SECOND CHANCE

CHAPTER 2

"Ang sabi nila nasa loob na daw sila ng resto. " sabi ni Arm while fixing the papers around his table. "Let's go". He said and walk out of the door.

I grab my suit in the chair and follow Arm outside. We were on his three storey Restaurant s***h Photo museum which most of the art work was from his and Podd. Since photography has been their hobbies since then.

I invested to this restaurant knowing that he was Rome's friend and most of the pictures on this restaurant was Rome's. He left those and I decided to put it up with the help of Arm. I don't remember when we started to become close. However, he was the one who's with me when I was looking for Rome. And it all started that way.

Four years ago...

"Let me explain. Wait for me. I'll just finish my business here and I'll go home. Please" I know he's hurt. I can see it through his eyes. I want to hug him. I want to go home with him and just leave everything behind. I know as long as I have Rome everything will be fine. But I can't just escape the situation that I am in right now.

I grab him a taxi. And look at him until it was not on my vision before I go back to the person that I need to talk to.

"So, you were really telling the truth. I just thought that you were just saying that because you want to escape this." Yvonne look at me while sipping her tea. She put her cup down and smiles at me. "I'm sorry. But yeah, I also don't have plans to continue this so called marriage. I am not into this thing. I won't sell my freedom just to satisfy people around me."

"I'm sorry. I just want to discuss this first to you before I talk to my Dad."

"I understand. Do you have any plans? I think you need to talk to him first before your Dad. I can see he's hurt"

"I will go home after I talk to my Dad. Thank you. Would you like me to drive you home?" I ask fetching my keys ready to go out.

"No need. I'll just stay a bit here. You can go ahead." sabi niya and try to play again on her phone. I look at her to see if it really is okay for me to leave her here. "I'm fine. You can go." She put a smile on her face. I feel sorry that she needs to be involve with this kind of situation.

"If that's so. I'll go ahead." I drive myself back to our house to talk to my Dad. I will finish everything and go back to Rome.

"What?!" dumagundong ang malakas na boses ng Daddy ko when I confess about me and Rome. "You're in a relationship with a man?!" hindi makapaniwalang tanong niya while grabbing his neck like it was hurting.

"Yes." I just said without looking at him. I can't bear to see his disappointed face. From the time that I chose to have the course that I took on college until now. I know I always give him disappointment.

"You're such a disappointment." this time he said it with a calming voice. I can hear his disappointment. I can feel how angry he was. "From now on, you will live your life away from this family. You are not my son anymore."

"You can't do that!" I hear my Mom's shaking voice from the other end of that room. My hands are also shaking. I never thought that we will end up this way.

"Why can't I? I don't have this kind of son. What are you still doing here? You can go." My Dad put his back on me.

I grab my things and ready to go when my Mom try to stop me. "Please. No. Don't go. Leon, hindi mo pwedeng paalisin ang anak ko." I look at my Mom and hugged her tightly.

"I'll be fine, Mom. I will be fine. I will still see you. I love you."

"No, you can't go." she's sobbing and not letting me go. Then she suddenly drop into my arms.

"Mom! Mom! Wake up" I saw my Dad walking closer and push me back away from my Mom. "Belinda!" Dad shouts pertaining to one of the maid. "Tumawag ka ng ambulansya!" I can't move my body and just keep staring to the scene infront of me. My Mom lying there unconciously. "Pag may mangyari sa Mommy mo, I am telling you. I won't forgive you." My Dad glare at me like I am a stranger.

I just sit there. Even after the Ambulance took my Mom. I just sit there and stare at the same place where my Mom was lying. My heart is aching. My body is numb. I don't have any strenght to even move an inch. I just want to wake up and realize that this was all a dream.

"Rome, ikaw ba yan?" I heard Arm. The name make me woke up reminiscing the most painful past that I had. I look for him and see a familiar back with someone looking at one of the photo on the restaurant.

My heart stop when that familiar back turn to me confirming that it was really the person that I am expecting. The person that I was looking for from four years ago until this moment. The person that I knew I hurt so much.

I want to run into him and tell him how I missed him but my feet won't let me. I just stare at him. I suddenly realized how I miss that face. I look at his lips and long for the kiss that the last time I had taste of was four years ago.

I keep staring at him even we were already sitting down. I still haven't said a word. I just keep staring to that person that I missed the most. I keep on reminding myseld not to jump to him and hug him and take him home without a word. I want to take him home. The home that we build. The home that I cherish because I knew he'll be back one day.

