A Lover of Rain

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:

Shay has always been the sunflower amongst the garden of roses. She's warm, bright, and full of light that when she becomes a part of your life it glows. That's why many people can't help but be charmed by her even though she doesn't understand why most of the time. But there's always been that one lucky person in a bunch. Felix Camargo. He's equally charming and smart like her. A bit shy at first, but as you get to know him you'll find yourself enchanted by his personality. He's a junior in college when he fell for a freshman Shayla Chaves. They became friends for two months before officially courting her. Then on her birthday, she said yes. They were together for a year and three months, but it wasn't always sunshine and rainbows when it comes to their relationship. It started going downhill when her family's business got into a lawsuit, making them lose money so Shay started applying for jobs and even wanted to apply for a scholarship in her third year to help her family. It changed her in many ways that eventually their relationship started getting affected as well. Felix started acting differently towards her, not realizing that this was the time she needed him the most. Few days before Valentines this year, he broke their relationship off. She fought for him. Begged him not to leave her. But he did anyway.

He left her broken.

Three weeks later, Felix got in a relationship with some girl named Kristin. Three weeks. Like nothing happened. He moved on quickly like that one year and three months he spent loving and caring for Shay didn't exist while my friend was still grieving for her relationship she felt she ruined. During these three weeks, a family friend's son asked permission to court her before she could even properly process her last relationship. She couldn't turn him down because he was persistent, but she couldn't give him her heart either. Not while it's still bruised, anyway. A month after they broke up, Markie found out that Felix was telling his friends he felt he'd be single again a few weeks before actually breaking up with Shay. It broke her to the core when she heard about it and I don't think it's something you can move on from that easily.

And now he's back. He showed his face to Shay like he didn't break her heart into pieces that she's still struggling to put back together.

"Walong buwan." Shay said, her voice was shaking. "Para sa inyo walong buwan na simula nung naghiwalay kami pero yung sakit parang kahapon lang nangyari."

"Nakita ko sya sa the Hub kasama si Kristin... akala ko tanggap ko na. Unti unti na akong sumasaya pero nung nakita ko sila–hindi pa pala. Hindi pa ako okay, hindi ko pa tanggap. Ang sakit sakit pa rin." She continued before leaning to the side a little like she's about to pass out. "Do you wanna leave?" Markie asked while helping her stand up.

Shay didn't even have the strength in her anymore so we held her in her arms while Maya ran back to the club. Shay stopped walking as she glanced inside the club, trying to peek in the window from a distance hoping to see Jacob for one last time. But the windows were tinted making it hard to see what was going on inside. I felt her hand grabbing my arm tighter while she's staring at the club feeling awful for what she has done.

"I'm sorry," she repeatedly mumbled under her breath while tears were falling down her cheeks. "Hindi ko sya kayang mahalin pabalik. I tried... sinubukan ko. Sinubukan ko na lahat pero hindi ko kayang ibigay yung sarili ko sa kanya."

"It's okay, it's okay..." Sera tried comforting her, but even she didn't know how to do that. We don't know how. No matter what we say to her tonight, no matter what we do to comfort her, we can't make the pain disappear. "He'd understand." Markie nodded her head. "I mean–this is Jacob we're talking about. He loves you... he's gonna understand, right?"

Shay gazed at her with eyes full of tears. "No. I don't think he would."

Just then, Maya came out of the club with Yohan holding his car keys. I looked at him while my mind was forming the proper words to ask how Jacob is holding up, but it's like he understood what my gaze meant. He shook his head while sadness dawned on his face. My chest tightened from realizing the pain Jacob must be feeling at this moment. We're not friends for that long, but Jacob is one of the nicest people I have ever met in my life and to see him hurting as well makes this moment even harder than it is. I held Shay as we helped her get in Yohan's car. Maya sat in front with him, glancing at the four of us sitting in the back from time-to-time.