PLAYING PRETEND

Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28:

"Are you okay now?" I ask ased I run my thumb under his eyes.

"I guess I am" she weakly smiled and broke the hug.

"Why?"

"What 'why'?"

"Why did you react like that?"

She leaned back on the bench and sighed.

" 'Cause after what he did to me there he is again, making the same thing he did two years ago. Everything flashed back because of what he said, he loves me?" she bitterly smiled "Then why did he hurt me? He wants me back? Then why did he let me go in the first place?  I'm tired of it, I'm tired with his lies, I'm tired giving my trust and I'm tired being hurt"

"How sure are you that he is lying?"

"And how sure are you that he isn't? He did it to me once so he can do it to me again"

 "What  . . . did he exactly do to you?"

 She glanced at me and paused for a moment, then she look up in the sky and started talking.

"I was living in China back then when my parents divorced. My mom went back to Canada and she brought us with her leaving my dad, my sister, and Stephen. A summer before third year high school an incident happened. My mom died while Stephen was visiting me in Canada, after the burial, my father suddenly appeared and took us back. We moved in the Philippines so when I left Stephen in Canada that's when he met my best friend. They became close and boom, liked each other and betrayed me. And you know what hurts the most? Stephen was the one who told me that I always got his back when I needed him." she sadly smiled "You can't just let yourself be part of someone's life, make her feel love and then leave"

"But why is he after you again if he likes your best friend?"

"Cause it didn't work, he was only visiting Canada so of course he has to go back to China"

"Is your best friend the reason why you don't make friends anymore?"

"That's because I don't need another person to betray me. I felt so stupid back then. I trusted them but what? They made me look like fool"

"Pero hindi lahat katulad nila"

"Don't give me that speech Zach, I've had enough"

"No. Amber listen—"

"Ano ba ang alam mo?"

"Fine wala akong alam. I've never been hurt but I know love is always a risk. Maybe it destined to happen to you so that someday someone will come again, hug you tight that all of your broken pieces will stick back together and you will realize that real love is not how you think it is, you just have to ... believe"

Then she chuckled. "Is that what you get in watching romantic movies?" she teased

"And this is what I get after everything I did for you?"

"Well thanks" she shyly said "Ngayon ko lang na appreciate ang luha ko. Masarap din pa lang umiyak paminsan minsan"

"Actually, masarap lang umiyak pag ako ang iniiyakan"

"Ay sorry ha! Next time kasi e remind mo'ko na puno ng hangin yang katawan mo" she rolled her eyes and looked at the sky.

Then I smiled and did the same thing.

Maybe she isn't bad at all.