The Only Reason

Prologue

Have you ever been in love? 

The kind of love that makes  your chest hurt but makes your heart flutter. It's funny how loving someone is both a gift and a curse. Unfortunately,  It's a curse for me. 

From the fairy tale love story I've always wanted to this. 

Through labored breath I tried to calm down. Come on Rhea! breathe!

"Lance." I called out to him.

He didn't even  bother to look at me. He kept walking away from me. Please stop, for me. please.

"Lance!" I repeated until he stopped. Thank, God. 

I jogged to get close to him.

"What Rhea?" He asked as he looked at me with an annoyed expression on his face. Napatigil ako sakanyang titig. He's never done that to me before. 

I tried to say something but my thoughts were all over the place. Huminga akong malalim saka siya tinignan. All composure is thrown out the window as soon as I met his gaze. 

Those eyes... they were once filled with adoration and love. What the hell happened to us?

"You're wasting my time." He shrugged as he looked the other way. 

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I try to stop myself from crying in front of him. 

He started walking away from me. I was left there, dumbfounded. 

"Why..." I croaked "Why are you being like this?" I asked almost a whisper. I stared at him with glassy eyes. 

His jaw clenched with my question. 

"Being like what?" he said finally facing me

I stared at him with disbelief. Am I the paranoid one? Is it all in my head?

"Being someone I don't know," I said with expelled breath. "Why are you distancing yourself from me?" 

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said with such coldness. Who is this person? This isn't my Lance...

"Alam mo ang sinasabi ko." My voice quivered "Alys saw you with her...Why?" 

He remained silent for a while. He took a deep breath then answered my question

"Yes, I was with Riah and it's none of your business." He said with a clenched jaw

Nanuyo ang lalamunan ko. I licked my chapped lips and gathered all the courage left in me to ask this question. 

"Do you still love me?" 

I cursed to myself when he won't even answer me 

"You told me...you told me you love me!" I said with my voice breaking at the end of my sentence.

"Maybe I was wrong." He said "We're still young. We'll both find someone better."

Isang malutong na sampal ang akin binigay kay Lance. How could he? Siguro nga dapat nakinig na lang ako kay Alys noon. Men are trash.

"Maybe I was wrong too." I said as I walked out.

Loving  someone is a curse. Alam niyo kung bakit? Kasi kahit saktan nila tayo o gaguhin, at the end of the day sila pa rin ang mahal natin. Meeting Lance was a dream come true. A story straight out of a fairy tale book but deep inside me I  already knew this will be the end of my very first relationship.