Chapter 11

"Can we go out? A dinner perhaps?" he asked while they were standing beside the dormitory's entrance.

"Why?" she asked.

"Just to celebrate our love," he said sweetly, caressing her long, black hair.

"Okay," she replied coldly.

"Do we have a problem?"

"No, I'm just uhm…"

"Busy? I can wait. What time will you be free?"

"Never…" she murmured.

"Huh?! What do you mean?"

"I mean, you've been doing all these things for me. Travelling long hours just to be with me for a day. I think we both have to rest first and focus on our studies. You've been doing a lot of things for us but I don't."

"I told you, it's okay with me. As long as we are together."

"I don't want to be unfair to you, Carlo. I guess it's time for us to end this."

Carlo was shocked. He can't understand why all of a sudden, she changed. He threw away the flowers that she brought for her. Since it's a Saturday, there are just a few people in their dorm. He looked around to make sure that no one's watching.

In a firm and angry voice, he asked, "What's wrong, Isabella?"

"I don't know. It's just, I… I…"

"You're what?"

"I don't love you anymore," she said, still sounding coldly. She didn't feel any pain, any hesitation or regret after saying those words. She just felt nothing.

Carlo became furious. His blood rushed to his head, his face dimmed and he hit the wall right next to Isabella's face. He might have broken his fingers but he was too numb because of his anger to feel anything.

"Why, Isabella? Why?!" His voice raised, both angry and begging for an answer.

"I don't know. Just leave, Carlo," she said, looking down at the cement floor where the white rose petals scattered.

"No, I'm not going to leave until I get a reasonable answer from you."

"I told you. I don't love you anymore."

"I don't believe you. I love you so much, Isabella. I know you love me, too." His voice slowly tones down. "Maybe you are just tired, busy. I can give you the space that you need, just don't do this, please." He begged. Carlo's tears fell like rushing water from his eyes, he stepped forward to hug her but she moved back, away from him.

"This is not going to work anymore, Carlo. I'm sorry." After saying that, Isabella immediately went inside the dorm and ran upstairs.

She lay down on her bed and closed her eyes. Still, she felt nothing. She removed the ring that Carlo gave her and put it inside her wallet. Then she closed her eyes again and went to sleep as if nothing happened, as if she didn't just break somebody's heart, as if everything is normal.

She was lying on a muddy ground when she opened her eyes. The whole place was dark. She can only see the silhouette of the trees around. She tried to get up but her feet were stuck in the mud, she can't even move it. She saw the white horse again standing from afar. She tried to see if there's anyone else beside the horse, just anyone who can help her, but there's no one. The cold air touched her muddy skin and she shivered. Her clothes are soaking wet with mud. She cried for help but no one came, no one can hear her. She closed her eyes again and cried. "This is just a dream, when I open my eyes, everything will be back to normal," she thought. She kept her eyes closed for several minutes until she felt something touch the back of her ears. She opened her eyes and saw the white horse leaning forward to her. She looked into its eyes, its deep brown eyes that looked humanly. Then she saw her reflection. She tried to touch it but the moment her palm touched the side of its mouth, it disappeared, then everything turned pitch black.

Carlo travelled back home, his tears never stopped falling. He went straight to his best friend's house. Michael lives in a small pod near EARIST Cavite Campus, where Carlo is studying. Michael likes his place neat and clean, and everything is in order. He works in a band as the lead guitarist. His family is well off, they have a huge house in Manila but he prefers the peace of the provincial life. At twenty eight, he still looks ten years younger. Most of the time, he brings a woman he meets at a gig for a one night stand. Luckily, there's no woman that night. Michael took a bottle of Jack Daniels and two glasses with ice.

"What happened, dude?" he asked.

"She broke up with me," Carlo answered as he drank the half-filled glass of alcohol.

"What?" he asked in surprise. "But you two were inseparable."

"I know. She's changed a lot since she entered the university, ."

"Is there a third party?"

"I don't know. I don't think so."

"What did she tell you?"

"She doesn't love me anymore."

They went on until early morning. Carlo got so drunk that he can't manage to go home, so Michael let him sleep on the couch until mid-afternoon.

For several days, Carlo didn't do anything but get drunk. Soon, the news about their break-up spread among their circle of friends. Everyone in their batch also heard the rumor, especially Jane.

Jane contacted all their high school batch mates and invited them for a house party as their reunion. She also made sure that Carlo was invited.

When the day came, everyone is present, including Carlo.

During the party, Carlo hardly spoke. They kept on asking him what happened to them but Carlo only gave them a smirk and a grin.

"Let's not talk about it. It's all over."

Jane never left Carlo's side. She kept on passing him the shot, waiting for him to get dead drunk. After midnight, Carlo could hardly stand from the couch. Jane asked their male friend to help her bring him in her room. Everyone knows her motive but no one talked about it. Since high school she has always been open to having a huge crush on him. They all know how much she was broken hearted and suffered of jealousy when Carlo and Isabella became a couple. She endured all that, she waited and she was almost certain that Isabella will leave Carlo. Now is her perfect time to snatch him from Isabella and prove him that she's the right one for him.