Closing Time: 11 PM

23. Foolish Prides To Blame

When your heart

Won't tell your mind

To tell your mouth

What it should say

-As She's Walking Away, Zac Brown Band

#

He stood outside her house and was decided to put an end to the silence between them for the past few days. He would be leaving in two days and they still haven't talked.

She went out after three rings of the doorbell. She was surprised to see him and allowed him in. Her mother is inside her room while Krisanta and Karlo were busy watching TV. They greeted him as soon as he came in.

No one spoke for a long time and they were both staring at the screen blankly. After a while, her mother noticed that they weren't talking and so she called the two to go inside the room.

"I'm leaving in two days," he started as soon as they were out of earshot. They were seated on the couch.

"I know. Have a safe flight," she said.

Silence.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you, Chad," she pretended to laugh. "Why would I avoid you?"

"I don't know. Why are you doing what you are doing now?" he asked.

"What am I doing?" she pretended to be clueless. "I'm not doing anything. This is me. This is the same Kara you know."

"No. Tell me what you want."

"What I want? What else would I want?" she asked him back. "You have to go and I want you to go."

"Why did you go back to Adam all of a sudden? I don't understand it, Kara."

"What's so hard to understand Chad? You know from the start that I love him Chad and it has always been him. We did what we did because you wanted me to believe in myself again. I did it because I want to be with Adam again. We both got what we wanted," she told him.

"I don't believe any of what you said," he rebutted.

"Know what, it is not my business now to make you believe it," she disregarded him.

"I know you have something for me and I do too. Is that what you're waiting for? For me to tell you I love you? I'm telling you now. I love you. Now, break up with Adam," he told her sharply.

Alam ko. Ako din mahal kita pero hindi pwede dahil sa pamilya mo. Dahil sa inyo ni Raffy.

She smirked. "So that's how you do it? You tell me you love me then you tell me to break up with someone I am with then you go and leave me behind? Chad, kahit baliktarin natin ang mundo, aalis ka. Maiiwan ako. Hindi ko kaya yun," she said. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes.

"I would go back. I would go back for you and I wouldn't let you be far away from me," he said.

"It sounds easy but we both know that it isn't. Magkaiba tayo ng mundo at ng lugar na ginagalawan. You have a lot of responsibilities and I don't think I can take them," she lied.

"Kara, I don't get this. Seriously. I don't know what we are arguing about. I don't know what is running on your mind. I never made you feel that we are two worlds apart," he begged. "Tell me, was there ever a time that I made you feel we are different?"

He was so helpless making her believe him when he didn't know what she's feeling and what's running on her mind.

"Wala namang iba pang underlying reason pa na dapat pag-usapan. Simple lang naman 'to Chad," she said. "Gusto ko si Adam. Gusto mo ako, salamat. Salamat sa lahat ng ginawa mo para sa akin. If I felt anything for you, that's not enough for me to choose you."