When it Rains (Completed)

CHAPTER 26

That night, it rained so hard. I could feel the chill creeping in every corner of the room.

It was the first time I saw grievance on his face. The day should've been a happy one when I'd just attended a wedding, but something's still clashing in his mind. He was spacing out, but I stayed by his side and took care of him.

Just before we decided to go back to his home, he took me to someone's grave. Bagong libing pa lang nang mapansin ko ang lupa rito. Ysa Angelle Yu, the name engraved on the gravestone. She just passed away a week ago.

He broke down when he started telling me about everything that had happened. I tried to stop him, but he insisted. "I don't want it to hide it from you anymore," that's what he said. There, I was taken back when he revealed that the one who died was her ex.

She broke up with him just a week before I met him at the park. Pinalabas ng ex niya na nagcheat siya at may iba na siya kahit na 5 years na sila. Limang taon pero gan'on na lang nangyari. Hindi ko man lang nahalata sa kanya yung sakit sa pagbitaw nila sa isa't isa.

But he was wrong.

He found out that she had been diagnosed with stage 4 leukemia. He was already too late to know everything. He told me, it was never his intention to leave me hanging. He just wanted to spend the rest of her remaining days together until she passed away.

She lied to him just to keep him away from knowing her disease, but he still came back to her arms even if it was all too late. He admitted that he still had feelings for her at the same time he started having feelings for me. Eventually it faded, he told me, and he was there by her side only as a long-time friend anymore.

As much as possible, I don't want to take advantage of his vulnerability as of the moment. If he was able to keep my pieces altogether, maybe I could do the same. I can't watch him break down just like I did back in the cabin. I'll do everything until his grief fades away.

I cooked for our dinner. I was always checking on him from time to time. Lend him a glass of water. Until I found myself hugging him in the couch to keep him warm. Lily joined, too. Buti na lang mabait na rin siya akin.

I petted her on my lap and she was purring like she was trying to comfort us.

"She isn't mad at you anymore," he spoke.

"Maybe. Baka bukas sumunod rin siya pauwi sa bahay," biro ko.

He suddenly kissed my forehead, his favorite spot to kiss. "By the way, how did you know that na nasa cemetery ako?" he asked.

"Oh, about that," I said and cleared my throat. "Donnabelle Villamore. Siya nagsabi sa akin."

"Donnabelle? My cousin?"

"I guess."

"Wait, don't tell me she was invited sa kasal?"

"She was there."

"Did she make any mess?"

"No. She just confronted me, and then after that, I left the place. Why would she make a mess?"

"Well, I basically grew up with her since we were kids, and mahilig talaga siya mang-away ng mga tao—"

All of a sudden, he stared at me with a strange look on his face. "Tell me honestly, did she hurt you?"

"Pat—"

"The last time someone lied to me, she suffered just to keep me from being hurt, but now I'm grieving for her death. I don't want that to happen again. Now, tell me, Flynn," he said, and this time it was in his serious tone already.

I was hesitating to answer, but I finally uttered the truth. "She did."

"Why?"

This time, I was stumped. I don't know how to answer it. If he figures out that Johen is courting me, he will be mad. But, I don't want him to be mad at me for lying either. "Johen, my friend, who happens to be her ex, is trying to court me while you were away a few weeks ago. Now, she wants him back, kaya napagdiskitahan niya ako."

I just bit my lips, expecting to hear him be mad for what I'd said, but he just remained calm and hugged me instead. "I'm sorry," he said.

"I should be the one to apologize, Patrick. I entertained another guy while you were away—"

"No. May pagkukulang ako kaya sinubukan mong hanapin yun sa iba at nakita mo iyon sa kanya. I will do my best to fill in everything I missed, but if I fail a hundred times and you feel this isn't working anymore, I will let you go for the sake of your happiness."

That slapped my heart for not trusting him all this time. There I burst into tears, not to grieve with him, but in happiness. A realization came into my mind—I should be glad and be content with him when he does everything to keep us tied together. I should've trusted him with all of my heart no matter what happens when he deserved it. He knows my worth—something that people don't see in me.

"Oh, why are you crying? 'Di ba ako ang namatayan dito?" sabi pa niya at pinahid ang mga luha ko.

"I'm just glad that I met someone like you. You're just too good to be true. Sana, kaya na kitang ipaglaban sa harap ng tao. Sana kaya ko nang sabihin sa buong mundo kung gaano na kita kamahal dahil sa wakas, may nakakita na rin sa halaga ko at ikaw lang."

"Wow, corny," sabi niya na ikinasimangot ko kaagad. "Just kidding. Well, you deserve to be loved, Flynn. Keep that in you mind."

He leaned his forehead on mine, and there I could hear every deep breath he took. "I wish this moment would last forever. I just love the way I feel when I'm with you, Flynn."

He caressed my cheek and stole a kiss from my lips. "I love you, Flynn."

"I love you, too."