Next to You (COMPLETED)

9 - Start

The plan to tell my cousin about the girl Colton is interested with will not go as plan. Ayoko nang ikwento pa kay Tonie ang naging usapan namin kanina ng mga ka-team ko. Honestly, di ko maintindihan ano bang dapat kong maramdaman. Based sa kwento ni Kat kanina, there really is a big chance na ako ang babaeng tinutukoy niya. I mean, medyo malabo naman if the same scenario happen to some other girl, right?

Good thing Kat and Joan did not notice my reaction as well. I had to force myself not to give any sign that I am shock or something. That would be a dead giveaway that I have an idea of the people they were talking about.

Colton is interested in me. Now that's kinda sure. Also, he has plans to court me. What to do about that now? I am not certain how I should act towards him moving forward but one thing is for sure though, I still don't want to get involve with any guy. Not anything beyond frienship, that is.

I went home after buying some things in the grocery. Since there is no work tomorrow, I am planning to binge watch Netflix tonight. I am currently watching Money Heist and now on the 3rd season. Tonie will stay with his boyfriend tonight and will go home by Sunday.

Suddenly, it started raining. Before, I used to love rains but now, it reminds me of a bitter and sad memory. Something that still makes me feel guilty. I know it wasn't entirely my fault but I feel somehow responsible for it.

Mark and I had a good relationship, so good that I actually see myself marrying him. He is the one, my end game. My forever partner. I have set my mind on that idea that when shit happened, it consumed me wholly.

We will be celebrating our 2nd year anniversary when I learned the biggest lie on our relationship. He is cheating. Not on me. He was cheating on his girlfriend that is working in Japan and I was the third party. Ako yung kabit.

Never in my life I have imagined I will be in that situation. My last boyfriend before him cheated on me and I never once desired to be the other girl, the third party. I know and I have experienced the pain of being cheated on, so I would never want to be the one ruining someone else's relationship. But life managed to ruin and punch me right in the gut. They were already together for 7 years and the girl left for Japan 5 years ago but she goes home every year to spend a month or two vacation in the country.

How come I did not see something was not right? Why did I not notice the clues? Was I too blinded by my love for him and my dream of ending up with him? If the girl did not contact me and let me know of the real score, then I'll be forever kept in the dark, still drowned in my fantasy of forever with a cheater like him.

The girl, Diane, did her research and learned I was totally clueless of her existence. Hindi niya ako inaway or sinumbatan. Hindi niya ako minura or binato ng kahit anong paratang. She was so nice that she doesn't deserve such thing to happen to her. She met me one rainy day and exposed what Mark's been doing. And when I thought that it will be the biggest surprise, it ain't it. She said she finished everything with Mark and already cut ties with him. She said she did not just lost her trust and love for Mark, she lost something else the very day she learned Mark is cheating on her. A very important one. And I felt guilty for what she lost.

It's almost 12 am and I decided to go to bed already. I took a bath first and while blowing dry my hair, I checked my phone and saw some texts from Tonie. The messages were minutes ago, probably sent when I was still showering.

Someone asks for your number. Binigay ko na.

Baka kasi madamay evaluation ko pag di ko binigay eh 😂

Kalimutan mo na din yung single forever plan mo.

Wala sa lahi natin ang maging old maid at cat lady 😂

I am still trying to grasp what my cousin's messages mean when another text came. This time, it was from an unknown number.

Hi!

So this might be the person Tonie gave my number to. I am still trying to guess who could it be when a new message came in.

Colton here. I asked Tonie for your number. 😊

My heart started racing upon reading his message. Is he now starting his plan to pursue me? What should I do now?

Do you have plans tomorrow? I want to invite you sana for breakfast or coffee.