You Are The Reason (Ongoing)

CHAPTER 24

Shan’s mind was racing as he watched Andrea pull him away from Aliyah. The shock on Aliyah's face was evident, and he could see the anger boiling beneath her composure.

"Who the hell are you?!" galit na asik ni Aliyah kay Andrea. Napalunok siya at nanlaki ang mga mata. Hindi niya inaasahan na susugod si Andrea para lang ilayo siya kay Aliyah.

"Ex ka na ni Shan hindi ba? Iniwanan mo na siya."

Mas lalo siyang nagulat dahil sa sinabing iyon ni Andrea.

"Okay na si Shan, hindi ka na niya kailangan. Isa pa ay ikaw ang dahilan kung bakit siya nagkaganiyan!" sabi pa ni Andrea dito. Ang mukha ni Aliyah ay gulat na gulat at hindi makapaniwala. Aaminin niyang parang bigla ay natuwa siya sa nakikita niya. Nagseselos ba si Andrea?

"Teka, sino ka ba? Girlfriend ka ba niya? May mga dapat kaming pag-usapan ni Shan upang magkaunawaan kaming dalawa. Huwag ka ngang makialam!" sigaw ni Aliyah kay Andrea.

Tiningnan siya ni Andrea. Tila binabasa nito ang reaksyon niya. Hindi siya agad nakaimik. Tila nawawala siya sa sariling ulirat dahil sa nasasaksihan ngayon ng mga mata niya.

"Kailangan naming mag-usap ni Shan at wala kang magagawa doon!" inis pa na wika ni Aliyah. Doon siya tila natauhan. Nagtanggal siya ng bara sa lalamunan.

"Actually may magagawa si Andrea. She's my girlfriend, so kung ayaw niyang makipag-usap ako sayo ay desisyon niya ang masusunod," sagot niya sabay baling ng tingin kay Andrea. Nakita niya na nagulat ito pero kapagkuwan ay bumaling ng tingin kay Aliyah.

"Narinig mo ba iyon?" ani Andrea dito. Tila napahiya ang reaksyon ni Aliyah.

“This is unbelievable! I am his girlfriend! We didn’t have an official breakup!” Aliyah exclaimed, her voice trembling with anger and disbelief.

“Sana naisip mo ’yan bago mo siya iniwanan,” Andrea shot back, her voice steady. “Naka-move on na si Shan, hindi niya kailangan ang isang katulad mo na napakadali lang magdesisyon para sa sariling interes.”

Shan felt a rush of emotions. Hearing Andrea defend him so fiercely filled him with a warmth he hadn’t expected. It was a reminder that he wasn’t alone in this; someone genuinely cared about him, and it made all the difference.

Aliyah’s face fell, and for a moment, she looked vulnerable. “Shan, please,” she said, her tone shifting to something softer, more pleading. “I just want to talk to you. Can we just have a moment?”

He hesitated, caught in the whirlwind of emotions swirling around him. He could see the desperation in Aliyah’s eyes, the longing for reconciliation. But was it worth the pain it had caused him? Was it worth risking the fragile bond he had started to build with Andrea?

“Aliyah, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he finally said, his voice firm yet gentle. “You had your chance, and I’ve moved on. I’m happy now with Andrea.” The words felt liberating as they escaped his lips. He didn’t want to drag out the pain of their past any longer.

“Happy?” Aliyah scoffed, crossing her arms defensively. “You think this is happiness? You don’t know what you’re missing!”

“Maybe I didn’t know what happiness was until now,” Shan replied, trying to keep his emotions in check. He glanced at Andrea, who nodded slightly, a look of understanding passing between them.

“You’re just confused, Shan,” Aliyah insisted, her voice rising in pitch. “You’re not thinking straight. I was there for you when you needed someone. You can’t just throw that away!”

“Throw it away?” he echoed, incredulity lacing his tone. “You were there for me, yes, but you were also the one who hurt me the most. I can’t forget that. I’ve spent too long feeling lost and broken because of you.”

Aliyah’s face hardened, the anger in her eyes shifting to hurt. “You don’t mean that,” she challenged, her voice barely above a whisper. “You can’t just pretend those feelings don’t exist. We had something special, Shan.”

“Espesyal nga ba, Aliyah?” Andrea interjected, her voice calm but unyielding. “Iniwanan mo siya dahil sa pansarili mong interes. Sana maisip mong hindi siya isang bagay lang na iiwanan mo tapos kung kelan mo gustong balikan ay saka mo babalikan."

Shan could see the impact of Andrea’s words on Aliyah. The defiance in her eyes flickered, replaced by a mix of anger and regret. For a moment, the tension thick in the air as silence enveloped them. He could feel the weight of the past pressing down on them, the choices they had made hanging like a cloud overhead.

“Just give me a chance to explain,” Aliyah pleaded, desperation creeping into her voice again. Halos lumuhod ito at magpantay sila sa wheelchair. “I’ve changed. I can be better. I want to be better.”

“You’ve had your chances, Aliyah,” he replied, his heart heavy but resolute. “You had every opportunity to fight for this, but you chose to walk away. Now it’s time for me to choose what’s best for me.”

With that, he turned to Andrea, the warmth of her presence grounding him. “I’m done looking back. I’m focused on what’s in front of me now.”

Aliyah’s expression was a mix of disbelief and sorrow, and for a moment, Shan felt a pang of sympathy. He had loved her once, and the memories were bittersweet. But he had to remind himself of the pain she had caused, the way she had made him feel less than he was.

Andrea stepped closer to him, taking his hand and squeezing it gently. “Halika na, Shan,” she said softly, and he could hear the encouragement in her voice.

“Wait!” Aliyah called out, her voice breaking through the tension. “Shan, please. Just think about what you’re doing. You could regret this.”

He just sighed, glancing back at her, the weight of her words heavy in the air. “I won’t regret choosing to be happy,” he replied firmly. “Not anymore.”

Inalalayan na siya ni Andrea at itinulak ang wheelchair niya palayo dito. Ramdam niya ang paghawak ng kamay nito sa balikat niya, a reminder that he wasn’t alone anymore. The past was behind him, and for the first time in a long time, he felt a sense of hope rising within him.

Hindi na siya lumingon pa muli kay Aliyah. He was ready to embrace a future where he could finally be himself, free from the chains of the past. The warmth of Andrea’s presence gave him the courage to move forward, knowing that love could heal, that it could lead him to a place of happiness he had once thought was lost.