A Lover of Rain

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:

It took a few minutes for my brain to register what I just heard. Maya confessed her feelings to a sick delirious Jae only for him to say our other friend's name. I watched her go back and forth as we went to the kitchen to make sense of what just happened. It's as if Maya is already losing her mind. She then took out her phone and started calling someone.

"What are you doing?" I asked in a panic.

"Calling Shay, I need to talk to her about this." She said, her lips were trembling.

"Don't!" I grabbed her phone and ended the call when I realized what she's about to do. "I want you to think, Maya. This is Shay we're talking about–that person who only loved one person in her life, and you know about it. Kung alam nya na gusto sya ni Jae, don't you think she would have told you about that? And what's to say she even likes him back, if she already has Jacob? Sige, isipin mo nga." I held her on her shoulders to make her look at me, only to find tears forming in her eyes. She covered her face with her trembling hands before falling into my arms as she sobbed.

"I just feel so stupid," I stroked her hair to calm her down, "How could I not have seen that?"

"I like Jae... more than everybody knows. Bakit hindi na lang ako?" Maya stuttered as she said these words. The way she was struggling to say it out loud made my heart ache for her. It's not like I don't understand how she feels... of all people, I'm the only one who can understand how painful it is to find out that the person you gave your heart to doesn't even want it.

She couldn't stop herself from sobbing, and I couldn't do anything but to hug her tight so she knows she's not alone. We suddenly heard the front door open, making Maya fix herself even though her eyes were already puffy and red. Maya didn't have the strength to find out who entered the house so I went out of the kitchen to look instead, where I found Yohan standing next to Jae, checking all the medicines laid out on the table. It took Yohan a few seconds to notice me standing near him, but when our eyes met it got so big like he had just seen a ghost in front of him.

"Magugunaw na ba yung mundo?" Yohan asked while pointing at me. "Ikaw nag-alaga kay Jae?"

He's in disbelief while staring at my face. I shook my head before gesturing to him to come with me. But before we went into the kitchen where a distraught Maya is hiding, I caught him up to what happened regarding Jae calling out Shay's name in his sleep, that made him step backwards; his head full of thoughts. "Why? Did you know something?" I asked, almost in a whisper.

"Gusto pa rin nya si Shay?" Yohan asked, his eyes focused.

I paused, "Pa rin? You know he has feelings for Shay?"

Yohan sighed before brushing his hair upwards in frustration. "Matagal na 'yon, okay. Nung sophomore year pa nya nagustuhan si Shay pero meron syang boyfriend nung mga panahon na 'yon kaya walang ginawa si Jae... hindi ko naman alam na hanggang ngayon may feelings pa rin sya."

Sophomore year. That was the time Maya started liking Jae as well. During those times, Jae would say he's not ready to be in a relationship to focus on his studies and basketball but finding out he has secret feelings for Shay during that time makes me think he's just saying it as an excuse because he couldn't have her. My brain started aching from all the revelations and realizations I'm having. Why do our lives become complicated all of a sudden?

Before I could even form a word, Maya peeked from the kitchen as she probably heard us talking. Yohan walked up to her, only looking at Maya's puffy eyes. For the first time, I witnessed Yohan touch her face to make her look at him realizing that the girl he likes cried because of his best friend. Maya grabbed his hand to remove it away from her face before showing us a warm smile contrary to what she really feels. "I'm okay, really." She breathed in, but her nose was stuffed.