“Do you know what happened last night?” He asked, and I bit my lower lip as nothing came to my mind no matter how I tried to recall what happened.
I looked at him not knowing what to say so I just gave him an awkward smile in response.
“You were so drunk that David had to carry you to bed.” He then sipped his coffee and I sipped mine too with a sigh. “And then he left. He said he had something important to do.”
“I actually don’t know why he was there, because he hasn’t been anywhere since yesterday morning. So how did he know I was at a bar?” I turned to him, eyeing him suspiciously since he was the only one who knew where I was going last night.
“I called him.” he simply shrugged.
“What?” My voice came out a bit loud. “Why did you do that?” I asked him, surprised.
“Because I was worried about you and I thank God he got there on time before you got wasted on the dance floor! You went alone —”
“I went alone because you didn’t let me call my best friend, remember?”
“I let you go alone last night because I knew someone who could be with you!”
“And that someone you thought was David?” he nodded. “Dale, how many times do I have to tell you that David —”
“That David is already in a relationship? That David is already taken?” he interrupted me, continuing what I was about to say. “Well, Sam, I know he’s not!”
“What the heck are you talking about?”
“Believe me, he’s not in a relationship!
I just don’t know what’s going on between him and Tanya, but I know they’re not in a relationship, at least not romantically together.”
“How did you know about her when I don’t remember telling you about her —” I stopped and closed my eyes as I remembered Jack. “Yeah, why am I still asking?” I rolled my eyes as I remembered my best friend.
“Jack told me your hesitations about him and your feelings.”
“Hesitations? I don’t hesitate, Dale and I have none because I know my place!”
“They’re not in a relationship!” he said instead, completely ignoring what I had told him.
“Dale! How can you say that when you don’t see them everyday and you don’t know the girl personally?”
“Tss! I’m a man, Sam and I know when a man like me is in love or not. And you know what, David still has feelings for you too. He still loves you.”
I breathed heavily. The frown on my forehead deepened because of the things he kept harping on about.
“Listen to me, Sam! If that’s the case, then why did he come in an instant when I told him you went to the bar alone last night? Take note, he was still wearing his doctor’s gown.”
“Are you serious?” I could imagine what he was saying.
“Uhuh. He looked so tired like he hadn’t slept for days when he showed up last night.”
-‘Ahh … so he went back for work that’s why he suddenly disappeared yesterday. He didn’t even tell us where he was going.’-
“So now, tell me, do you think anyone would do it if they don’t have feelings for you? He was so worried when he brought you back. I wish you could have seen his face but you were passed out.”
I really have a lot of things to say to him but I don’t know how to start telling him.
“Anyway, why don’t you ask him?” He asked after a while.
“Ask him about what?”
“About his feelings and the score between him and his girlfriend Tanya.”
“For what? I’ve done it so many times and if it’s true, he should have told me a long time ago!”
“Alright,” he shrugged. “If you want, I can have him follow to know the truth. I’m sure my men won’t make stories about them.”
“No! Why would you do that? Whether they are in a relationship or not, it’s up to them! Let them be!”
“But what about you? Are you just going to let him go for the second time?”
I was left speechless for a second.
“I don’t know, I guess so,” The only thing I could reply to. I have no choice though.
~~~~~ ‘ ~~~~~ ‘ ~~~~~ ‘ ~~~~~
It has been three days since we came back from our so-called beach vacation and it has been three days since what my brother told me about David ringing in my ears.
Since there were few customers in the coffee shop that day, I told Jack I’m going out to buy a new book. I need something to divert my attention and thoughts to because no matter what I do, I can’t take my mind off what happened, not even what happened last night at the bar and on the beach. I just woke up yesterday remembering all the things I did and the things David said.
I got confused as to why he didn’t come back the next day to clarify what happened. And if it’s true, why didn’t he show up to talk to me? He said he was sorry because he’s hurting me but how come he couldn’t call or visit the shop? What’s going on with him?
Those were just the questions that keep buzzing in my head. As I drove past the hospital, I couldn’t help but glance at the entrance and the cars parked in the parking lot, hoping to see him by chance, but it didn’t happen, so I continued driving until I found myself in the park. I told Jack I was going to the mall, but my feet ended up walking on the green grass in the park near the hospital.
I started walking with no direction after parking my car. I thought that day I would finally find the peace of mind I had been searching for the past few days, but I was wrong, because the person I had been waiting for, for three days was there. I was stopped in my tracks the moment I heard his voice.
At first, I thought my ears were just playing a trick on me so, I slowly walked towards where his voice came from and there I saw him, of course, with Tanya sitting on one of the benches. My heart instantly filled with grief and insecurity at the same time when I saw them.
She’s crying and David was sitting next to her patting her by the shoulders as he tried to calm her down. I really wanted to leave and I should have left in the first few seconds I saw them, but I couldn’t take my eyes off them. It was like my feet were stuck and I couldn’t move. Even my mind was screaming at me to leave, but my stupid instincts wanted me to stay. So there I stood behind the bush at my height and continued to torture my heart as I listened to them.
“Shhh, it’s going to be okay,” David murmured as he kept stroking Tanya’s back. But she didn’t look at him, she just continued to cry.
I don’t know what’s going on between them why she’s crying, but there’s one thing I realized … Dale was wrong. Anyone who could see them would definitely not believe that nothing was going on between them. Funny, how I wanted to go out earlier to divert my attention but I didn’t know fate had other plans.
“Please don’t leave,” She cried and I held my breath with what David replied.
“Shhh… it’s fine, I’m here, I won’t leave you, I promise.”
-‘That’s it!’- I closed my eyes tightly at the sight in front of me. He pulled her into a hug and she cried on his shoulders. Not just that … he kept kissing her on top of her head as he stroked her back, a scene that was really sore to my eyes.
-‘Yeah! You are wrong, Dale! I wish you were seeing them now, so you could tell me if they’re just friends!’- I screamed deep inside. I couldn’t hold back the hot tears that roll down my cheeks. I could feel my heart breaking into pieces seeing them clinging to each other. I hadn’t felt this kind of pain almost creeping into my bones in a long time, and honestly, I had almost forgotten what it felt like until that day.
“Whew!” I couldn’t take it anymore! I decided to leave the heartbreaking scene, but on my wrong move … “Ouch!” I shrieked in pain. My left foot got stuck between two rocks behind the bush where I was hiding. My hand automatically went up to cover my mouth but it was too late because I already gained their attention.
“Who is that?” I heard David’s voice followed by his footsteps approaching in my direction.
As much as I wanted to run away and leave that place, I couldn’t as I slowly felt the stinging pain in my foot. I bent down to look at it but then sighed in dismay when I saw blood on my slippers. I just clutched at the hem of my dress and waited to be caught hiding behind the green woody plant.
But then I changed my mind in the last seconds. Biting my lower lip, I tried to take a step and I did it so I kept walking until I heard David call my name.
“Sam?”