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WESTLEY
I COULDN’T REMEMBER the last pleasant meal I had or a good and long soak in the tub. When was the last time I caught a good sleep? I couldn’t even remember what day was today, or was it day or night?
I spent days in my bed for days, crying, dwelling on my pain, and my losses. I lost everyone I cared about. The only person who promised and stayed by my side was my father-the last person I expected.
He’d been checking up on me every now and then, sometimes when I was sitting on the bed, lying down, and biting my meal when I couldn’t take the hunger anymore.
One day, I felt I was sweating, feeling dizzy, then I realized I might have low blood sugar. I had to eat. I didn’t want to cause more trouble for my father than I already did.
Then, last week, I received a package from Keene. It took a day and all my strength to rip it open because I knew exactly what it was. And I was right.
They said some feelings would take over if you chose to dwell on them, especially fear and pain. That was what I was dwelling on right now.
The door swung open while I was applying some color to my face. I stood up, even though I felt like I was going to collapse from weak knees. I didn’t know what to expect other than what tied between Keene and me would soon be over, and that frightened me.
“Are you ready?”
I nodded to the voice of my father from the door. I took a deep breath before I turned around and grabbed my bag. “I am now.”My steps forward took like hours for me. I was scared of what awaited outside this mansion where I’d been hiding for weeks, but whatever was there, I knew I had to face it somehow. I couldn’t stay and live my life like this forever.
The only thing that had progressed in my days locked up in my room, were books, which was odd because I’d never been a reader. That was my constant company. I thought people had different ways of dealing with their heartbreaks. Dad was happy to bring me books from non-fiction to the cliches romance novel I asked for. Then I found myself writing. I was able to pour all my emotions, my struggles, my anger, hatred, and my losses into those words. That was when I saw a smile on my father’s face for the first time since I was barged by those paparazzi and reporters who wanted to scoop my life into their trash.
“Don’t worry, no more paparazzi and reporters here. I already made a statement. They won’t bother you anymore.” He rubbed my arm as we walked toward the black sedan.
“Thank you,” I said before I got in. I couldn’t be more grateful that he was there as my anchor when I needed someone there for me. When everyone was gone, the family was always there no matter what bad choices you made or how big mistakes you’d done. I realized that now.
The jet made us faster to reach Keene’s hometown. My father arranged a private meeting with our lawyers while I was dwelling on my heartaches.
My heart was about to burst out of my chest the moment Keene came to view me. I never thought I’d missed him so much. For three years, I stayed with him, never a day he’d been out of my sight until he left weeks ago, and these were the longest and the most painful days for me.
I hadn’t realized I was already throwing myself into him until he chuckled while I was sobbing in his arms.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m still alive,” Keene said with a laugh as he rubbed my back.
“You left me. I know you would survive without me, but I never expected that it would be that easy for you, and there it is.” I wiped my tears once I was free from him.
When I looked him in the eye, he seemed happy and sad at the same time. I didn’t know which one made him down-me leaving him for good or for what I said. Nevertheless, this might be good for both of us.
“I can’t watch you break down in front of me, and I also know how this marriage had been hard for you. And don’t lie to me that you don’t care for that man, Westley. I’d never seen you that happy since he came into our lives. Now that I’m fine, and your father keeps his end of the bargain, this has to end. It just happened that the expiration date of our plan is not the way we like.”
I held his hands and squeezed them. “I would do it over and over again-”
“Even doing something behind my back? Just to see me happy. Seriously, Westley? That choice alone, I couldn’t forgive myself. I was mad at you when I found out. I was planning to ignore you for a couple of days because I wanted to prepare myself for your outburst, but then that thing happened. Jesus, you’re the most selfless woman I’ve ever met.” This time he was the one who pulled me into his arms and squeezed me tightly.
This time I broke down. I couldn’t take it anymore. I’d be gone insane if I couldn’t cry it out loud. “I wanna see your smile before-when I thought I was gonna lose you. That’s how much I love you, and that’s what best friends should do. You’ve gone hell and back for me. The least I could do was to give back-”
“But I wasn’t asking anything, Westley.” He pulled away and looked me in the eye. “Right now, I am asking you. After what we did and survived together, do me a favor, and if something happens to me, I would never forgive you if you will ignore this.”
My chest squeezed tight because I had a few ideas of what he was about to ask me, and I didn’t know if I could it, considering how it ended the last time we separate.
I shook my head. “Don’t do this to me, please.”
“You’ve done the impossible for my sake. I know you can do it again. I want you to be happy.”
“I will be for as long as you are happy.” I met his gaze, and I saw hope and happiness.
“Great. Let’s go inside. They’re waiting for us.”
I sat beside my father and my lawyer. Keene was sitting in the middle of his lawyer and his nurse. After a few minutes of reading the statements and conditions, my lawyer agreed, and so as my father.
I was aware of how the divorce was going to end. At this time, Keene’s assets were in my name. Dad and my lawyer already briefed me about it. All papers were waiting, and I was ready to sign every page of it before it was filed.
I took a deep breath. Before I signed the divorce papers, I asked Keene again, “Are you sure this is what you want?”
Keene smiled. “Yes, Harry.”
* * *
“THIS ISN’T what I expected?” I was propping my hands on my waist, facing the new cabin that was double the size of the old one. It was in the middle of the two. It was not finished, but it looked already great.
“I was planning on creating a website and an account on social media to advertise this place.”
“I want to help.”
“No, Westley.”
“Please? You are still my best friend, and I want to give you something.” I pulled an envelope from my bag and gave it to him.
He hesitantly took it. “What’s this?”
“Don’t waste my effort because I can’t and won’t forgive you if you will not use it, Keene.”
He already knew what I meant. His eyes started to water. He breathed deeply and nodded.
“Don’t say anything. It was my decision, and I wouldn’t have the courage to stop it if it wasn’t because of Clyve. He forced me to stop. In return, he’d kept my secret and helped us. I knew without a doubt, he would help you, Keene, but it wasn’t because of me.”
“How is he?”
I looked away, wiping a single tear that fell from my eye.
“What’s wrong? You two haven’t been talking since I left?”
“No. I don’t think there’s a thing to talk about with him.”
“Hey.” Keene held my arm. “Something is going on between you two, and it wouldn’t just disappear because of a misunderstanding or a mistake. Big or not. That’s why we have this so-called communication. Fix this. You know what you two have is special and you might not find it anywhere or anytime. That’s the reason why I forced myself to stay away from you. It was not because I don’t care about you, or I don’t love you because I will always love you. You are my best friend-that would never change. Nothing’s gonna break what we have, even this freaking divorce. I left because I knew I was the reason why it happened, why it ended. Our marriage, Westley. Now, you are about to be a free woman, it’s about time to pick up what you two left off.”