Unrequited

Chapter 3: The Breakup

"Lance help me please."

It was early morning when Ara wakes up, cannot move her body while in her dizziness. It was already 2 weeks since then that her and Patrick did not see each other. Now, she doesn't have someone to lean on this time, except for Lance, who is there at the time she needed him the most, especially in her difficult times.

To her, she needs to get rushed to the hospital as it was already days that she finds herself hard to breathe.

With a worrisome voice, Lance answered her and asked her to force herself to still in conscious as he headed towards her condo.

While waiting, Ara cannot control herself anymore but to gave in. She is still in dizziness until her vision turns to black and get unconscious.

Lance arrived and seeing her unconscious. He carried her, get inside his car and went to the hospital.

At the hospital, Ara get rushed to the emergency room. Lance, still getting worried, thinking over if he has to call Patrick.

Lance recalled the time, 2 weeks ago, that he finds Ara at a resto bar drinking some whisky, alone in tears.

"Ara, where's Patrick?"

Ara did not answered him.

"Ara please tell me what happened to both of you?"

Ara still did not answer him, while looking at nowhere.

"Did he hurt you? Tell me and I will throw him my fist!"

Ara finally answered him "Stay calm, I will be alright. Ok?"

There is a moment of silence between them. Lance stay still beside her, in a sigh of relief, as Ara's tears gets intense. Ara then finally say her words.

"I don't know how to say this to him or even to you. All I know now is I find myself still loving him after all, but cannot find it accepting deep within me now, the reason I avoided him for now. I am in pain of still loving him. I wish I will forget what I saw and will just live with what we have. I will soon marry him and before that, I wish I will be ok.

"Let me ask you now 'why you courted me despite you are already married to someone?'

Lance reacted "what kind of question is that? are you saying that in connection with what you and Patrick are going thru right now?"

Ara denially said "No Lance. I am pertaining to all men, so that I can understand better."

Lance have his sigh of relief and admit to her "I courted you because I like you before I find my wife. It was just I pursued my wife because I cannot find hope that time anymore that I'm gonna see you again."

Ara gets puzzled, asked him "Do you mean you like me more than your wife?"

Lance, with shyness in his eyes, answered her with honesty "Yes, I do."

Ara reacted "Oh I see it now. Patrick still loves her after all. And at the end of the day, I am just a backup to him. Pinaasa nya lang pala ako. Thank you Lance for your honesty. Now I understand why."

Lance reacted "Are you seeing Patrick and Trisha together?"

Ara looking at his eyes, abundant with tears, saying with a hoarse voice "Yes, I saw them together, in bed."

Lance cannot help himself this time, as he feel how she gets traumatic by the experience of betrayal. Lance quickly hugs her so tightly, trying to ease her pain, as Ara gets crying aloud uncontrollably.

"Ayoko na Lance. Ayoko nang magmahal. Pagod na pagod na ako sa pagmamahal. Bakit ba ako pinarusahan ng ganito. Ang tanga tanga ko Lance. Ang tanga tanga ko nagpaluko pa rin ako sa mga salita nya at sa mga pangako nya. Ako na! Ako na!"