Thorns

EPILOGUE

Whitney

"I met someone."

Those were the three deadly words I always dread to hear from Rai. This was the day I always feared and just waited to come, in the back of my mind.

"What do you mean?" I mumbled, my hand trembled so badly I had to land my burrito on the coffee table.

Rai shuffled in his seat. His brown eyes didn't look up. I felt my lip quiver.

"What do you mean?" I pressed, and I knew my voice wasn't steady at all.

I mean, let's face it, my boyfriend of five years was breaking up with me, just a few days before graduation. We had all our life planned at this point: after graduation, we would move to Chicago, find a nice job, a small but cozy apartment and live together forever.

"I met a girl... huh... remember Kelly?" He asked, and I saw his lips do his sweet side grin.

Shit! That grin used to be there for me alone! Who da fuck was Kelly, anyway?! Oh, I remembered, the waitress that worked with him at the pub outside school's campus. Rai had to get a part-time job so he could pay for his dorm room and for food and other extras. With a full tuition, Rai was graduating in Mechanical Engineering as one of the top of his class. I was so proud of him you couldn't know. I lived all his dramas and miseries, sorrows and mistakes. I was there for his greatest happiness's – like when his sister got a scholarship for Northwestern's School of Law.

What da hell was this?! This was one of those 'I really wasn't expecting it' moment.

"Rai... You said she had a little crush on you but you didn't care for her at all." I reminded him, my eyes were watery and I couldn't stop the tears to fall down; he didn't even flinch, he just kept eating his taco, humming to some stupid love song "What da fuck is this?! We-" I started and at the way he smiled, wickedly, I gasped, embarrassed "we just made love this morning... I- What's going on? Is it the Cuervos? Did Carlos call you again?"

"It's not the Cuervos, Whit." He rolled his eyes and sighed like he was bored "It's you. I can't just listen to one more word from that mouth of yours."

I gasped again. This was all really wrong... really really wrong! He never talked to me like that – well, not after we started to date, and that was pretty much five years ago. I know Rai like I know the palm of my hand. He's sweet and respectful; he's never rude or cruel.

"You're not yourself today, what's going on? Talk to me?" I asked him, landing my hand over his, on his coffee table.

His small dorm room was now constrictive. I could barely breathe, and my tears overwhelmed my entire face. I knew my makeup was ruined by now, and so was the mood for the dorm party later that night.

"Look, babe." What?! He never called me that! "It was fun and all, but Nina's hotter than you and she knows what I like."

"Nina?! What da fuck are you talking about?" I groaned frowning.

"Hey, Rai." Nacio – what?! – walked into his dorm room, and after him was Carlos and the rest of the gang – like the gang! "We're late."

He got up and left his unfinished food on the table, winked at me, got a gun – where da hell had that come from?! – and pushed it to his belt.

"Rai!" I screamed, running after him towards the door "Don't go! Please don't go back!"

"Whit."

Please don't go... Please, pleeeeeease don't leave me!

"Whitney, wake up!"

I gasped and jumped. There were hands on my hair and face, soft, warm knowing hands. I clasped so tight against the body I knew for years.