The Atlas Of Love

- fourteen -

"Please don't forget that Madison. I need to get going now, please call me if you want to talk again okay?" I patted her back, getting up.

Madison and I had been talking in the cafeteria for about two hours already.

I was getting impatient, but everytime I tried to end the conversation she would stir up 'what ifs' and just sulk.

It was getting annoying, really. I know she's heartbroken and needs some comforting but I was really trying my best to make her feel better and she wasn't even willing to listen to me.

"Okay. Bye Jane. Thank you for coming." She looked reluctant.

I turned my back to her and decided to leave for good this time. Unlike the other two failed attempts in the past two hours.

I took out my phone and dialed Dean's number.

He answered on the first ring.

"Are you still there?"

"Yeah I've been waiting for you. Are you done? Do you want me to come get you?"

"No I'll get there by myself, see you."

"Okay, see you." He chuckled.

I ran there in full speed and heavily panted when I reached, leaning on the door.

"Woah woah, easy there. Were you really that eager to come see me?" Dean smirked.

"You wish." I rolled my eyes, smiling.

"So, where do you wanna go today?" He asked, interlacing his fingers with mine.

"Oh I'd go anywhere with you baby." I joked, biting my lips to stop myself from laughing.

He scrunched his nose at this.

"Jae-in Park, not helping. You're making me fall." He stated with the brightest smile on his face.

I shushed him when I was suddenly hit with the realisation of what almost happened again last night.

"Don't fall too quickly. You'll get hurt."

"I don't care. I know you'll be there to catch me."

"Eww Dean. So cliché." I snorted, pulling him out of the room.

We ended up eating at a nearby restaurant and decided to watch a movie afterwards.

We were comfortably seated at one of the middle rows, sipping coke and eating nachos. From the corner of my eyes, I caught Dean staring down at me.

"What?" I whispered, turning to look at him.

He wasn't smiling.

"What's wrong?" I cupped his cheek, shifting a little in my seat so that my whole body was facing towards him.

"Nothing." He smiled this, an unhappy one.

"Seriously Dean. What's wrong?"

"Listen. Do you wanna get out of here or something? I'm already bored." He sighed.

"Sure. I mean, you paid for the tickets. The call is yours." I giggled.

His face somehow lit up hearing this.

He quickly grabbed my hand and muttered his 'excuse me's' to the people seated beside us as we ran out of the theater in the middle of a movie.

I asked Dean what we'd do next and he didn't have an answer for it. I hit him in the chest for pulling me out without having anything else planned for the day.

He got a phone call and went to answer it outside, and I looked around the mall.

When he came back in, he didn't look a least bit happy. He looked disturbed.

I ran to him, asking him who the call was from.

"Jae-in, I-- uh gotta go, now." He rubbed his nape.

"Okay-- what happened? Is everything okay?" I was uneasy hearing him say that.

"My, uh lola. They're taking her off the ventilator and they want me to fly back to the Philippines at the earliest." He stuttered, looking lost.

"Oh God. You should get going Dean." I gently patted his arm.

"I'll drive you ho--"

"No Dean, I'll be okay. You get going and take care okay?" I cut him off, pecking his forehead before he pulled me into a warm embrace.

"I'll miss you." he whispered.

"Yeah, me too. But for the love of God, Dean, please hurry up."

He managed to let out a chuckle at this.

"I'll call you when I get home."

The moment he pulled away from the hug, it was as if the temperature had dropped. It sent shivers down my spine.

Dean loved his grandmother so much. Even back in highschool, he would call her two times a day and tell her about how it was like here. She raised him and his brother till he was 12, so he said that he owed everything he had to her.

During freshman year, his grandmother's health worsened and Dean had to fly back there. He stayed for 2 whole months with her, missing all his classes. And now, I can't even imagine how hurt he must be. I just hope he's strong enough to get through this.

I walked out of the mall slowly with Dean occupying my thoughts. I wish I could be there to comfort him.

"J? What are you doing here?"

Shit.

"Xander? Wow what a-- who knew I would run into you here?!" To say I was nervous would be an understatement.

He mirrored my smile, looking equally uncomfortable. "If you're heading home, let's go together? Or are you here with someone?"

"Yeah I'm here with Dean." I asserted.

"Oh." He sounded slightly dejected.

"But he had to leave for some emergency." I added.

"Okay, then you can come with me." He offered.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to. But I just really needed to go home and wait for Dean's call in peace.

"Okay."