It's Always Been You | ✅

23: Sway

"WHAT'S WRONG? CAN'T WE FIX IT?" naiiyak na tanong sa kanya ni Chloe.

Nakatayo siya ngayon sa harap ng bahay nito. He wanted to clear things with her bago niya simulang i-pursue si Lorie. Ayaw naman niyang isipin nito na may gusto pa siya dito. He loves Lorie and seeing her with someone else just breaks his heart. Kung hindi man to mag-work out edi uulit-ulitin niya hanggang kaya niya, for the only girl who picked him first before anyone else, even herself.

"Wala naman tayong aayusin na Chloe. I admit na sinubukan kong subukan na pakisamahan ka uli. You were perfect back then pero our time is through. Hindi na natin dapat pang ipilit balikan yun kasi tapos na." He said.

"I'll work harder. I want to be with you more than anyone else." Tears started streaming down her face. "Let's fix this."

"Chloe," hindi niya alam ang sasabihin niya. Maybe he did lead her on by going out for lunch with her pero hindi niya naman yun ginagawa dahil kay Chloe. He was doing it to see Lorie. He was doing it cause he misses her so much.

Every day since that day when he came back from the States ay nasasaktan siya sa tuwing nakikita niyang lumalayo na sa kanya si Lorie. She made his world a whole lot bearable. He made him feel like he was the priority and that people can understand him too. Hindi niya alam kung bakit noong college sila ay hindi niya nakita yun? He was always her number one kahit na number whatever lang ito sa buhay niya.

"You love her?" She asked. "You love Lorie?"

"Chloe-"

"Tell me!" Sigaw nito.

"More than anything in the world." Pag-amin niya. Ngayon niya lang fully nasabi sa sarili kung gaano niya kamahal si Lorie. He knew that he needs her pero ngayon niya lang inamin ang level ng pagmamahal niya dito. Hindi niya alam kung kailan nagsimula pero alam niyang nararamdaman na niya. Noong una he wanted to let her have a normal life without a man like him who would possibly neglect her until she can no longer bear the pain pero ngayon iba na. If Lorie will give him a chance he would try, with blood and sweat, to give her time and love.

"Bakit naman ganun? Bakit ang unfair mo?" She said.

"I'm sorry." Sabi na lang ni Marcus.

"This is unacceptable. Why would you want her over me? Why her?" Sigaw nito.

"Because she's Lorie. She has always stood by me no matter what." That's the simplest explanation he can give to Chloe kasi narealize niya na simple lang naman talaga ang explanation. Mahal niya si Lorie because she's Lorie.

"You need me, lalo na sa plano ng Papa mo. You should pursue me." May diin na sabi nito. So she knew all along. She knew that they we're just doing this for the merger pero wala itong pakialam. "Not her!"

"You knew?"

"Yes, I know. I should know diba?" Sagot ni Chloe sa kanya.

"And you still wanted this? Gusto mong maging foundation natin ay yung kagustuhan ng mga pamilya natin ng merger ng mga kompanya. You want to put your heart and life on the line para sa isang bagay as petty as that merger?" Hindi siya makapaniwala na naging ganito na pala kababaw ang dalaga. Hindi niya alam kung bakit papayag ito sa ganoong usapan.

"Kasi I want you!"

Natahimik siya sa sinabi nito. He feels burdened pero anong magagawa niya kung si Lorie na ang talagang laman ng puso niya? Chloe can't come waltzing back to his life thinking that they can pick up from where they left off. It doesn't work that way. He's been long over her and he can't even feel anything for her at all. "I hope one day you find that person who'll make you feel the way I feel when I'm with Lorie."