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Chapter 1: Julia's POV

"I'm glad you're slowly getting over him, Janella. I mean, you've been a mess for ages already it's extremely insane." I said while removing the pickles from my cheeseburger.

"Well, it's been 3 months since Elmo and I broke up anyway. Tsaka I think I have let out everything already sa pag-ggym ko, 'no! And lately nagddiet rin ako. I love food as much as you do but not for now. Gusto ko lang kasi marealize niya na ang laking pagkakamali sa pakikipagbreak niya sa'kin." Deep inside, I knew she wanted to take a bite from my burger. I know her too well. It's so obvious kaya.

"Sus. Diet diet ka diyan! Hindi ka rin magtatagal. And hoy Janella ha! Wag kang magdidiet dahil kay Elmo. Do it for yourself." I want Janella to understand this. Elmo broke up with her a few months back and yet the pain is still quite fresh.

I've been in love before. Unrequited love, apparently. But it doesn't matter anymore. It's in the past and I don't want to think of that. Nasstress lang ako.

And this is why I'm very careful about Janella and her "baby heart". Alam ko ang pakiramdam nang masaktan at mahirap itong pagdaanan. Nag-iingat lang ako para sa kanya.

"Ano oras pasok mo bukas? Naubusan ako ng slots for 10am onwards na classes. Late na kasi ako nagising kahapon, kaya ayun 3 days a week 7am pasok ko, 'yun nalang kasi natira. Ikaw ba?" Tanong niya sa'kin at biglang may kinalikat sa phone niya.

"Meron ako 7:40-10:30am class pero every Thursday lang." Sabi ko kay Janella, pero bakit ganun yung mukha niya? "Uhm, okay ka lang ba? Parang nag-iba ata expression mo nung binuksan mo yang phone mo ah."

"Nagtext siya." Janella bluntly replied, leaving me confused. "What do you mean?" ani ko.

"Si Elmo. Hindi ko alam kung bakit niya ginagawa 'to sa'kin, but he said 'I miss you.'" My eyes widened. Shit, no not again. I love my best friend but there's so much to deal with her when she's mending.

"Nakakaloka kang bata ka. Don't reply. Ignore him. You don't know what's running in his mind." I stood up, inviting Janella to come walk around with me.

"Listen, I understand you, Jea. I know you're still somehow hurting from what happened in the past, but that doesn't mean you have to come back to it." I said, wanting everything about Elmo and her to stop.

She faced me and stopped walking, "but what if he really misses me?"

"We can't be so sure of that. Uhh, ganito nalang. Nagkaclosure ba kayo nung nagbreak kayo?" Sagot ko sa kanya at tumigil din akong maglakad.

"Is that where you both sit down and talk about your relationship after breaking up? Kung oo, then no." Jea said with a straight face.

"Maybe that's why you both can't move on, having a hard time rather." Pinagpatuloy ko ang paglalakad habang siya ay nahuhuli na.

"Omg! So maybe I could text him and uhm probably say can we meet up?" Janella said excitedly, "do you think I should?"

"If I had no closure with the guy I just broke up with, then yeah. But heck if we already had closure and he still texts me he misses me, that means I gotta tell that boy bye!" Naalala ko tuloy siya. But nevermind. He's in the past.

"Dami mong satsat, yes or no lang naman. Haynako sige na nga, I'll meet up with him." Janella finally replied, "shall we go around now and shop?"

"No money, so window shopping nalang ako!" I said jokingly and we both laughed.

~•~

Janella's POV

"It's good to see you again." Elmo said and sat down after greeting me.

"Can I just ask, why did you message me that you miss me? How do I know if it's really genuine or not?" I asked in a tone of annoyance. Dineretso ko narin siya to get this over and done with.

"Look, I understand you're pissed at me for breaking up with you, and I'm sorry for that." he said and held my hand, "but you have to know that after breaking up with you, it was the biggest regret I've ever made in my life. I was a jerk and now, binababaan ko na ang pride ko. Kasi mahal kita, Janella."

I'll admit, kinilig ako dun. Pero the answer is too cliché for me. Pang-fuckboy ang sagot. I removed my hand from his and said, "if you really still love me, then prove it. Actions speak louder than words."

"But words give clarity to actions." sabat naman niya. Ano ba 'to? Nakikipagbiruan ba siya?

"Eyes speak the truest. I can't see any of the genuineness right now." I walked out, leaving him hanging; without even saying goodbye. Just like what he did to me.

This isn't a closure. I know that. We didn't get to talk about our relationship deeper than it should be. I guess it's because I haven't fully understood it yet.

~•~

Made a new book since I didn't like the other one. Hope you enjoy this💜

-MH