Cold as Ice

K A B A N A T A 28 //

Talk Me Down

Hindi ko alam kung paano pero nakabalik ako sa hotel na tutuluyan namin.

I checked the boys' room. Wala na ang gamit ni Raph. I ran to the parking lot pero wala na rin ang kotse niya. It hit me. Hard. We are over. Well of course we are over. Years of relationship down the drain. Ang sakit ng ginawa ko sa kanya.

Nanlambot ang tuhod ko kaya napaupo ako sa sidewalk.

What have I done? We have been together for so many years at ito ang igaganti ko sa kanya? I can only imagine how crushed he is right now. He was thinking of spending the rest of his life with me, when all along I wasn't even sure if I wanted to be with him at all.

Ang sama ko. Ang sama sama ko.

Sa sobrang dami ng luha ko, I thought it was raining. But it was only my stupid tears. Nakakatawa. You must look so pathetic right now, Erin. Hell.

"What are you doing?"

As if on cue, he is right behind me. There is something weird about the way Aeron finds me when I need him most. 'Yung parang nasesense niya whenever I am in trouble. It's unreal. Pure happenstance.

"None of your business." I mumbled. I angrily wiped my tears.

"I guess he did it huh?" Aeron asked. "And failed?"

"Anong sinasabi mo diyan?" I huffed. I glanced at him and he had a smirk on his lips.

"He proposed." He said casually. "And you turned him down because as I said... you are still in love with me."

Aeron sat beside me in the sidewalk. This is quite a sight. Naka-tux pa siya at ako naman ay suot ang maduming bridesmaid dress ko. He looked very dashing while I just look wasted. Very gently, he put his arm around my shoulders.

"I am not in love with you." sabi ko at inirapan siya.

"Right." He said, amused.

"I love Raph." I said.

"Uh-huh. Then why did you say no?" He asked.

Fck. Ano na ngayon, Erin?

"Don't worry." He said. "I am not gonna ask you to be with me. Not right away. I'm going to wait for a while. Sanay naman akong maghintay eh."

"Why did you wait?" I asked.

I hate to admit it but after all these years, Aeron became more handsome. He has a strong jaw and red lips. His eyes are dark and cold, but when he looks at me they light up. His thick brows are furrowed. With his looks, he could get anyone. I bet all this time, ilang babae na ang naikama niya.

"You are worth waiting for, Erin Mendoza." He smiled. "In fact, I live for the day that I can call you Erin de la Fuente."

I shook my head, smiling.

Maybe someday. But not yet.

"Erin!" Isang natatarantang sigaw ang narinig ko.

I looked behind us and saw our friends running. They all had panicked expressions on their faces. My insides felt hollow. Tila may nangyaring sobrang sama.

"It's Raph." Kriessa said.

***

I immediately pushed through the swinging doors of the emergency room. Hinarangan agad ako ng mga nurse dahil hindi ako authorized personnel. I caught a glimpse of Raph on the bed. He was bleeding bad. There was blood all over the floor! The doctors were rushing all around him. He had an oxygen mask. May crash cart sa tabi, it looks like it had been used. What the hell.