Little Things in a Forbidden Love

VIII. TO RECONCILE OR SAY GOODBYE?

DAWN ZULUETA.

"Hello?" I uttered as I picked up the phone. Though I was mad at Richard, I couldn't deny I hoped for no hanging up this time.

Like echoes across a canyon, Richard's familiar voice hit the telephone line. "Dawn?" he called.

"Yes?" I responded emptily as I crumpled into the bed.

"Are you busy? How are you?" Richard asked.

"No and fine," I forced to sound bored and uninterested. I feigned that though, trying to make him feel guilty.

"Uhm, D-d...a....wn," he stuttered a bit. "About what happened..."

"Oh that?" I interrupted. "That's just one big mistake I know, and that's perfectly fine. A mistake and put the blame on me, too," I told him sarcastically.

"No, Dawn. You have to listen. I am sorry. Please don't be mad anymore, ok?"

As I heard those words, I remembered the way he pushed me away that day, and that he never even dared to chase me down. It was so painful and distracting that I unconsciously left Richard waiting on the line.

RICHARD GOMEZ.

"Dawn, are you still there? Dawn?" I checked, as I heard no more than a sound I couldn't decipher.

"Yes, I am still here. What else do you have to say?!?" she finally responded.

My pulse skipped as I heard her voice again. "Oh thanks you're still there. I thought I lost you! But wait, are you crying, Dawn?" I got intrigued as I heard her sniff. Then she sniffed again, making me feel worried. I could also hear some movement on her end. And from what I made up in my mind, Dawn was in her bed grabbing something - Kleenex or so.

"No, I'm fine. It's not as if you care, right?" she replied in a bit irate tone.

In the most charming tone of voice I had, I said "Dawn, please. I know I hurt you and that's why I called. That's why I am talking to you right now. Will you ever forgive me?"

She sighed upon hearing those words, maybe sensing what I had in mind. "Hmmm... Well, okay. Thanks for calling, Richard. But what took you so long?" she popped, now more collected and calm than she was in the beginning.

"Listen to me, Dawn. When you left the condo, I tried to follow you. But when I made it to the bedroom, you were already gone. Things happened so fast!" I explained.

"So you let me go just like that?!? ...and didn't call or text me at all?" she followed up.

"Calm down, Dawn. Listen," I requested as I got up. "Just like you, I was hurt too. We feel the same way because we are in the same situation. It's hard for both of us, you know," I told her. "So I thought we needed some space and time to think. If we talked back then, we would have been so fired up. You would have cried. It won't work then. Do you get it, Dawn?" I added, trying to convince her.

Then she breathed on the line, maybe trying to get her thoughts together. But I sensed that she struggled on that as she reacted with just a brief okay.

"OKAY? Is that all you can say? Please, Dawn. Please," I begged.

"WHAT?!? What else do you want me to say?" Her irritation rasped in her voice. And as dead air filled the moment, I knew exactly where the conversation was going. Remembering our petty quarrels before, Dawn would always behave like this. She would talk to me with her one-liners or would not at all. All I needed to do was be dear to her and speak with such soft and alluring voice I mastered through the years. It's still going to work, Richard, dictated my inside.