The Roommate Situation

Chapter 9

Alex

"Alex, can we talk?"

Four words. That's all it took for me to spiral back into madness. My phone felt heavier in my hand as I started at the message, her small picture next to her name was smiling at me. Kelsey. Matapos ang apat na buwan ng radio silence, ba't naman kaya biglang gusto niyang makipag-usap?

Pabalik-balik akong naglakad sa kwarto ko, sinusubukang ikalma ang isipan. The pacing didn't help. The memories of the past flooded back, clear as day.

Kelsey was standing in the middle of our LA apartment. She looked composed, almost detached, like she wasn't shattering the life we'd built together with a few words.

"We need to breakup," she said, her voice steady but soft, as if saying it gently would make it hurt less.

I didn't speak. I was just staring at her, my eyes burning.

"This isn't what I want anymore, Alex. I'm sorry. I don't think we're right for each other."

"That's it?" My voice cracked, raw with disbelief. "After four years, Kelsey? That's all you have to say? You don't think we're right for each other?"

Her jaw tightened, but she didn't meet my eyes. "I've been feeling this way for a while," she admitted. "I tried to push through it, but I can't anymore. I'm sorry."

A cold weight settled in my chest. "You're sorry?" I echoed. My hands clenched into fists at my sides. "It took you four years to figure out I'm not what you want?"

"Alex, don't do this," she pleaded, finally looking at me. Her voice wavered for the first time. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I just... I need to move on."

I felt my throat tighten, the ache spreading through me like poison. "I thought you wanted a future with me."

"I thought so too," she whispered. "But I don't anymore."

Her words were like a punch to the gut. I didn't know what else to say, what else to do. Kelsey had already made up her mind, and nothing I could say would change it.

I turned away, my eyes burning as I stared out the window. The city stretched out in front of us, endless and indifferent.

When I finally spoke, my voice was quiet. "Fine. If this is what you want, then go."

She didn't reply. That same day, she left with a suitcase of everything she owned, but it felt like she took half of me with her.

'Yung sumunod na nabalitaan ko na lang, may nahanap na agad siyang iba one month into our breakup. A month. By the time I even began to process our split, she was already posting smiling pictures with someone else on Instagram. Three months later, she was engaged.

And now this?

"Ano bang gusto niya?" tanong ko sa sarili ko. Napahilamos na lang ako ng mukha. Kung anu-ano nang tumatakbo sa isip ko. May nangyari ba sa kanila ng fiancé niya? Nagsisisi na ba siyang iniwan niya 'ko?

I shoved the phone in my pocket, refusing to reply. 7 PM na at kailangan ko pang pumasok s trabaho. I can't really afford to carry this emotional baggage into a 12-hour shift.

Paglabas ko ng kwarto, nakita ko si Gracie sa kusina na pine-prepare ang work lunch ko. I try thinking about happy thoughts to get the frown out of my face, but I couldn't. Napansin agad 'yun ni Gracie.

"Ba't nakasimangot ka?" tanong niya, habang sinasara ang takip ng tupperware ko.

I sighed, too agitated to play nice. "Nothing. Just a message I didn't need right now."

Tumaas ang kilay niya. "From who? Mama mo? Credit collector? Secret admirer?"

"None of your business." My tone came out sharper than I intended, and immediately, I regretted it.

Humarap si Gracie at inabot sa akin ang baon ko nang may kaakibat na lakas. Tumama iyon sa dibdib ko. "Sige. 'Di ko na tatanungin. Ayan na lunch mo. Bahala ka sa buhay mo."

I winced at her words, guilt creeping in, but I didn't apologize. I couldn't. The anxiety was too much, and I needed to leave before I said anything worse. "Thanks for the lunch," I muttered, grabbing the bag and heading out the door without looking back.

♡♡♡♡♡

Sinubukan kong mag-focus na lang sa trabaho, pero hindi ko talaga kaya. Parang lahat na lang ng ginagawa ko may mali. Agad 'yun napansin ng senior nurse ko na si Diane.

"Okay ka lang?" tanong niya nang muntik ko nang mabitawan ang hawak kong syringe.

I forced a tight smile. "Yup. Kulang lang sa tulog."

Hindi siya kumbinsido, pero hinayaan niya na lang. I tried—really tried—to pull myself together. But the DM was like an itch I couldn't scratch, lingering in the back of my mind and refusing to let me think straight.

Ilang araw pa ang lumipas at hindi ko pa rin nire-replyan 'yung message ni Kelsey. I left her on seen. Kung anu-anong distractions ang ginawa ko. Halos mag-unli OT ako sa trabaho. Parang kulang pa 'yung 12-hour shift ko, parang kailangan ko nang gawing 16 hours.

I kept on pushing the thoughts at the back of my mind, but one day, all my anxiety seemed to have manifest in real life.

♡♡♡♡♡

Mataas na ang sikat ng araw nang makauwi ako sa apartment. Lutang nanaman ang utak ko sa pagod at puyat, pero lahat ng 'yon biglang nawala nang makita ko siya.

Si Kelsey.

Nakaupo siya sa sala. Next to her, Thor wagged his tail like nothing was wrong, letting out a happy bark at the sight of me. My golden retriever. We got Thor in the beginning of our relationship, but I got full custody when we broke up. So I think it's just fair to say that he's mine.

"Thor?" I breathed, my exhaustion replaced with a rush of disbelief.

Tinignan ako ni Kelsey at ngumiti ng bahagya. Walang nagbago sa itsura niya. Perfect hair, perfect makeup. She's still the Kelsey I knew.

"She showed up about an hour ago," Gracie's voice echoed in the apartment living room. Lumingon ako sa pwesto niya at nakita ko siyang nakatayo malapit sa kwarto niya. "Hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko so I let her in. She said it was important."

My attention flicked back to Kelsey, my jaw tightening. "What are you doing here? And how do you have Thor?"

"I brought him back for you. I asked your mom." Kelsey said simply, like this was all completely normal. Like flying all the way from California to Philippines is completely normal after a 4-month long radio silence. Like it wasn't her who I was trying to escape from.

Halo-halo ang emosyon ko. Masaya ako na kasama ko na si Thor matapos ang ilang buwang pag-aayos ng mga papeles niya, pero hindi ko aakalain na sa ganitong paraan ko siya makikita. I can't believe my mom let her. I've always thought she wanted me to move on. Just why?

"You—what?" I couldn't process it.

Kelsey placed a hand on Thor's head, stroking his fur. "I thought I could help. He's our dog. I wanted to make things right."

Thor padded over to me, nudging his nose against my leg. I crouched down, running a hand through his fur, still trying to make sense of it all.

"Right, he's our dog." I muttered sarcastically. My focus snapped back to Kelsey. "Why now?"

Huminga ng malalim si Kelsey, pero bago pa siya makasagot, lumipat ang tingin ko kay Gracie.

She was watching me with a look I couldn't quite place—hurt, maybe, or something close to it. It was the same look I'd seen in my own reflection when Kelsey told me she was leaving.

I knew that sadness all too well.

And just like that, I realized: this wasn't just about Kelsey showing up.

It was about Gracie too.