EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART

CHAPTER 81: My Happily Never After

Three years earlier.

"Anong ginagawa mo Nathan? Anong ibig sabihin nito?" Nakikipag-agawan si Arylle sa singsing na kinuha sa kanya ni Nathan. It was the diamond ring he gave when he proposed to her.

"Nathan ano ba? Hindi na nakakatuwa! Ano bang trip mo? Bakit-" Natigilan si Arylle nang itapon ng binata ang singsing, saktong-sakto sa basurahan.

"May problema ba tayo? Dahil ba to dun sa..."

"Na-realized ko lang na hindi pa pala ako ready magpakasal. Ayokong matali ng hindi ko pa nagagawa yung mga gusto kong gawin sa buhay ko. I have a lot of things to do, at alam kong hindi ko yun magagawa kung magpapakasal ako sayo. You are too possesive Arylle. Feeling ko nga lumiit yung mundo ko nung naging tayo. Ang daming bawal, bawal ang ganito, bawal ang ganun. Our relationship is a bit suffocating. Sorry kung nadala ako, I should't have propose to you. I'm sorry..."

"Ano? Ano bang sinasabi mo? Hindi kita naintindihan, nakikipaghiwalay ka ba sa akin? Dahil ba sa-"

"Hindi, hindi dahil dun. I'm just letting you do the things that you have to do. Don't fool yourself Arylle, you can fool yourself but not with me. Kahit maikli lang yung pinagsamahan natin, I know when you're lying or not. You don't need to speak nor put an act to show how you really feel."

"Nathan ano bang-"

"Hindi mo kailangang ipagsigawan na mahal mo si Drake para makita ko yun o para makita ng ibang tao. Lahat ng taong nakapaligid sayo, alam kung gaano mo kamahal si Drake. Ikaw lang siguro ang hindi nakakaalam nun sa sarili mo. You keep on denying it to yourself for some reason. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero kung iniisip mo ako...okay lang ako. You don't need to marry me just because you need to."

"Mahal-"

"I do trust you and your love. Alam kong mahal mo ako Arylle, but your love for Drake is different. It has a certain level that I can never beat. I saw the fear in your eyes that night. Hindi lang sa resthouse na pinagtaguan ko. Alam kong nahirapan kang mamili. You chose me not because you love me more than him. Pinili mo ako kasi ako yung dapat mong piliin. I saw the pain in your eyes when you thought Jill had shoot him. And that night, you don't need to shout that you love Drake so much. Hindi mo masabing hindi mo siya kayang mawala, but right from that moment, you died with him. I am not the one who save him, ikaw Arylle. Ikaw yun, you never gave up. Alam ko ding halos araw-araw ka sa ICU. You took care of him, always praying that he'll survive. Why don't you tell him how you feel? Just because he ignored you when he woke up? Takot ka na ma-reject niya? Drake never gave up on you, ikaw susukuan mo na lang siya ng ganun?"

Bravery means letting the woman you love the most to do what she ought to even you are dying inside.

"Hindi mo na ba ako mahal?" Umiiyak na tanong ni Arylle, nalilito siya sa dapat niyang gawin.

How I wish! Pero hindi....dahil mahal na mahal kita.

Nathan gathered all his strength to set her free even it means breaking his own heart.

"Hindi na...yun ba ang gusto mo marinig?" Yung kahit naiiyak na siya ay pinipilit pa din niyang tumawa.

"Just stop fooling yourself Arylle. You only have three hours and forty three minutes to confess it to Drake. He might leave for good, don't miss the chance to be with the man of your life." Tumingin si Nathan sa relo niya sabay abot ng susi ng kotse niya kay Arylle.

"Just use my car, go...papunta na yun sa airport. Maaabutan mo pa si Drake kung aalis ka na ngayon considering the traffic." Kung pwede lang niyang bawiin ang mga pinagsasabi niya, ginawa na ni Nathan. Pero alam niyang iyon ang pinakatamang gawin. He doesn't want to be selfish, kung gaano niya kamahal si Arylle, ganun din ang pagmamahal niya kay Drake.