A Lover of Rain

THE START

CHAPTER ONE:

I used to dream about what it feels like to finally find the one. That one person in your life that makes you feel worth it to be loved. Someone who would always be in your heart no matter what they do because that's how much love you have for them. No matter how long it takes, your heart will stay in one corner waiting for them to return because you know everything is worth it. He's worth the wait.

And finally, the one that I've been waiting for is coming back to me today.

My hand subconsciously started touching the part of my neck where my clover necklace was hanging. It's been a habit of mine since I was given this important piece of jewelry I always believed stemmed from love. I don't think I have ever removed this necklace since the day Kylo gave it to me as a gift. It might sound crazy to think that this piece of gold holds a lot of memories I have yet learned to let go, but in my mind I truly believe this necklace signifies the love I have felt for my best friend of seven years. My eyes started wandering around the Sevidal beach house in Batangas where I used to visit when I was a teenager. It isn't because I was part of their family, but Kylo had a habit of taking me anywhere he'd like even if he wasn't supposed to include me–which meant I was here during their family gatherings, although I wasn't part of their tight-knit family.

That's the kind of friendship I had with Kylo Wesley Sevidal since I met him when we were twelve. There was an instant connection between the two of us the moment we locked eyes for the first time and we have been inseparable ever since. Although I had slowly learned all these years in our friendship that there's a spark in my eyes whenever I'd look at him. A spark that only Kylo could ignite. I didn't have any idea during this time that I have been pacing back and forth a lot in their living room full of his family members whom I've met occasionally during their family gatherings. I couldn't stay focused because it's been two years since the last time I saw Kylo.

We were inseparable for five years until he had to leave a few months before our freshmen year started because Kylo found out about his father's declining health. I was with him most of the days every year until all of a sudden, he was gone. It was understandable at that time and I have never been more supportive than the year they found out Kylo's father, Tito Clark, had Stage 2 Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He's been living with his second-wife in Los Angeles for years, yet Kylo stayed in the Philippines for some personal reasons I couldn't understand but nevertheless–a part of me was always glad he stayed. The few months when he left was one of the hardest times of my life since the only family I had died. I didn't have my best friend by my side when I was mourning but I couldn't be selfish since I understand why he was gone.

The first year when Kylo left was exhausting to say the least, yet I endured it all because he always needed me. I would drop everything that I was doing the minute my eyes would see his name in the caller ID. I'd lose sleep for Kylo when he'd call in the middle of the night, asking for strength and comfort, despite being in different time zones. My mind couldn't concentrate fully on studying even though I was a freshman college student because half of me would always worry about Kylo on the other side of the world. That year of my life, I was breathing and living in Kylo's pace because that's how much I love him. My heart would function as long as it needed to, just so I could be there the moment Kylo needed me.

Yet, I woke up one day and everything changed. The hundred hours of calls I'd get every month went down to a few minutes of calls I'd receive once in a blue moon. The constant updates I used to get even if I didn't ask for it disappeared in my notifications which felt empty every time I'd catch a glimpse of my phone. Every request to hear my voice in the middle of night so Kylo could gain strength in those trying times eventually vanished. I spent a year hurting from trying to understand why everything changed without any explanation between the two of us until my thoughts switched and all I could feel was disappointment.