The Ex Chronicles

10: 25 Minutes

I eventually told Arnold what's going on when Corinne's team became really intrusive and was already affecting my work.

He told me to go out with him again. This time, as friends with the intention of making Corinne believe that I'm not going to chase Timmy anymore.

"Why would you do that?"

"He'd eventually announce his engagement. What's the probability of him choosing you in the process? You can't let him ruin your life just because he's single for a time."

"I don't want to use you. I don't want you to be involved in this."

"Think of it as my apology for asking you to be my girlfriend before."

"If that's your conscience telling you to do this. I forgive you. You don't need to do this."

"Let me do this for you. Besides, we've been casually dating even before this douche came along. We're just going to go out more often if we can."

"I don't want Corinne to think that she has succeeded in threatening me."

"I know. Who knows? Maybe I can distract you from thinking about him."

"You know what's funny?"

"What?"

"Hero set us up because he wants you to be jealous. He doesn't believe then that you only like me because your mom likes me."

"Well, who's the distraction now?"

We both laughed.

"I don't want to date you again so I can get over Timmy. It was wrong of me to date him so I can forget how I felt about you then. I'm already nursing a broken heart. I don't want us to hurt each other too." I told Arnold.

***

I cried my eyes out the day Timmy got married. I took a leave from work and bawled the pain away. I was a mess. I couldn't eat or sleep. Arnold and Hero took turns in comforting me.

Hero had to stay at the guest room and work remotely because of me. My routines with Arnold gradually resumed. On better days, we'd drive out-of-town and go on a food trip. We'd do our errands together and he would drive me to work when Hero's car is in coding. Both of them took care of me, cooked for me, and bought tubs of different ice cream flavors until I felt better.

We never talked about Timmy again.

***

After six months of trying to put myself together and moving on from a failed relationship, I receive an emergency call from a hospital.

I rushed to the hospital the moment I learned what happened to Enyah.

Tears well up my eyes as soon as I saw her.

"Hana." She smiled when she saw me.

"Enyah? What happened? Are you okay?" I asked worriedly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that the hospital will call you. I must've forgotten to update my emergency contacts' list..."

"Don't be sorry. I'm glad you didn't change it. I'm here, okay? I'm here for you." I told her.

"But I know that you're still hurting. I can't promise you that you won't see my brother again. I heard that he's flying out today." When she told me that there's a possibility of me seeing Timmy again, I didn't know how to feel.