Where Iris Bloom

Ch 21. Oblivion

Shelby was beyond furious and fuming when she heard about what happened at the café. Louise was standing at the corner of the room witnessing the wrath of Shelby who's pacing back and forth trying to hold back her 'I told you so'.

Iris stared at her hand on her lap and was in deep thoughts when she felt the empty space on the couch dipped causing her to look up and there it was, Louise staring at her with a empathetic smile.

"I'm one call away if you need me, yeah?" She smiled and gestured at Shelby who was going gaga still pacing around the room which made them both chuckle.

Iris felt Louise' sincerity and was grateful that Louise didn't leave her on that moment. But though she got hurt with what she saw just a while ago, she still have the faith to hear the side of story that Kim has to tell.

"Thanks, Lou." She offered a sad smile and nodded.

"Gotta go, got rounds to do. Call me if anything, okay?" She squeezed Iris' hand and got up to exit the room without Shelby even noticing her. The latter is so preoccupied with her anger towards Kim.

Just when Louise walked out the room, her phone buzzed gathering the attention of Shelby who halted from pacing around.

"Is it Kim?" Her best friend had her eyes squinted towards her who is sitting on the couch.

Iris stared at the notification showing Kim's message. She was about to pick it up when Shelby swatted her hand and was about to grab the phone when Iris beat her into it.

"Don't you dare answer like nothing happened." Shelby warned condescendingly without any hint humour on her demeanour which scared Iris coz she knows too well that kind of look.

Among everything that she saw towards Kim, this is by far the last straw for her best friend. Shelby tends to get so overprotective like a mother bear protecting her cub and is ready to lunge to anyone who hurts her best friend .

"Calm down, Shelly. I'm sure Kim has an explanation for this." She mumbled making Shelby more provoked than before. Part of her is willing to listen to whatever there is that Kim has to say. She just needs to give a chance to Kim to explain herself and that's what she's gonna do.

"Di ko alam kung nagtatanga tangahan ka or nakaka bobo talaga si Kim?" Shelby's words cut through her like a double edged sword but all she can do is to prevent her tears from falling. Because it's true, she is willing to play fool in attempt to understand Kim.

"I'm sorry Iris, pero you are one of the smartest person I have ever known pero bakit nagtatanga tangahan ka ngayon for one person? I told you noon pa not to get involved with that girl pero wala, I hate to say this pero I told you so." Shelby raised her hand in resignation with the matter.

And there it goes, the infamous 'I told you so' line that Shelby has warned her about. All that Iris can do is to take in Shelby's indignant scolding but deep inside her, she is willing to forgive Kim.

"Don't you think this is the best time to walk away?" Shelby argued but Iris have stubbornly already made up her mind that she need to hear out whatever Kim's gotta say but she bit her tongue coz she know better that once she voice out her argument, this will just add fuel to the fire.

"I hope nakikinig ka, Aye." Shelby sighed in frustration seeing that her words are not getting through her best friend. "Nasa pagmumukha mo na na ginagawa kang kabit." Shelby's face turned sour with her own words but she has to say it to in still some sense into Iris' rationality.

"Shelby, enough." She breathed not being able to fight back the tears that were at bay since awhile ago. "Enough, please." She begged and her words sounded so helpless.

Shelby sighed trying to calm her nerves and sat down beside Iris who is now shedding tears with the hurtful words and facts that Shelby has laid.

"I'm sorry but it seems that you have to hear it. Gusto lang kita iiwas na masaktan this early, Aye. Habang maaga pa, save yourself." Shelby hugged the latter who is by now sniffling not able to contain her tears.

"I don't think I can do that, Shelly." The younger doctor mumbled between sobs which made Shelby stop from rubbing her back.

"Don't tell me may nangyari na sa inyo?" Shelby's voice was cold and conveys conviction on getting back to that one person that's causing pain to her best friend.

"Almost." Iris can't help it but to be honest as she was so vulnerable at the moment.

"WHAT THE FUCK, IRIS! THAT BASTARD!" Iris felt that Shelby's anger has inflated and there's no way to pull her out of it unless she project it towards that person it's supposed to receive her wrath.

"Calm down, it was my fault. I swear!" Iris lied to protect Kim from gathering another red flag from her best friend and she can't think of any other way to dissolve Shelby's anger.

"And why did you even let it happen? Ni wala nga kayong label then you let it progress into that?" She kept her words not being able to come up with anything on how to explain why they ended up on the situation that night.

"She apologized for it." Iris drawled with what she was able to come up with which earned another level of flame ready to roast Kim alive.

"Iris, don't tell me isang apology lang, tatanggapin mo agad siya with open arms?" Her frustration was increasingly piling up apparently as time goes by and there's no denying, Kim is first on her ekis list.

Iris did not bother to answer because what was said, all of it, was true instead, she smiled sadly.

"I love her already." Those words echoed in the room and fell into an unwilling silence drowning every ounce of rebuttals from the latter coz she knows well that once the younger doctor falls in love and make up her mind, there's no way in pulling her out of it unless it's her who decides to walk away in her own willingness.