kundiman.

chapter 20.

"Hello?" Jason whispers.

"Jason? Thank God you answered. Are you alright?" Clara responds, sitting up from her bed.

Clara followed Jamie up to their apartment shortly after Jamie's call to Jason. She is spending the night in their guest bedroom. Clara had been trying to get a hold of Jason for a good 2 or 3 hours before he finally returned her FaceTime call. Clara has been trying to pull out any information on where Jason is and why he was away but no one would tell her. They all said that it would be best if they talked privately and that she find out from Jason himself.

"No. I'm not alright," Jason says, his voice low and melancholic.

"Jay what's going on? Where are you? Why is everyone freaking out about you?"

"I don't know Clara," he says, taking a big sigh. "I really don't know."

"Well first off, are you ok? Is everything alright there? Are you safe?"

"Yeah. I'm safe."

"Okay good. Secondly, where in the world are you?"

Jason pauses for a couple seconds, hesitant to answer.

"UCLA," he says reluctantly.

"What?! What're you doing all the way out there? Were you visiting me or something?" Clara asks giggling.

"I wish."

Clara's smile disappears.

"What do you mean you wish?" she asks puzzled.

Jason takes a deep breath.

"I transferred over here."

"WHAT?!?" Clara's whole body clenches. She can't believe what she had just heard. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN TRANSFERRED?!"

"I transferred over to UCLA."

"For what?! Why?!"

Jason thinks very hard about his next words and tries to choose them very carefully.

"I-"

"You what?!"

"I wanted to be with you."

Clara is stunned.

"I wanted to be with you Clara," Jason repeats.

"Jason I-"

"No no Clara. I haven't been honest with you. For the past few years, well, ever since the day I met you, I've been in love with you. Ever since that day at the stairwell, that stupid bow I did when I apologized about running into you, ever since, no one has taken over my heart but you. You have always been, and always will be, my one great love. You give me hope, you give me joy. You are the perfect completion to the missing pieces of my life."

"Jason..."

"Clara... I'm sorry for taking so long. But I really need to tell you how I feel. I've been so afraid to tell you because I've been so afraid you wouldn't feel the same and I'd lose you as my best friend. But, I think I'm willing to risk everything. Because you're all I could ever want. Kung 'di man tayo sa huli, if we're really not meant to be... at least I can live with the fact that I tried, and that I did all I can to be with you."

Jason takes one more deep breath as Clara holds hers.

"I love you."

Jamie drops her coffee as she walks in on Clara and hears Jason confess. Clara is spooked and jumps.

"Jamie!!!" Clara exclaims.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I- that was- I," Jamie says flustered. She begins to tear up. "Girl... oh my gosh..."

"Jamie! Seriously go away!"

"Ok, ok," she says running away to get a rag and a broom.

"Jason..." Clara says, reverting her attention back to her phone.

"You don't have to say anything back. At least not yet. I know it's a lot to process. Shoot, I'm still processing how in the world I got stuck here at UCLA for a year."

"A whole year? You have to stay there?"

"Mhm. Sadly."

Clara frowns. Jason puts on a broken smile. "It's ok. I'll be back."

"I know but still."

They stare at each for a solid 5 minutes. The silence between the two is deafening.

Finally, Clara replies.

"I love you too Jason."