The Inverse

Wakas

PAT'S POV

Tiningnan niya kaming dalawa na gulong-gulo kung anong nangyayari. I guess it was too hard to process. Not when you just woke up with a hangover, hell, not even when you're sober.

"Teka, teka. Naguguluhan ako. Gusto niyo bang pumasok? Nag-away ba kayo? Anong nangyari?"

"Hindi na. She can tell you everything. But I just want to let you know na this is the last chance you're ever going to get. If you let it go, I swear to God I will hurt you in so many ways."

"Wait, teka. Saglit. Anong sinasabi mo?"

Pero hindi na siya sumagot. Iniwan niya na lang kami na nakatayo sa pinto. Pumasok na ako sa loob. She was still looking at me with this very confused face.

"I called off my wedding."

"What?"

"I called off my wedding."ulit ko.

"Yeah I heard you, pero bakit?"

"For you."

She stopped dead in her tracks. Tingin ko naguguluhan din siya. For a moment, we were silent. Hindi ko rin alam kung paano ko pa ipapaliwanag sa kanya lahat. She was just looking at me with a pair of unblinking eyes.

"You called off your wedding for me? But I thought..."

"There's no point pretending anymore. Pagod na akong makipagtaguan sa sarili ko. There wasn't a single day na hindi ko naisip na sana ikaw siya. Na sana ikaw yung papakasalan ko. Na sana tayo pa rin. Na sana ikaw hanggang sa dulo. And I needed to be true to myself kasi lalo ko lang siyang masasaktan if I kept pretending."

Nagulat ako nung bigla niya akong niyakap. This comfort, this feeling. How did I ever assume that I can live without this? Siya pa rin hanggang ngayon. Walang duda. And now, I promise to love her properly. To set everything right. Hindi ko na siya bibitawan. I won't make the same mistakes twice. I know I made such a huge mistake and it will forever haunt me. Pero this feeling. This love I have for her, made me realize na everything happens for a reason.

"Mahal na mahal kita Pat."

Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero natigilan ako. I can't explain things, but all I know is whenever I hear it coming from her, nararamdaman kong tumitigil lahat. Like it is something that I've been longing to hear. She looked me in the eyes. Itong mga matang to. They keep me up at night when something's wrong, but when the world is in it's place, these eyes are my home.

"Mahal na mahal pa rin kita. Ikaw pa rin ang mahal ko."sabi ko sa kanya.

I leaned closer and kissed her. I missed this. This feeling, whatever this may be. It just never fades. All I know is now, I am home. I am where I should be. I am where I should have been.

She pulled away and looked at me. I looked at my own reflection in her eyes. Today, I made the right choice. Today, I chose you. Today, I am yours.

"After all this time?"

I nodded.

"After all this time."