Crossing Through A Valiant Heart (ON-GOING)

Chapter 28

"I'm sorry." he couldn't even look at me. 

"Can I be your boyfriend?"

His voice started echoing at the back of my mind.

"Maybe this will answer your question for the other day." I smiled and stood up. I looked at his form before leaving the cafe. His hands were on his head and he looked so distressed.  "I really did like you to the point where I would make up excuses just to make myself believe that you haven't done anything wrong."

"I really do love you, Ry. Hindi rin ako nagbibiro doon. I was drunk and I didn't know what I was doing-"

"I know. Before you even said that, I already knew. But Ivy's right, this can happen again and all we can say is 'I was drunk'. This isn't the first time, isn't it? I've done it, too." I had to bring it back up.

"But I forgave you."

"I'm also forgiving you. The difference is, this will never happen again." Hindi na ako lumingon sa kan'ya at umalis na sa cafe. 

I was planning to move by the end of the week but I had to sort out things like these. It took me a lot of courage to do this and I've been thinking about it for the past two days. He's been calling me and I keep refusing to answer. Hindi rin ako nakakalabas ng unit ko at ito palang ang unang beses na papasok ako sa trabaho.

"Narinig niyo ba?" A nurse walked to us and formed a little group by the corner. I was fixing a patient's bed while listening to them. "Hindi na raw babalik si Mr. Li?"

"Sino 'yon?" may isang nagtanong. She seemed so confused. Well, If I were them, I would also be confused. No one calls him by his surname.

Habang nakikinig ako, ngayon ko lang narealize 'yung sinabi niya. 

"He won't come back?" I pulled her gently and asked again. "To this hospital? Did he resign?" Ang dami kong tanong!

"O-Opo, eh. Alam ko kahapon lang po siya nag resign. Parang may hinihintay pa nga po kaso umalis na rin agad." she explained and I realized that I was still holding onto her. She bowed when I let her go and left.

Did he leave everything? Where is he going to go? 

I shouldn't look for him. He wanted this to happen. He knows what he's doing. If he's looking for peace, I should let him. After all, I dragged him into this even more. Tama lang na lumayo na siya sa akin.

"Ms. Alvarez!" Someone called me from afar and I had to squint my eyes in order to see them clearly. "May nag iwan ng letter sa locker niyo. Nakasiksik lang kasi kaya nahulog." Inabot niya sa akin 'yon at tumango lang ako.

It's the same paper.

I waited for you yesterday but you didn't come.

Yun lang sinabi niya? I searched the back of the paper but I couldn't find anything else. I looked through my phone to find his contact but he's deleted all of his social media platforms. I couldn't bring myself to call him by his number, too. I'll just leave it.