Chapter 15

Carlo sat at the balcony that morning, waiting for Isabella to come back. He is imagining her running towards him, telling him the good news that her mother finally agreed that she can finish college in their town. Lucy called him several times to eat – breakfast and lunch - but he refused. He just continued to drink coffee all day. At three in the afternoon, he has already finished five cups of coffee and his heart started to palpitate.

"Is Isabella coming today?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know. She said she will," he answered sadly, still staring at the gray sky.

"I think another storm is coming," Lucy said, trying to divert his attention.

"The storm already came. I'm just waiting for it to go away." At that moment Carlo knew that Isabella is not coming. His gut feelings tell him that what they shared last night is going to be the last. Still, he waited until the clock struck six. He went inside his room and changed his clothes. He's going to Isabella's house.

Isabella was awakened by her mother at nine in the morning but it still looks dark outside.

"Why?" she asked, stretching her arms and legs, her eyes swollen from crying all night.

"Franco called and asked if he can pick you up tonight," she lied. Lisa is the one who told Franco to pick her up. She doesn't want Isabella to spend another week with Carlo because, she's afraid that they might do something desperate just to be together.

"What? Tonight? Why that fast?"

"Class will start in less than a month. You've got a lot of things to do. You have to enroll, buy things for school, and get comfortable in his place and what not."

"Mother?" she sighed and shook her head. That's all that she can utter, she knows that her situation is hopeless.

"I know you've suffered too much for the past two years because we weren't able to support you financially," her mother said, holding her two hands. "The last two years has been very awful for you. This time, it will be different. You will be able to live the life that you deserve. Franco is a good and decent man. You know that. It will not be hard for you to love him."

"But mother," her tears started falling again from her already puffed-up eyes. "I love Carlo so much. He's the only one I want to be with. Please don't take me away from him," she pleaded.

"I understand, but if you and Carlo are really meant for each other, one day, your paths will cross again, and who knows, you'll be given another chance."

"Another chance? Now that you want me to marry Franco? What do you want me to do? Cheat on him?"

"That's not what I meant, Isabella. Sometimes things happen that we do not really expect. Most of the time, if you pray really hard, the heavens and the entire universe will go in your favor and help you achieve what you want. But right now, the best option that you have is to agree with Franco."

Tears continue to fall from her eyes like waterfalls: falling hard, continuous, like no ending. She felt that her heart has been broken into billions of pieces. Her mother left her alone in her room as she cried hard over her love. She buried her face in her pillow and shouted Carlo's name.

Isabella stayed in her room all day, crying, while her mother prepared her things. Lisa didn't allow her go to Carlo's house no matter how many times she asked and promised that she will return. She explained that she just wants to say goodbye to him, but Lisa stayed firm and never let her go out. Her grandmother called her to eat and even brought food in her room but she refused. She didn't eat or drink anything at all.

"Mother," she called as she stepped out of her room at five thirty in the afternoon. "Mom, please, let me say goodbye to Carlo."

"I don't think that's a good idea. He will just stop you from leaving and you will be confused again. Franco will be here any minute now. I suggest that you take a bath, fix yourself and dress up."

"Will you come with us?"

��No, Franco said that he will pick you up, not us."

Isabella went back to her room, wanting to cry again but no tears fell from her eyes. She opened her closet and saw that there are just a few clothes left hanging. She just picked the remaining faded jeans and a white shirt and placed it on her bed. She went to the bathroom to take a bath. She slowly turned the faucet and the water splashed onto her face from the shower. She stayed in that position until she felt that she is drowning. She turned her back against the shower and it started to wet her hair but then, she still feels that she is drowning. Drowning from the fate that came to her life, drowning from the love that she left before and now that she's ready to be with him, something else is taking her away. She thought, maybe, Carlo and her are just not meant for each other. Maybe, the white horse in her dreams is actually Franco, a person who would help her reach her dreams. She finished taking a bath and put on her clothes. She looked at her luggage, an old black one that her mother bought when they moved to another house years ago. Now, she's moving again, with the same old luggage into a place she has never been before, with a person she has never talked to.

Carlo reached Isabella's house at around six thirty. He sat on the road side in front of their house, thinking if he should knock or not. He was hoping that Isabella would come out, maybe buy something from the store so he could talk to her. He waited for fifteen minutes but there's no sign of her. So he stood up and went near the gate and tried to peek inside. At the doorway, he saw the luggage, his mind panicked and he knew at once that it is Isabella's. She is leaving. He tried to look through the windows and there she saw Isabella dressed in jeans and shirt.

She's leaving now. She is going away from me, it can't happen. His mind said. He immediately knocked on the gate, fast and loud knocks. She can't do this. She can't leave me again.

Isabella heard the knocks and immediately went outside to see who is there. Upon seeing Carlo, she jumped towards him with joy, "Thank God, you came at least I can say my goodbyes." She slowly closed the gate behind so her mother won't see them. He hugged him tightly like she's never done before. She doesn't want to let go. Her mind was flooded again with her desire to run away with Carlo.

"Carlo, I have to leave, but I am not going to marry him. Give me your phone number." Isabella went inside to get a pen and paper. When she came back, a black Ford focus is parked right in front of their house. That must be Franco, she thought. She gave the pen and paper to Carlo and he wrote his number down.