"Sorry, he can't eat strawberries." I hear the man he's with telling the waiter not to put the strawberry cake infront of Rome. I switch my gaze to the man who act like someone important. I suddenly feel pain in my heart. The jealousy is killing me.

"Kailan ka pa naging allergy sa strawberry? Favorite mo yan dati ha?" I woke up from my thoughts when I heard Arm asking Rome.

"Really? Since I met him he's allergy with this already." I rolled my eyes hearing the other man answering the question instead of the one that supposedly answering it. I form a fist to stop myself from saying inappropriate things.

"Just recently." I saw him shrugged like it was nothing. I keep on staring at Rome. Looking for the person that I am used to. The Rome that I have loved before until now. I keep staring at his eyes. I want to know if he also misses me the way I miss him. But he won't even bother to look at me.

"So, we were not being introduced properly. I'll take the lead. By the way, this is our partner, Pick. And Pick, this is Jay. The person who'll help us with the advertisement of the restaurant and also this is Rome which I know you already knew each other. He'll be one of the artist that give us source of the photos that we will put up on the said event."

"Wait. Kilala mo din siya?" Jay ask Rome pointing at me. I was about to answer when Rome speaks. "Yes. A schoolmate." That was just a three word however it cause so much pain in my heart. I look at him with a questioning look. Why Am I only a schoolmate now?

He just turn his gaze away from me and continue eating his food. I want to scream. I want to let this guy know who I am to him. Why can't he just say that I am the man he used to loved? Who's this guy anyway? Is he concern about how he'll feel knowing that I am the person that he loved for more than 10years before?

I feel Arm's hand patting me. I look at him and saw him with pleading eyes asking me to stop whatever it is I'm thinking. I calm myself down. I will find an opportunity to talk to Rome after this. I will make sure I will bring him home.

"Jay, do you have any concept to propose?" I heard Arm asking the taller guy. In this meeting, I haven't say anything. I just sit there. Stare at my person. I am contented. Huwag lang nagpapapansin 'tong isang kulokoy dahil nag iinit talaga ang dugo ko.

"I had few. I'll submit it by tomorrow."

"Pick, are you able to come tomorrow to check on the concepts?" Arm ask me.

"Yes. I'll surely make time." I said still looking to Rome to see his reaction. I still see no reaction from him. I feel my blood boiling but I need to control myself. This is not the right time for this.

"Saan ka pala nag-stay?" Arm ask Rome and that question make me curious to the point that I stop from swallowing my food.

"We're staying to an apartment near here." Jay answered.

I lose my temper when I heard that he was staying with him and let go of my spoon that cause noise and make the people around to look at me. "Can we talk?" I look straight on Rome ignoring all the eyes that was focus on me. I don't care if my voice was a little bit loud. I don't care what my expression was. I just need to talk to him. I just need him.

He looks at me and see all the people around. I did not wait for him to answer. I grab him and pull him to follow me. I didn't feel that he resisted. I took him up to my office whenever I am in the restaurant.

"What were you doing?" he ask me grabing his arm back from me.

"Ikaw ang anong ginagawa? You suddenly left four years ago. Without telling anyone. Without telling me. Then, now. What?! You are staying with a guy?!" I can't control the surge of emotion that I am in right now. I can feel my face getting red due to anger. I want to kiss him for him to realize where he belongs to.

"We already broke up." he said with a calm voice. With that it trigger my anger more. How can he be so calm talking about breaking up just like that. Like it was nothing. I know, four years has passed. But, I never change. I still love him the same. How could he.. "We already broke up four years ago."

"I never said that I'll broke up with you. I asked you to wait. I never said I want to break up." my tone suddenly changed when I saw his face without any expression. I can feel the pain in my heart. I am looking for that pain in his but I just see nothing. Just a blank face. This is not the Rome that I love. Where is he?

"We did. We already did, Pick. Let's not make this complicated. We have our own lives now. We have different paths. Let be it. It's nice to see you again. I hope this time, we'll do our best to keep this as professional as we can. This is one of my big break. Let me have it in peace." he looked at me like I am someone that he just used to know. The way my Dad look at me when my Mom was lying on the floor unconciously.

The pain comes back all at once from that day four years ago. I feel numb. I want to say something but I can't find my words. My heart is aching like anytime soon it will explode. I don't know how long was it since the time I hear Rome close the door from walking out from the room. I just stand there not moving. Feeling all the pain that slowly crashing my world now. All the preparation that I had to this day that I imagined when he come back shattered. As well as myself. All at once, my world shattered without warning.