(Alys Prov)
I can't believe it.
"When was the proposal?" Cristine asked him.
They still wanted to talk while I was here, I didn't know what to do. How could they do this to me? All along I thought it was okay, I thought Cristine was my friend... I thought I knew everything... It turns out I was just imagining things.
My hands were shaking as I waited for Drake to answer. Damn this life! It's only been a little over a month since I came back but I'm already experiencing all sorts of problems here! I wish I never came back!
"The day before the wedding..." said Drake.
I was frantically sobbing with everything. I don't want it, please...
"Hmm, okay. What if she doesn't agree?"
"She will."
"Nuxx the confidence, ha! Go, Drake!"
"Tss."
I waited for them to leave. Me? Mind-fucked. I don't know what to do... He's going to propose to me! My god! What am I going to do?!
Breathing in and out, I calmed myself.
"Think, Alys." I washed myself and then stared at the mirror. "End this madness, Alys."
After calming myself down and finding a place to buy water, I left. It was a good thing I had my sunglasses with me because people might look at me. My eyes looked freaking bloodshot! I looked like I was going to cry. Even my nose was red.
The drive was long and winding, it was really good and I was relaxed when I drove otherwise I might have just crashed my car into a tree and prayed to God for amnesia! God, I'd give anything to forget everything I know now!
When I got back to Manila, I went straight to Tripp. I don't want to lie. I don't want to.
I feel like I'm going to explode at any moment!
"Tripp..." I said. I'm here in his office right now. It's a good thing his secretary is on lunch break, I don't want her to hear what we're talking about. I know this will go down dirty.
He looked at me, shocked.
"Why are you crying?!" he said and then came closer to me, wiping the tears. "Sit down," he said and then he led me to his swivel chair.
"Tripp..."
That was all I could say. Pure Tripp, pure sobs. I don't know where to start. I'm afraid that after this, he might abandon me. I don't want secrets. God knows how much I despise secrets! I know that's the reason relationships break up... That's the reason Drake and I broke up. I don't want the same thing to happen to us. Tripp said it... We're better than that.
He left and left me.
God! I can only imagine now that he'll do that once he finds out what's going on! What if it's actually happening? When he's right in front of me, angry at me because I've been lying to him all along?
He came back with a bottled water and handed it to me.
"Drink it first," he said then he opened the cap of the water and gave me a drink. He was caressing my back while watching me drink. God, I'm so stupid! Is this the relationship Drake wants me to ignore just for him?!
After drinking the water, he cupped my face and looked at me worriedly. "Are you okay?"
I was still sobbing but nothing beyond control. I nodded and another tear fell from my stupid eye.
"Y-yeah..."
He nodded and then he held my hand. "Okay. Why are you crying, Zyril?" he asked, still worried.
I held his hand tighter and stared at him with my most pained expression. "I'm sorry..."
His eyes trembled with fear at what he heard from me. I guess he'd seen this coming, too.
"You were sorry earlier." He sighed. "Tell me, do we have a problem?"
I'd trade anything to say 'no, we don't have a problem. But who am I trying to kid? We have a problem! And the longer I prolong this, the messier this will be.
"Don't get angry, okay?" I cooed him.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly. "What about Drake?"
I nodded. God, this is hurting already!
"Please, listen, okay?" I said softly. "I... I heard he's going to propose to me..."
"WHAT?!" he said and then stood up. "What did you say?"
And then as if on cue, I started crying again...
"Y-you... you remember his wedding with Cristine? It was... it was for us... Sorry, Tripp! I really don't know!"
He was pacing back and forth while massaging his temple. And then I was surprised when he suddenly threw the phone on his desk.
"I'll kill him! He's really shit!"
I immediately stood up and hugged him from behind.
"Don't be angry, please..."
"What the fuck, Alys?! Shouldn't I be angry in this situation?! He's going to propose to my girlfriend! To my girlfriend! Which part of that sentence is unclear?!"
I hugged him even tighter. I was scared... I'd only just seen Tripp like this... He was shaking with anger. I also saw that his lips were bleeding.
"I won't let you go, okay? You know I love you..."
He slowly removed my hand that was hugging him.
He turned around and held my face.
"I know you love me, Alys. But let me ask you... do you only love me?"
I nodded immediately. "I only love you. What kind of question is that!"
He suddenly removed his hand from my face and turned his back on me. "Shit. Why is that, Alys? No matter how many times I've heard that I'm the only one you love, I still think that I'm just a cover for Drake's absence... and now that he's here again, you're suddenly going to leave me?"
"Tripp..."
"Why am I like this? I know, Alys. Compared to what you and Drake have, I have nothing. I'm not the one you're crazy about. It's like we're just trying to force ourselves, right? I've been chasing you for two years. It was all hard work, no free falling. Maybe we'll never be able to match what you and Drake have, right?"
I slapped him. I don't know why. I'm annoyed by everything he says.
"What's wrong, Tripp! I'm here, okay? I'm trying to fix it but that's what you think?!"
He touched his cheek where I slapped him. "Damn, your slap hurt but what I feel hurts even more, Alys." He touched his chest and looked at me. "It hurts... No matter what you do, no matter what he says he loves you, you know it's still not... because the first one was there."
I went over to him and slapped him. "You idiot! What's wrong, huh?! I'm crying, oh! If I didn't care about you, about us, I wouldn't have just married Drake! What's wrong, Marco! Huh?! What's wrong?!"
He looked at me.
"Marry me, Alys. Marry me so I can be quiet."