"Isabella, please, don't leave me again," he pleaded, crying, as he held her hands.

"I will be back, Carlo. I promise you." She hugged him again, and wet the left shoulder of his shirt with her tears. She knows that Franco can see them from his tinted car but she didn't care. If she could only do something to stay.

Franco almost changed his mind about marrying Isabella upon seeing a tear jerking scene. It is only now that he realized that he is not just taking Isabella as a wife at a very young age but he is also snatching her from another man who looks like she loves so much. But his desire to have a family, and his huge crush on her overcame his pity for them. He stepped out of the car and approached them.

"Uhm, hi! I'm sorry to interrupt but is your mother inside?" He asked politely.

"Yeah, she's inside," she replied snobbishly.

Carlo felt more insecure upon seeing Franco. He is taller than him by four inches. He has fair complexion and decent clothing with a car. He felt envious, and at that moment, for the first time in his life, he wished that his life is different, that he is also rich enough to give Isabella everything that she needs.

When Franco got inside, Carlo let go of a deep sigh, and released himself from Isabella's arms.

"You have a great life ahead of you, Isabella. Not everyone is given this privilege to fulfill their dreams. This is your own Cinderella story, and I wish you all the best. Whatever happens to us, we'll always be in each other's heart and mind, and even death can't make us part. Always remember that. I will always be your best friend." He said and kissed her softly on her forehead. "Take care of yourself and study hard, okay?" he forced a smile and caressed Isabella's cheeks. Isabella got confused. She felt that Carlo is finally letting her go.

"Carlo, will you wait for me?"

"I don't know. We have no control over what lies in our future. We plan, we dream, we promise, but that's all that we can do."

"So you won't?" Isabella looked straight into his eyes sadly.

"Of course I will. I love you." Carlo hugged her again for the last time, tighter, longer. "I love you, Isabella." He whispered.

Carlo saw Franco come out of their house with her mother smiling widely. His anger came back and almost overcame the insecurities he was feeling just a little while ago. He looked at Isabella again, held her hands tighter. He tried to look for words to tell her something, just anything, but no words came out of his mouth. All he was able to utter was, "I love you so much, Isabella," and he gave him one last kiss on her lips then on her forehead, then he left.

He walked away without looking back. He didn't want to see Franco take her. He didn't want to look like he is handing over his most precious possession to someone else. He looked at their couple ring on his finger, the only thing left that would bind them together. I hope you won't remove it.

Isabella stepped into the passenger's seat after Franco placed her luggage in the trunk. She only kissed her grandmother goodbye but didn't bother to talk to her mother to show how upset she is.

They drove for two hours but no one spoke until they reached Franco's pod. Franco placed her luggage inside his room and asked Isabella what she wants for dinner. Instead of answering, she asked, "Where's my room?" Franco smiled, "There's only one room in this pod, so I guess we have to share."

Isabella breathed deeply, "Okay. But I hope that it won't happen tonight."

"Which one?"

"You know what exactly I mean, and I am not a prostitute so I expect that you don't treat me like one. I'm not a slave either. You know, we both know that I don't want this set up. It's just my mother who insisted." She said bitterly.

"Don't worry, I'm not that kind of guy. I won't force you to do things that you don't like. If you want, I can stay on the couch and you can sleep in the room alone tonight, just to make you feel a little more comfortable."

"Okay." Isabella went inside the room to change when Franco told him from behind the door, "I left an empty space in the closet for you. You can put your clothes there." She didn't respond. She pulled her luggage and took out all her clothes that were neatly folded by her mother. She placed them on the right side of the closet, the left one is filled with Franco's folded clothes, and some were hanged. She also found two empty drawers at the bottom, curious what she's supposed to put in there, she opened Franco's drawers. The top one is filled with his underwears, folded very neatly, separated by their colors and the bottom one is for his socks. This guy has a lot of underwears and socks. I wonder if he is able to use all of them.

After putting her clothes in the closet, she laid her back on the bed. She assumed that she should be on the right side, too. She stared at the white ceiling filled with glow in the dark stars and other figures. She laughed silently. My god! A guy like Franco still enjoys glow in the dark objects? She wanted to turn off the light to see them glow but she's too lazy to get up. The bed is soft and the pillows, too, that she feels like her head is drowning. So she took the other pillow, supposedly for Franco and put it on top of her pillow to elevate her head. The sheets are blue with galaxy prints. Wow! This guy really loves the universe. The lampshade on each bedside are pretty normal, just the regular white triangular cylinder. There's a book shelf on the side of the wall and a couch beside the window. The curtains are tied up so she can see the pale full moon alone in the dark sky. There were no stars, no clouds, and she remembered Carlo. He must be crying again now. Alone in the balcony, drinking his cup of coffee, staring at the same pale full moon. She wanted to cry but there were no tears left in her eyes. Her heart felt heavy and she could hardly breathe. She wanted to escape, to die at that moment and become a part of the wind so she can go wherever she wants. She would go to Carlo and whisper in his ears. She would play around the trees, so he would know that she is there. But she can't. She can't break her promise that she will be back. Then she remembered that Carlo is also taking an engineering course, that once he becomes a licensed engineer, they'll get married and she would stop working and just look after their kids. Now, Franco is an engineer who wants to marry her and build a family with her. It's like her life was pushed into a fast forward pace, only that it's with a different man.