Closing Time: 11 PM

30. Still Worth It All

We both know our own limitations

That's why we're strong

Now that we spent some time apart

We're leading each other out of the dark

-We Both Know, Gavin and Colbie Caillat

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"Was," he repeated. "That was me after Raffy and before you."

Kara was silent, urging him to further speak.

"I fell in love with Raffy because she was the jolliest woman, the smartest beautiful woman I met. She gave me a lot of things that I would forever treasure and though we have hurt each other at one point in our lives, I respected Raffy and I treat her with care. You see, I could consider her like my first love," he explained. "And I went here brokenhearted. I was the womanizer of the century. I wouldn't give you a count because I could not take note of the number of women I slept with. Then I went back to the Philippines. I saw her and I realized that she would always be like my Barbie doll. Always pretty and just... Awesome."

"And then I went to a Chinese restaurant one time, ate some fortune cookies and it read that I will be a blessing to others. Then I saw you again. I said to myself, Chad, this is it. There's nothing else to talk about. Talk to her. Then you brought me to that freaking counseling session. It was the stupidest thing I joined my entire life. We started the transformation, we spent a lot of time together and I was too dumb to realize that I'm falling in love. Again. With you. Trust me, it was an alien feeling."

"Why do you love me Chad?" she asked him.

"I don't know. I don't have any idea. Maybe it's the way you take things that make me want to take care of you," he shrugged. "I'm not sure. I just know that I fell in love with you when I caught you eating my cupcakes."

Kara laughed. "My God Chad, on what movie did you get that from?"

"It's a movie called You and Me," he answered seriously. Despite the darkness, Chad knew that Kara became serious after that. "I told you that girls come up to me here. When I saw you violating and doing something not so usual, I knew that there's something with you I would like. You even lived up to it."

"Kara, my main point here is that I love you, no doubt. I missed you and I just want to be with you. It was hard when I lost you for months. I just want you to be honest in telling me that you love me," he said.

She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. For lying to you about Adam, Chad."

He did not say anything.

"We weren't an item or anything like what I told you before. Yes, he wanted to court me again but I declined him, pushed him away," she admitted.

"Then why did you tell me that you reconciled?"

"Because I wanted you to stay away from me. My life was complicated enough for me that time and I could not afford another complication," she said. "I wasn't ready for anything back then. All I know is that this guy can give me so much more than what I wanted... I haven't asked but you gave me those things."

"Because that's how a woman should be treated if you love her," he said. "I wanted to do the same."

"Does this mean we're... You know?" she asked him. "I don't really know how you term it."

"Boyfriend, girlfriend? I guess so. I mean, I can't find any other words to term us. That still applies for people in their late twenties," he said, smiling.

She laughed. "So it is us then," she told him. Though she knew she would be facing something too tough, she was happy to take another step with him. Whatever complication the relationship would bring, she will cross it when she gets there. But for now, she just wants to be happy.