I Hope You Will Always Stay Beside Me

I immediately head to her. We went outside for her to breathe. Her eyes and nose are already red. She's a total mess but she still looks beautiful. No doubt that she's a well-known model. A few minutes have passed but she's still quiet so I started the conversation.

"Adair, what will happen if you blow up the balloon too much?"

She frowned at me and then teased me with a laugh. I understand why 'cause who would've expected that I will ask this kind of question while we're facing a serious matter here?

"Duh! Sunday! Of course, it will explode, it will be destroyed! You can't think of any other topic so you are asking that kind of question?! Huh ?!" she smirked at me teasingly. I gave her a sullen glance.

"You're right. It will explode, it will be destroyed. That is because it is already full. It can no longer handle the air in it because it didn't let the air go. That goes the same with our problems." She stared at me seriously. She probably gets what I meant.

"Now speak. Say what you wanted to let go. I don't wanna see you someday exploding just because you keep your problems by yourself." She hugged me suddenly and cried. I hugged her back. I knew that she's in pain. The fact that I, which is her best friend, is the one whom she loves the most married, is hard to accept. Even though she knew that it's all for business, it still took so long before she accepted the truth, and when she did, she made me promise her that I will take care of her beloved. What more if she sees that her best friend is not enough? That her beloved is still looking for somebody else even though he's married? What's worst is that he's just married earlier!

"But he's your husband. It's weird if I say my love for him to his wife." I laughed then lightly bump her shoulder.

"Yes he's my husband but you're my best friend. You knew the real score between us. We're only married on papers and for the company...nothing more"

"Naive..." I frowned. This crazy called me numb inside my property! I would have slapped her with my answer but she started talking.

"I went to my mom's bar only to find him too drunk that time and I must say, I fell the first time I stare at him. He's wrecked and devastated while I'm naive and dumb. As expected from 17 years old. He keeps on saying that 'I'm always here for her but she still chooses him'. He's alone and the bar will soon close but he still doesn't want to leave. We tried to call anyone in his contact numbers but it's locked. I don't know why but I feel responsible for what happened to him so I brought him to my condo just to wait until he gets sober. But when he is ... something happened. I lost my virginity that day but I didn't regret it even if I believe that the greatest gift to your husband is your virginity. " I was surprised there. Adair is a liberated woman so I thought that she lost her virginity earlier than that age. I didn't even think that she believes in that 'gift thingy'. I'm so judgmental! Damn me!

"I've become a fangirl just for him. Hell! I'm even one of his stalkers! Yet he never glace at me even just for once. But every time I'll look at him, I'll always catch him staring at that girl. That girl who doesn't even know what he feels towards her even if it's too obvious!"

"She's naive," I said but she just glared at me. Why?! What did I do this time?!

"I'm too obsessed with him to the point that I've done some research and learned who's he's referring to, that night when I first met him. Many years have passed and I'm still hopelessly in love with him. And then one time when I visited mom's bar, I saw him again with his beers and cigarettes. I grabbed it away from him and ordered the bartender to not give him liquors anymore. He told me that he needed those to forget the girl she loves. I acted without thinking then a lot happened. I just found myself agreeing to be his rebound. I let him use me. And then I realized that giving my body and heart to a person who's not mine from the beginning is purely idiotic. So I learned to love myself more and also to love him from afar. I'm happy for him when I heard that he's in a relationship with the woman he longed for years. Even if it hurts... I'm still happy for him because at last he already caught the woman he loves ... the woman he dreams of. So my eyes darkened when I saw that the woman was with someone else. I did something terrible to her-, "she sobs and bit her lower lip to stifle it." -And I'm so sorry. She must be happy now with her husband and child if I didn't do that and if I didn't agree with her parents to hide her child. "My chest throbbed. I don't know why but it was hard to breathe. What did she do to the girl?

"What did you do to...her?" She covered her face with her palms. Her crying got louder. I suddenly felt guilty. Maybe my question triggered her tears to fall.

"I-I b-bum-." She's stuttering! I'm so heartless to ask her!

"It's okay. You don't have to answer it. You're still not ready to share it with someone cause you're afraid that your healing wound from the past might open again. I understand and I'm happy that you chose me to know your secret. What you did to her must be inhumane for you to react like that. But always remember that truth will always set you free. You must apologize to her but not now. Not now that you're still wounded and in pain. You have to be strong, cause it takes a strong person to say sorry ... and an even stronger person to forgive. I hope that person whom you've made mistake to, is strong enough to forgive you. Set yourself free cause you deserve to be happy."

"Why am I so lucky to have you? I wish I am brave enough like you. I hope I can bring back your kindness. I hope you will always stay beside me. I hope you would still forgive me despite what I have done to you." My forehead immediately furrowed. She's not doing anything wrong to me. In fact, she's the one who's always there for me.

"I'm the one who should be saying that. You still stay beside me even if you know that reality would always slap you the truth that Felix end up to be with me." I teased her to lighten the mood. She glared at me. "- and besides, you're not doing anything wrong to me."

She was stunned. It's like she wants to say something but she can't. She averted her gaze as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I-I mean.. instead of I being your sympathizer because you were the one who seemed to have a problem earlier in the call, eh I'm the one you're sympathizing with ... sorry ... hehe?" She smiled but it looked forced. I remembered again why I called her. Should I tell her? But..the pain she feels will only increase if I tell it to her. After all, Felix's moves seemed unintentional.

"'Don't think about it. It's just nothing. I just really want someone to sleep with since I'm new to this house but because of what happened... I think you need to rest and go home. I'll be fine here, don't worry "I smile at her sweetly to convince her. I really want her to sleep with me because of what happened but I think she needs to rest in her house so that she won't remember the scene earlier.

"You sure?" I nodded as I slightly push her towards her car. She seems hesitant at first but agreed at the end.

"Hey! You don't have to show that you eagerly wanted me to go, I'll leave!"

I laughed at what she said. "The nerd that you used to bully is now a hottie engineer, huh." I teased her. She just gave me a bored look. Wow! For the first time, she's not interested in a hottie man or her ego can't just accept the fact that the one whom she used to tease is now a jaw-dropping engineer? "Do you know the superstition? It says--"

"Superstition? It's a belief from those ignorant people believing in those irrational and unscientific things." I glared at her for not letting me finish but she just smiled teasingly at me. I smirk then continue my sentence. "It says that the lady who catches the bouquet and the man who catches the garter will be the next two to get married."I bit the insides of my cheek to stifle a smirk when her smile vanished.

"Sunday!" She's now mad at me. I watched her as she heads towards her car and wave at her when she looked back. She just gave me a sullen look then smiled afterward. We really can't make our anger last to each other. I sighed when she left and glance at our house. I think they're not done yet. I'll just go out to breathe.

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