MACE: The Unfinished Business

“So, you told him already?” I asked the sister of my ex-boyfriend, who was sitting beside me at our patio, with a funny smile on her face. “How did he react?”

Kate’s funny smile turned into a huge grin. “Shock is an understatement,” she said with a laugh. “I could tell he was really affected but then being the cool Luke that he is, he tried to cover it up by acting like he couldn’t care less.”

“I take his being affected as a good sign then,” I said with smile.

Kate’s grin faded and her expression suddenly turned serious. “Mace, I’m helping you have some time with Luke because you asked for it… but I have to be honest.” She paused then plunged on. “I’m not so confident that he won’t hurt you again and I really don’t want that to happen.”

I gave her a reassuring look. “Don’t worry Kate, I’ll be fine.” I patted her hands. “I know you’re not so comfortable with the idea but please bear with me. This is something I really have to do.”

“But why Mace?”

“He and I have some unfinished business,” I paused and looked at the sky. “Or rather, I have some unfinished business with him. The Badian trip seems like my perfect chance to finally finish everything."

Kate wrinkled her nose. “What unfinished business are you talking about?”

“We were so immature back then.” I looked up conjuring memories from four years ago. “We were still in highschool, too young and too naïve to understand how having a relationship should work.”

“HE was so immature back then,” Kate corrected emphasizing on the word, HE. “You understood what it meant Mace.”

“I am two years older than him and was just as immature,” I began but she interrupted me with a shake of her head.

“Don’t even try to defend my stupid brother,” she said waving her hands. “He was the one who never took you seriously.” She gave me a pointed look. “I know you never had any other boyfriend the two years you were together and it was he who had flings in between every time school starts.” Her expression grew dark as she continued. “So okay, he's younger and you both went to different schools; but, he’s not that dense so as not to understand that going steady means exclusivity.”

“I had my own faults…”

“Oh please,” Kate said in an exasperated tone. “And when vacation time comes, it’s like nothing ever happened because he’d come giving you his most powerful smile and charm you all over again!” Her hands came up to shake my shoulders. “I so wanted to shake you like this because I couldn’t understand how you could let yourself be fooled that easily! I know he’s my brother and all but really Mace, you deserved more than how he was treating you!”

I held her hands to stop her from shaking me all the more. “Whoa… easy Kate! Your blood pressure’s going hit 200 at the rate you’re going!”

She stopped shaking me abruptly and dropped her hands from my shoulders. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “I do have the tendency to get carried away when we’re talking about your past.”

I patted her hands. “But I did do something Kate,” I said reminding her. “I confronted him and told him how I wanted our relationship to be --- that I wanted him to straighten up and stop fooling around with other girls and just concentrate on me alone because I have always done the same thing.”

“Yes, and what did the jerk do? He couldn’t even give you a proper answer!”

“I think he was shocked at what I said,” I told her able to laugh about it now when four years ago, it was the very reason for my first heartbreak. “The expression on his face was actually comical now that I’m trying to picture it.”

Kate tilted her head, a sign of digesting her thoughts and trying to connect the dots. “So, if you already confronted him, where’s the unfinished business there?”

I took a deep breath and told her something she didn’t know. “Two years ago, it was Luke who wanted to talk to me about our past. He already started talking actually but we were interrupted.

“Who interrupted you?” Kate asked curiosity getting the better of her weariness.

“You,” I said with a laugh.

“Me?” she said an incredulous voice. “How in the world did that happen?”

“It was during your birthday,” I answered smiling so she will know this was something I’m not angry at her for. “You were entertaining your guests so Luke took the liberty of accompanying me especially when he saw I was having an upset stomach. He was rather sweet that night. He left his friends and opted to stay at my side, even getting me lukewarm water to drink and giving me his beloved blue scarf to wipe the sweat off my forehead brought about by my stomach pain. When his friends came and teased us, he gave them such a ferocious look that meant ‘Back Off’ that they instantly took the message and left us on our own.”

Kate’s eyes widened.

“He was the one who opened up about our past. Generic questions at first until he started telling me things that were contrary to what I first believed in. He wanted to continue our conversation but you called me and wanted me to come with you. He held my wrist and asked me to go with him instead to continue our talk, but I looked at you waving from the porch and well, it was your birthday. I didn’t want to let you down. So, I told him I have to go to you because it’s your day after all. He was disappointed but still gave me a smile and said, okay.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “The look on Luke’s face that day haunted me ever since. I knew he really wanted to tell me something.”

Kate covered her face with her hands. “Oh no!” she cried clearly distraught. “I’m so sorry… I ruined a chance for you both!”

I smiled reassuringly. “It’s not your fault Kate, you had no idea what was happening.”

She grabbed my arms. “You should have told me, you should have taken me aside and just told me you guys needed to talk. I would have obliged!” Kate’s hold on my arms grew limp and her voice quivered. “And to think I always thought my brother didn’t do anything to correct his mistakes. As it turns out, I was the reason why he wasn’t able to do so!”

I held on to her hands firmly now. “So, you now understand why I’m doing this? Why I need to go with you guys to Badian?” I looked at her helplessly. “I know this probably sounds stupid as two years have already passed but I… I really need to hear him out.”

She nodded then mustering a determined smile, she replied, “Yes, I get it now.”

“To be honest, I don’t know if this will make any difference,” I admitted. “Luke may even have someone special now.”

Kate shook her hand. “As far as I know, he’s a free man Mace.”

I felt a surge of hope. “You sure?”

“Yes, I’m positive,” Kate answered with certainty. “And I’ll do everything I can to make sure you’ll get that much needed time.” She pursed her lips. “Now that I think about it, Badian is indeed a good place to do your plan. The first time you went with us was an unforgettable summer for you both. Being there again would bring back memories.”

Relief flooded my entire being now that she understood. “Thanks Kate,” I said giving her a hug. “You really are the sister I never had.”

“Hey, whether you end up with my brother or not, I will always look at you as my sister,” she said returning my hug affectionately.