KOI NO YOKAN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

"What are you doing here?"

The smile displayed on Jathen's lips disappeared instantly when he saw the person sitting on the stairs on the way to his apartment.

His hand found the railings and held tightly as his other hand dropped on his side.

The lingering happiness from this day slowly disappears and he feels his chest tightening.

"J-jath.." Xanthe slowly stood up, staring at the birthday boy, her hands down the hem of her shirt and she swallowed.

"Anong ginagawa mo dito?" he repeated.

Breathless he stared at the woman in front of him.

"I... I don't know," she whispered and her eyes dropped.

"You don't know?" he said in disbelief as he watched her stare at her fumbled hands, his eyes seeing the diamond ring on her finger.

"I... I guess I just wanna say happy birthday." her trembling voice lingered in his ears and his eyes instantly stung.

"Alam ba ng asawa mong nandito ka?" he asked sternly and had the courage to walk past through her and opened the door of his apartment.

"Jath, don't be like that." She chuckled out of embarrassment and watched Jathen's back step inside the apartment.

She sniffed and shook her head, it was a mistake going here.

"Jathen."

"What do you want, Xanthe?" He harshly put the keys on the coffee table, put his hands in his pockets, and faced her.

She entered the house and slowly closed the door behind her.

"I shouldn't have come here, I know it's a mistake, I was just drinking with some officemates and I thought maybe I could see you," his lips parted when he saw her crying, his chest tightened a little bit more and his mind went blank.

"Why?" a tear fell from her eyes and her lips parted.

"Why? You don't have any business seeing me anymore, you married someone else." he shook his head when he saw her step backward.

"I loved you first." Jathen stopped breathing for a moment.

He observed her, maybe she was just drunk, maybe she was just really drunk.

"You left me!" He took a step backward too when he heard himself, he shook his head and stepped away, enough distance from her to be safe.

"Jathen.."

"Stop calling my name, you lost the right to do so."

His hand found his chest and placed it there hoping that the simple gesture could help the pain subside. He started to feel difficulty breathing, his getting dizzy.

"I loved you first."

"Yes, and you hurt me first!"

Xanthe closes her eyes and shakes her head, she doesn't know what she was doing here, she didn't know where the corsage came from, but she remembers as she takes the first shot tonight, all she can think of is Jathen.

"Pinagpalit mo ako! I waited for you for seven years, and the first thing you did when you showed up was to invite me to your freaking wedding! Tao ka ba, ha? Tao ka ba? Tapos ngayon magpapakita ka sa akin at sasabihin mo una mo 'kong minahal?"

He felt a tear falling down his cheek and his hand wiped it harshly, he shook his head and created a distance, he automatically felt the pain in his throat with all the shouting.