One for Three

Chapter 24

The pressure on my shoulder tightened, and I felt him turning me towards him. An intense feeling washed over me as I looked into his big eyes. My heart started pounding wildly because now the moment had come. With the back of my hand, I wiped the tears from my cheeks as a wave of fear washed over me. But there was no turning back anymore. Carefully, I reached for his hand and sought his gaze. I felt the tears welling up again and fought against them, trying to get rid of them.

"Darling, what was that just now?" he asked me. "Can we sit down? I need to explain a lot to you," I sobbed softly.

Instantly, I felt the tears wanting to resurface, and I tried to blink them away. Seiya nodded, and we sat down side by side on the edge of the bed. I had a heavy lump in my stomach, and my throat burned. Seiya still seemed oblivious, and what I was about to reveal to him would shatter him. I didn't even know where to begin.

Gently, he cupped my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes again. I could still see love and kindness in his eyes, and it intensified my feeling of guilt and despair. "So? What do you have to tell me?" he asked calmly.

Nervously, I ran my intact hand through my hair and let out a heavy breath as I tried to find the right words. That wasn't easy at all. "Seiya, do you remember our first encounter and what I said back then? On the plane, I told you that I was taken, and that was the truth. I was on my way to see my boyfriend Mamoru in Seattle."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and I could see his brain working hard to grasp the connections. "The doctor who was here just now, that was Mamoru..."

Seiya opened his mouth to say something, but I interrupted him. "... No, please let me finish. If you interrupt me now, I don't know if I'll find the courage to tell you the truth again... Mamoru and I... we were together for three years back then, and then he had to go to Seattle for work. The plan was for him to stay there for 18 months. At least that's what he told me, claiming it was work-related. But recently, I found out that he's seriously ill and has been undergoing treatment there. However, he kept that from me. Well, he was gone for five months back then, and on my way to see him, I ended up sitting next to you on the plane. Do you know how crazy you drove me?" Despite the difficult situation, I had to laugh briefly, even though I didn't feel like it at all. "When I found that huge bouquet of flowers at my door after my vacation and the invitation to dinner, I actually didn't want to come. But Minako advised me to, so I could finally get out of the house. I had firmly decided to tell you right at the beginning that I was taken and that it was only a friendly meeting for me... But you looked at me with such radiance... and then, when you said that you knew I had made up my boyfriend to reject you, that's when I lost the courage to tell you the truth. You enchanted me, and that happened right from the first moment."

I cautiously reached out my fingers towards his and lifted my gaze. However, Seiya withdrew from my touch. He was shocked by what he had just learned.

"So... so you were still with him all this time? With both of us at the same time?" he asked with a broken voice.

Sadness filled my gaze as I lowered my eyes. "Yes," I murmured meekly.

Seiya stood up and began pacing around the room. His face displayed the deep pain my words had caused him, not just my words, but also what I had done. I also stood up and took a step towards him.

"Seiya... I'm sorry. For everything," I said with a trembling voice as he moved back from me.

"But you just said you love me!" His voice turned colder.

"That's true."

"And what about him?" Seiya whispered. I had never seen him like this. He had always been a cheerful person, and now there was nothing left of that. Before me stood a broken man.

"I don't know. He only returned yesterday; I haven't seen him in 10 months. We only spoke on the phone, if at all. Believe me, that's the worst part for me, not being able to give you an answer because I don't have one myself."

Seiya stopped and looked over at me. I could clearly see how deeply I had hurt him in his eyes, his expression, and his posture. His entire demeanor had changed. I took another step towards him. "Seiya... please believe me. You mean a lot to me. I don't want to lose you."

Once again, he backed away. "And apparently him too! Isn't that the point? I think it's better if I leave now. Take some time to figure out what you want... and I need time to think as well."

Tears welled up again as Seiya turned to leave. "Seiya, please stay," I sobbed after him. His head was lowered, but he shook it as he passed through the door. I was alone. Completely alone. Diamond, Mamoru, and Seiya were all gone. An overwhelming emptiness reached out its fingers towards me and enveloped me. I slid from the bed to the floor, trembling, and embraced my knees with my arms. I had lost everything.

I don't know how long I sat there, letting my tears flow freely, but it was already dark when I felt a touch on my shoulder. Hesitantly, I raised my head, which had now sunk to my knees. Minako looked down at me with sadness in her eyes, then sat down next to me and pulled me into her arms. She knew what had just happened here, that I couldn't talk about it yet, and that I needed a strong shoulder right now. She was the best friend one could wish for. When I finally pulled away from her embrace, she already had a tissue ready. She didn't push me to tell her anything. She simply looked at me, the sobbing mess, and was there. She was there for me, no matter what mess I had made.

"They're all gone," I sobbed.

Mina nodded. "Yes, Seiya was completely distraught when he picked up his suitcase from Yaten. That's why I came here right away. I suspected something like this. Mamoru and Seiya now know about each other. What a mess."

Her arm still rested around my shoulders, and I leaned my head against her shoulder.

"Mina, I messed everything up. What do I do now?"

Comfortingly, Minako patted my head. "Talk to them, openly and honestly... but give them a few days to think about everything. We'll figure it out together, and if we don't, you still have me."

How did I deserve such a loyal friend? She didn't judge me; instead, she tried to look forward together with me. Despite all the chaos I had created, she was still sitting next to me. Suddenly, my phone rang. From the tone, I could tell it was a message. Trembling and with weak knees, I stood up. Somewhat clumsily, I unlocked the screen. Seiya. Helplessness and a sense of emptiness engulfed my chest once again.

> I'll be staying with Taiki for a while. You can go home.<

Taiki, huh? By choosing to stay with Taiki, he wanted to make sure I wouldn't show up at his door, as I could easily find Yaten's address through Mina. I sat down on the bed, trying to compose a response to Seiya, but I couldn't find the right words. I kept typing, only to delete everything seconds later. Nothing seemed fitting. I didn't want him to move out of his apartment because of me. I was fine with the little... the one he thought was terminated. Great, Usagi, you wanted to come clean.

I pressed the button with the green receiver, hoping that I would find the right words over the phone. Nervously, I raised the cellphone to my ear. It rang twice. I hung up. He was so deeply hurt that he didn't even want to talk to me.

Mina took the phone from my hand and turned it off. "Give him some time. He needs to process everything."

I closed my eyes and hugged her without warning. "Can you stay here tonight?" She stroked my back, and I felt her head nodding up and down. That was a yes. With her by my side, I knew I could get through the night.

Hours passed as I lay in Minako's arms, trying to sort out my thoughts. The silence of the night enveloped us, and only the occasional soft sobbing broke the stillness. Minako was patient and held me tightly, without saying a word.