How To Move On In Two Weeks

XV. - Eight Day -

Richard woke up the next morning with a massive headache. He groaned and slowly sat up, only to see Maine packing her things inside her bag. Richard rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands and asked her what she was doing.

"Uuwi na tayo, pack your bags."

"What? Why?!" he asked, fixing his position. Richard then stood up and placed both of his hands on his waist. Maine breathed a sigh and turned to face him.

"Seriously? You're still asking the question? Do you even know what you did last night?" she asked him. Richard thought about it hard but he couldn't remember.

"No." he finally muttered.

"Well ... you said you miss Claire and that makikipag-balikan ka sa kaniya kapag may chance na."

"But I was drunk! I say a lot of shit when I'm drunk!" he argued.

"Yun na nga problema eh, lasing ka. Kapag lasing ang isang tao marami siyang nasasabing walang sense. But at the same time, pwede rin niyang masabi kung ano talaga ang nararamdaman niya. And that's what I felt with you. This whole trip was a wrong idea. Masyado pang maaga, of course you won't be able to move on. One crucial part of the process is time, and I misjudged that. I'm not mad, Richard. Ayoko na lang na magsayang pa nang oras."

"What about your job?"

"I'll think of a way through it, like I always do."

"Let me help you."

"You can help me by taking me back to Manila."

Richard tried to protest but she completely shut him out. He just let out a defeated sigh and went back to his bed. He grabbed a towel and took a quick shower before he went out of the room to get some coffee.

When he returned, half of his stuff was already packed too. Richard took a deep breath and gathered the rest of his things before Maine could shove them inside his bag. Less than an hour later, they left the resort and headed towards the expressway that will lead them back to Manila.

No one said or did anything the entire drive time. Richard wanted to convince Maine that they can still make it work but her coldness made it impossible to do so. He knew pushed her over the limit, he knew he just wasted her time.

"This is me." She whispered as soon as they returned to the waiting shed where their journey together officially started.

"Let me drive you home, para hindi ka na gumastos."

"Richard, I can buy a car if I want to. But I don't. And I certainly don't need your help. Thanks na lang" She replied. Maine gathered her bags and closed the car door. Richard's lips formed a straight line. He waved and drove away from her.

--

Maine went back to her apartment with a frown on her face. She wanted to stay in the resort, she wanted to finish their plan, and she wanted to help him move on. But the previous night was the last straw for her. She felt like her efforts were taken for granted. However, Maine realized she couldn't fully lash out at him for she herself had a firsthand experience of how hard it is to move on from someone she previously considered as her life.

"I missed you." Maine whispered to her bed. A few minutes later, she sat up and called her friend.

"Hello? Camille?" she asked as soon as the ringing stopped and her call was picked up.

"Oi ... hi ... buhay ka pala ... what's up?"

"I'm back in Manila na. Kumusta sa office?"

"Eto .... Maganda pa din, as usual. Nakakasawa na nga eh."

"Camille?"

"What?"

"Kung batukan kaya kita jan. Office yung tinatanong ko, hindi ikaw."

"Sorry naman, okay lang yung office. Andito pa din sa building hindi pa din nililipat."

"Ohmaygahd."

"Bakit nasa Manila ka na ulit? Diba dapat two weeks kayo?"

"I failed." Maine replied miserably.

"What? But you never fail."

"I know, right?"

"But Maine ..."

"Oh?"

"Bakit parang disappointed ka?"

"Siyempre yung trabaho ko."

"Yun lang ba? Bakit parang na-in love ka din sa kaniya?"

"Ugh, ewan ko sa'yo." Maine replied before ending the call. She threw her phone on the pillow and it bounced towards the bed. She sighed and covered her face with both of her hands.

"Bakit ka pa kasi nahulog sa kaniya eh."

--

"Dude, glad you're back. But what the fuck are you doing here? Di ba dapat next week ka pa?" Tristan asked as soon as he entered the restaurant.

"It didn't work." Richard replied. He finally remembered the words Claire told him during the call the day before. She came clean and revealed the real reason for their breakup. After learning that she pushed him away because she was sick, Richard thought he would feel better and it would ease some of the pain. But it didn't, instead, it only made him feel worse. Claire's confession prompted Richard to see himself as an unworthy and useless boyfriend to her. He didn't notice she was sick; he wasn't able to protect her.

"Hoy!" Tristan yelled. Richard blinked and looked at him.

"What?" he asked.

"I asked you what happened."

"It failed ... I failed ... I failed her."

"Maine?"

"Maine and Claire ... both of them."

"Maine didn't fully fail though." Tristan uttered with a grin on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Wala ka nang hugot ngayon ah?"

"Ugh, fuck you man." Richard replied and his friend laughed.

"So ... what's your plan now?"

"I don't know."

"Are you gonna meet up with Claire again?"

"I think that's what I should do."

--

"Claire, why would you do that? How many times do I have to tell you na hayaan mo na si Richard?" her mom asked. She took a deep breath and sat on the side of her bed.

"He deserves to know the truth, Mom. That's the least I can do for him."

"The least you can do? Honey, you broke his heart already. Ngayong sinabi mo na ang totoo, naisip mo ba na baka pilitin niyang bumalik sa buhay mo? You know exactly why you had to break up with him. Akala ko ba you love him so much you won't let him waste his own life on you? Para sa kaniya yung ginawa mo Claire. You left him for his own good."

"Did I? Kasi parang namatay na rin ako nung iniwan ko siya eh. Mom, he was supposed to propose nung nakipag-break ako. I shattered his heart ... completely. I know he hates me, Mom. And I also know na hindi na siya makikipag-balikan. Have you seen the pictures? The girl he was with? Have you seen his smile? Whoever that girl is, she put his broken pieces back together. She fixed him."

"But you broke him again, Claire." Her mother replied in a slightly softer tone.

"I have to, Mom. Kasi kahit ano pang gawin ko ... kahit pilitin ko pa... I can't forget him. I needed to tell him the truth to see if we're really meant for each other. And kung hindi man kami sa huli, at least I told him everything. I fully set him free ... walang maiiwan na tanong sa isip niya."

"Kapag tumawag siya anong gagawin mo? Babalikan mo siya?"

"Don't worry mom, I have a plan."

--

what is Claire's plan?

Stay tuned! Last FIVE chapters na :)