MARRY THE BILLIONAIRE MAN

Chapter 15: A Temporary Separation

Isabella’s POV

Kinaumagahan, nagising ako sa tunog ng phone ko. May message mula kay Aiden. “Hey, Isabella! Can we talk later?” agad na nag-alala ang isip ko. Baka may masamang balita.

Nag-almusal ako ng tahimik, nanginginig ang mga kamay ko habang nag-iisip. It felt like everything was slowly unraveling after our last conversation. Naisip ko ang tungkol sa mga fears ko at ang mga doubts na bumabalot sa akin. Parang napaka-unpredictable ng buhay, at nag-aalala akong ano ang maaaring mangyari sa amin ni Aiden.

Pagdating ng hapon, nag-meet kami sa café kung saan kami madalas maghangout. Habang nag-aantay, naglalaro ang isip ko sa mga posibleng dahilan kung bakit gusto niyang makipag-usap. Baka gusto na niyang tapusin ang lahat. Parang bigla akong nanghina sa ideyang iyon.

Pagdating ni Aiden, nakangiti siya, pero may halong tensyon. “Hey, sorry kung nag-aantala,” sabi niya. “I wanted to talk to you about something important.”

“Okay,” sagot ko, trying to keep my voice steady kahit ang puso ko ay parang tambol na tumitibok ng mabilis. “What’s up?”

Umupo siya at nag-umpisa. “Isabella, I’ve been thinking a lot about our friendship and everything we’ve been through,” he said, his tone serious. “And I just want to be honest with you.”

Biglang nag-alala ang isip ko. “What do you mean? Is there something wrong?” tanong ko, naguguluhan.

“Wala namang masama,” sabi niya, pero may pag-aalangan sa boses niya. “Pero I got an offer for a summer internship sa ibang bansa, and I think I need to take it.”

Naramdaman ko ang bigat ng mga salita niya. “Oh,” sabi ko, trying to process it. “So, aalis ka?”

“Yeah, for about three months,” he explained. “I know it’s sudden, and I really want to talk to you about it first before making any decisions.”

“Wow, that’s… big news,” sabi ko, naguguluhan. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes, it’s a great opportunity for me, and I think it’ll help me grow,” he said, looking at me earnestly. Pero sa mga salitang iyon, naramdaman kong parang may puwang na lumalawak sa pagitan namin. “But I also don’t want to lose what we have.”

“Is that even possible?” tanong ko, my heart sinking. “Paano kung mawala na tayo sa isa’t isa habang wala ka?”

“Aiden, I don’t want to go, but I feel like I need to do this,” sabi niya, ang boses niya ay puno ng pag-aalala. “I promise to stay in touch. And when I come back, I hope we can pick up where we left off.”

Ang sakit sa puso ko ay parang hindi ko maipaliwanag. “What if things change while you’re gone?” I whispered, feeling vulnerable. “What if you find someone else, or I find someone else?”

“Isabella, I would never want to lose you. You mean so much to me,” Aiden replied, his voice firm. “This is just a temporary separation, not an end.”

Naramdaman ko ang labis na panghihinayang. “It’s just hard,” sabi ko, trying to hold back the tears. “I finally found someone who understands me, and now you’re leaving.”

“I know, and I’m so grateful for our friendship,” he said softly. “But I need to do this for myself, and I hope you can understand.”

Nakita kong nahihirapan din siya, and I could feel the tension in the air. “So, what happens now?” tanong ko, feeling lost.

“We keep talking, I promise,” Aiden assured me. “I’ll call and text, and we can video chat. We’ll make it work, okay?”

“I hope so,” sabi ko, pero ang hirap ng pakiramdam na parang may puwang na nagiging sagabal sa amin. “I just don’t want to feel like you’re leaving me behind.”

“Isabella, I don’t want you to feel that way,” he said, reaching for my hand. “I care about you too much to let distance come between us.”

At that moment, I knew he was sincere. Pero sa likod ng lahat, ang takot na mawala siya ay parang umaabot sa puso ko. “I’ll try to be okay with this,” sabi ko, my voice shaking. “But it’s going to be really hard.”

“Alam ko, and I’ll miss you so much,” sabi niya, his eyes filled with emotion. “But I want you to focus on your studies and yourself while I’m gone. You need to find your own path too.”

“Okay,” sagot ko, sa kabila ng sakit na nararamdaman ko. “I just hope you won’t forget me while you’re away.”

“Never,” he said firmly, squeezing my hand. “You’ll always be in my heart, Isabella.”

Nang mga sandaling iyon, naisip ko na kahit gaano kalalim ang aming koneksyon, may mga pagkakataon pa rin na kailangan ng distansya para sa personal na pag-unlad. It was painful, but I knew this was just a temporary separation.

Habang lumalayo si Aiden, naglalakad ako sa park na nag-iisip kung paano ko hahanapin ang sarili ko habang siya ay wala. I realized that this challenge would be hard, but it might also be the key for both of us to grow as individuals.

Dahil sa kanyang mga salita, alam kong hindi siya mawawala, at ang pag-asa ay palaging nandoon, kahit na sa pinakamasalimuot na pagkakataon.