Unfinished Hearts

Chapter 5 - The Confrontation

I arrived at the park a little earlier than usual, my heart racing in her chest. Hindi ako nakatulog nung gabing nag message sya, my mind swirling with questions about Anna’s message. What did she want to talk about? Was she ready to face her feelings, or was this another goodbye?

As I sat on a bench near the familiar tree where me and Anna used to meet, my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. I turned, and there she was - Anna, looking just as unsure as she felt.

“Hey,” Anna said quietly, standing a few steps away. She shifted nervously, unsure of how to begin.

I stood up slowly, trying to smile, though my heart felt heavy. “Hey,” I replied, nanginginig kong boses na tila ba ay kinakabahan.

Anna took a deep breath before walking over to sit next to me. The two of us were silent for a moment, just letting the calm of the park surround them. I glanced at Anna, iniisip ko kung may sasabihin ba sya, but the words didn’t come.

“I’ve been thinking a lot,” Anna started, her voice quiet and hesitant. “About everything. About satin. And about the way things have turned out.”

I nodded, my stomach turning. “I’ve been thinking about that too.”

Anna’s gaze shifted to the ground. “I’ve made so many mistakes, Thea. Hindi ko alam kung saan ako mag sisimula.”

I remained silent, waiting for Anna to continue. My mind was racing did Anna feel the same way? Mag so sorry ba siya? But part of me was scared to hope too much.

“tinulak kita palayo when you needed me the most,” Anna said, her voice breaking slightly. “And I didn’t understand how much it hurt you. I was so caught up in trying to fix everything with Mark that I didn’t realize what I was losing. I thought I needed him, but the truth is... I still need you.”

My heart skipped a beat. Hindi ko ine expect na sasabihin nya yon. I wasn’t sure what to say in return, part of me was relieved, pero part sakin na natatakot ako. Could they really fix things?

“I... I don’t know, Anna,” bulong ko. “hindi ko alam if I can just go back to how things were before. Nasaktan ako ng sobra. Nasaktan MO AKO ng sobra, Anna. And I can’t keep pretending like everything is fine when it’s not.”

Anna’s eyes widened, a look of guilt washing over her face. “alam ko. I don’t expect you to just forgive me right away. Pero gusto kong subukan, Thea. Gusto kong ayusin kung anong meron tayo, if you’ll let me.”

I took a deep breath, my mind struggling to find clarity. Hindi naman ako tumigil na mahaalin sya. But there was so much pain between us now. Could we really rebuild what we once had?

“You hurt me, sinaktan moko, Anna” I repeated, my voice trembling slightly. “Pero... Hindi ako tumigil na mahalin ka, Anna. I don’t know what to do with that.”

Anna reached out slowly, her hand trembling as she placed it gently on mine. “I know I don’t deserve you. Alam kong nag kamali ako. But I’m not asking for things to go back to the way they were. I’m asking for a chance to try again. To be better... for you.”

For a moment, I just stared at their hands, the warmth of Anna’s touch sending a rush of emotions through me. I could feel the sincerity in Anna’s words, pero may part sakin na gusto kong lumayo. It was hard to trust again, hard to believe that things could be different.

“I don’t know if I can just forget everything,” I said quietly, my voice thick with emotion. “But I don’t want to lose you again.”

Anna nodded, her eyes filled with regret. “I don’t want to lose you either. I’m willing to fight for you, Thea. I’ll wait for as long as it takes. Papatuanayan ko sayo na kaya kong maging isang tayo na deserve mo."

The silence that followed was heavy, but for the first time in weeks, I felt a flicker of hope. I didn’t know if we could fix everything overnight, but I wanted to try. I had always loved Anna, and maybe just maybe we could find our way back to each other.

“Wag tayong mag madali,” I said softly, finally looking Anna in the eyes. “I’m not saying everything is okay, pero walang masamang sumubok.”

Anna’s face lit up with relief. “Thank you, Thea. I promise I won’t mess this up.”

We sat there in silence for a moment, both of us processing everything that had been said. My heart was still fragile, but a part of me believed that they could figure this out, one step at a time.

As the days went on, Me and Anna slowly started to rebuild our relationship. Hindi yun madali, and there were moments where the past would surface, making things feel awkward or painful. But we both made an effort to communicate more, to be there for each other in a way they hadn’t been before.

Meanwhile, Ray noticed the change in me. He had seen the distance between them growing, and though he had hoped things would work out, he knew that Thea’s heart wasn’t fully with him. He wasn’t angry, but he knew it was time to let go.

One evening, Ray and I met at a cafe. He smiled at her, though there was a sadness in his eyes. “Sa tingin ko ito na yung tamang oras para mag usap tayo” he said gently.

I nodded, already knowing what was coming. “Ray, I’m really sorry. I care about you, I do, but my heart isn’t in this relationship anymore.”

Ray smiled softly, even though it was clear that it hurt. “I figured as much. It’s okay, Thea. Gusto ko na sumaya ks And if that means being with someone else, then I’m okay with that.”

I was relieved that Ray wasn’t angry, but I couldn’t help but feel guilty. I had tried to move on, but deep down, I knew where my heart truly belonged.

Meanwhile, Anna was still working through her own issues with Mark. She had tried to move on from him, but it wasn’t easy. Mark wasn’t interested in having a serious relationship anymore, and even though he kept sending mixed signals, Anna couldn’t hold on to false hope. She had to face the fact that he didn’t love her the way she had loved him.

But the hardest part was realizing that she had pushed away the one person who truly cared for her—Thea.

The future was uncertain for me and Anna, but for the first time in a long while, we felt like we were on the same path again, ready to face whatever came on our way.