PLAY THE GAME

Chapter 2

I stayed for another hour, desperately clinging to the hope that Calvin would come. But as the minutes dragged on, it became painfully clear—he wasn’t coming. Tears welled up again, hot and unstoppable, blurring my vision as they spilled down my cheeks. The cold wind bit into my skin, and I felt the ache of loneliness settle deep within me.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a handkerchief appeared, softly pressed against my face. I flinched slightly, startled by the unexpected gesture.

It was Tobi, one of my classmates—handsome, aloof, and always cool as ice. His sharp eyes softened just a little as he looked down at me, annoyance flickering behind his gaze.

“Here,” he muttered, voice gruff but with an unusual tenderness. “Wipe your tears. You look like a f*****g idiot.”

I blinked, surprised by his bluntness. “How long have you been here?”

He rolled his eyes and turned away, his posture stiff. “Since the very beginning,” he replied, voice dripping with impatience. Without another word, he started to walk off.

“Wait, Tobi,” I called out, hurriedly wiping my tears with the damp cloth. “Can you give me a lift?”

He paused, eyeing me with suspicion. I hated the idea of taking a taxi or a jeep—too obvious, too humiliating. I looked like I’d been crying my eyes out, and I didn’t want anyone to see that vulnerable side of me.

He looked pissed, clearly annoyed at having to deal with my mess, but he still nodded. Without a word, he opened his car door and waited for me to get in.

“Thank you,” I mumbled as I slid into the passenger seat, avoiding eye contact.

He just nodded stiffly, and soon enough, he was driving away, leaving me in silence.

When I finally stepped out of his car, I felt emptier than ever. My apartment was quiet, cold, and lonely. It was my f*****g birthday, and I was alone. No calls, no messages, no one to celebrate with. Just an overwhelming sense of hollow ache. Maybe this was just how my life was destined to be—forever sad, forever alone.

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The messages from Calvin kept flooding my phone, relentless and hollow.

Sorry, I didn’t make it last night; something urgent came up. Had to attend to it.

Love, come on! I’m sorry.

I couldn’t bring myself to read them anymore. I deleted all of his messages, one by one, as if erasing them could erase the pain. As much as I wanted to believe he cared, deep down I knew it was just words—empty promises. The only thing I asked for was his presence on my birthday, and he wasn’t there. I’d hoped for nothing, and I got exactly that.

Why is he always like this? Why promise and then leave me hanging? Why does he keep hurting me? My heart felt heavy, sinking into despair.

Maybe Rachel was right. Maybe I’d been stupid to love someone who kept on hurting me, over and over again.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I forced myself to focus on getting ready for tomorrow—what benefit was there in dwelling on the pain? I needed to move on, to forget.

Just then, someone called my name.

“Andrea!” It was Rachel, her voice sharp and concerned.

Turning around, I looked at her, trying to mask the turmoil inside. “Why?”

“Are you okay? You look like you’re not in your right mind,” she asked, her brow furrowed.

I shook my head. “It’s Calvin. He didn’t come yesterday. I… I don’t want to talk about it.”

Rachel’s expression hardened. “This is why I keep telling you. Break up with that guy. There are so many guys out there, yet you keep clinging to Calvin. He’s not even proud of you.”

Tears started falling again, my chest tightening with the pain.

“Oh, look at you. Crying again,” she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain.

I couldn’t take it anymore. Without a word, I turned and ran, not bothering to look back. I had had enough. Maybe if I just ended it all right now, the pain would stop.

The last thing I heard was people calling out, trying to stop me.

“She’ll be fine. Don’t leave her alone for now,” a voice echoed, distant but urgent.

I didn’t realize I’d passed out until I woke up in a hospital bed, Tobi and a doctor by my side.

“You’re awake. Good,” the doctor said softly, glancing at me.

“What am I doing here?” I croaked.

Tobi’s eyes narrowed, frustration clear in his expression. “You fainted right in front of my car, in the middle of the road,” he said sharply.

“Oh.”

“Oh?! That’s all you have to say?”

“What do you want me to say?” I asked, voice trembling.

He looked irritated, almost yelling, but catching himself. Instead, he took a deep breath and asked, “Any family or guardian I can call? Someone to inform about your condition?”

I quickly shook my head. “No. Even if you call my parents, they won’t answer. They’re busy running their business abroad.”

He hesitated. “I’ll call Rachel.”

I looked at him, confused. “You know Rachel?”

He nodded, pulled out his phone, and started dialing.

I instinctively motioned for him not to call her, my voice trembling. “No, don’t. Please.”

He ended the call and looked at me with a mixture of concern and frustration. “What’s your plan? The doctor said you shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“I’m fine,” I insisted. “I just need rest. Rachel will only bother me, and I don’t want that.”

He sighed, then opened the door and left.

Throughout the day, a nurse kept coming in, asking if I was okay. I was exhausted, emotionally drained, and just wanted to be alone.

Finally, she smiled gently. “No need to worry about the hospital bill. Your boyfriend already took care of it.”

My eyes widened. “Huh?”

I realized I owed Tobi a lot more than I thought. I nodded silently, grateful, yet overwhelmed.

That night, I was discharged. I didn’t want to spend another night in that sterile, suffocating hospital. Hospitals always gave me nightmares—reminders of my own fragility.

As I reached for my door to go inside, someone suddenly appeared—calm but firm.

“Love,” he said softly.

I took a deep breath, fighting back the rising tide of emotions. The doctor had warned me not to stress myself out.

“What?” I whispered.

“Let’s talk,” he said, voice pleading.

“No,” I replied coldly. “Leave me alone.”

“Please, love,” he begged, stepping closer.

I tried to dodge his grip, but he held on tightly. Instead, he pulled me into a hug, holding me close, as if trying to anchor me to him.

“Tonight, at my place,” he whispered. “We’ll celebrate your birthday. I couldn’t be there yesterday, but I swear I’ll make it up to you.”

Tears spilled down my face again. I wanted to scream at him, to tell him how much he’d hurt me, how disappointed I was. But all I could do was cry.

“You shouldn’t have promised if you couldn’t keep it,” I managed to say. “I waited for hours, Calvin. I was standing there, waiting for you to come.”

We stayed like that—holding each other in silence, the pain and love tangled together.

After a few moments, he gently kissed my forehead. “What time are we leaving for your condo?”

“Right now,” I whispered. “We need to stop at a grocery store to buy food.”

He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “Let’s go.”

At his condo, he started cooking while I watched silently. I continued to observe him, but my attention was soon caught by my vibrating phone.

I saw an unknown number. I hesitated, then decided to ignore it. Maybe it was a wrong number.

But the phone vibrated again:

Where are you? I’m in the hospital now. The nurse says you got discharged. This is Tobi.

My heart sank. I quickly reached for my phone, about to reply, but Calvin’s voice broke my concentration.

“Who’s that?”

I froze, caught between honesty and lying. I couldn’t tell Calvin that Tobi was the one helping me. He’d be furious.

“It’s just a wrong number,” I said quickly, slipping the phone into my pocket.

Inside, I knew I was hiding something—something I wasn’t ready to face. But for now, I kept my silence, wishing I could escape the tangled web of love, pain, and secrets I was trapped in.