Saving Harper

Fallout

For the very last time.

This was my promise to myself. This will be the last time I let someone take a piece of me.

I felt my phone vibrate, it was Franco. Mga six times na syang tumatawag saakin and I somehow think he knows what happened. Di lang ako sigurado how.

"Franco." I said in a steady voice as I answered.

I cried in the cab that I had to take to get back to the hotel kasi parang nahilo nako from what I saw hours ago. I also cried pag dating ko sa hotel. Pakiramdam ko pigang-piga nako. Masakit parin, pero pagod na pagod nakong umiyak.

The only thought I had when I was alone in that hotel room was I couldn't bear to be there anymore. It felt like I was already suffocating so I packed my bags to leave kahit na kinabukasan pa ko dapat aalis.

"Huy anong nangyari sayo? I told you to call me." His voice gave him away. May alam sya. Pero ano? Did Xavier somehow see me?

It would have been a scene in a movie or book. He would see me, I would walk away, he would chase me, uulan in the middle of our chase scene, and I would say my monologue and he would tell me he loves me and all is well. Happy ending. Better suited, it would have been a scene from fiction, since it was all we had.

Ayoko ng tanungin sa sarili ko kung bakit hindi nya ako hinabol kung nakita man nya ko. I didn't want to hear the answer anymore. Maybe Xavier did see me, and his first call was to Franco.

"Parang alam mo na e." I told him.

"I saw Kylie's post sa IG and kasama nya si Xavier? Kaya kita tinatawagan kanina pa. Nag usap ba kayo? What happened?" Tuloy-tuloy sya. I think it was an honest answer and Xavier didn't see me. Tangina nung ex nya na yon nag post pa talaga! Well, I can't really blame her, wala naman syang ginagawa e.

Alam nya kaya that Xavier already has you! Well, HAD. And she just grabbed that opportunity! Tangina I didn't even realize that when I gave Xavier his best chance, not only would I lose him, pati ex-girlfriend nya binigyan ko din ng best chance nya. Well, mag sama silang dalawa! I don't want to see either of them ever again.

I told Franco everything na nangyari kanina. "Putangina." He said unbelievingly. "Di ko na tatanungin kung anong nararamdaman mo. I'm sorry Harper."

"Ikaw pa talaga nagsosorry? Xavier ba pangalan mo? But you know what? If he tells me he's sorry, isasaksak ko lang yun sa lalamunan nya. I don't need it anymore." I seethed. Gusto kong sabunutan tong katabi ko sa inis.

"Sorry dahil kinampihan ko pa sya. Di ko naman nakita na ganito yung mangyayari. Even if it doesn't make sense. Why would he go back to his ex? He told me, wala na yung babaeng yon para sa kanya."

"Tangina Franco, wala nakong pakielam. He might be just saying that to you kasi alam nyang kaibigan kita. Is he honestly going to say na hindi pa sya over sa ex nya knowing how close we are? And I saw them with my own two eyes. I'm mad at him, but I'm not crazy enough to hallucinate." And if I were to hallucinate, I'm sure as hell I wouldn't include his ex!