over my face that I wanted to be alone. I was glad he gave me that.
I didn’t even bother saying goodbye. I just said thank you and then went inside my room in a daze.