CHAPTER 20
1516 Words
CHAPTER 20
"Is it true?" Ryker was startled when he turned towards me, because I had blocked his way. "I-is everything I heard was true, Ryker Matt?" I asked him, trembling, barely able to stand because of everything I had heard about myself.
He tossed his cigarette, nearly half-smoked, to the ground in front of him and slowly stomped it out. Smoking was forbidden at school, but he did it anyway. Then he looked up, exhaled the smoke from his mouth, and turned to me with a sharp gaze.
"Which part of it all do you want to hear, Aubree?" My eyes widened and I gasped at his deep voice as he asked me. This wasn't the Ryker I knew. No... his gentle, teasing voice was gone.
"That... that you're just fooling me? Huh, Ryker? Tell me, tell me it's not true, huh? Tell me?"
His hands were in the pockets of his slacks, and he stared at me. I saw no love in his eyes, but anger, judgment, and disgust.
"Tsk, you already heard it, Aubree! Do you want me to repeat it so you'll be even more hurt?" A loud slap landed on his cheek. I wasn't satisfied, so I did the same to the other side of his face.
I suddenly came to my senses and wanted to grab his cheek and apologize, but I couldn't. As the sky darkened and the rain fell on my face, my tears flowed onto the pavement.
I grabbed his collar. "W-why, Ryker? Why did you do that to me? Did I do something wrong? Why did you do that to me, huh? Why? Why?" I yelled, hitting his chest with my fists, my eyes overflowing with tears. "Why, Ryker? Why?" I cried, weakening because this was something I couldn't accept. They had bet on me, just to get me from this guy.
"You knew me from the beginning, Aubree, playboy, right? So one of the things I like to do is make the first move, especially when my friend likes someone. It has to be me, and because you fell for my kindness, you fell into my trap, Aubree. In short, I pretended to be nice to you because I wanted to be the first to have you, and yes, In other words...I drugged what you were drinking so that while you were still in my power, I would be the first to make a move on you. to put it simply, I had to be the first to have you..." Another loud slap landed on his cheek.
"You're a terrible person, Ry, so terrible! I thought what you were saying, what you were showing, was real! But why me, huh? Why me? I was nice, wasn't I? Why did you defile me, huh? Why? Why, Ryker Matt Sullivaño? Why me?" I sobbed in front of him, my eyes filled with tears and rainwater.
This wasn't what I expected after our graduation, it wasn't, but why? Why was I crying because of him? I wasn't wearing my graduation gown anymore, just a dress that was now soaked through with rain.
It hurt so much...
But the corner of his lips just rose, and like before, in the auditorium, his gaze lingered on my face, then down to my body.
"Because I wanted you to experience what it's like to go crazy for someone like me, Aubree Lynn. And now I'm done with you, I'm tired of you and your body!" He said, turning to leave, when his phone rang.
So I grabbed his hand, and I suddenly collapsed onto the pavement. I let go of his hand, but I immediately wrapped my arms around his long legs. I was crying in front of him.
"Please... please... Ryker, don't leave me, please. I accept it, I don't care if you bet on me. I'll forgive you, just please don't leave me," I cried to him, tightening my grip on his legs, which he tried to pull away from me while shaking his head, telling me not to leave him here. I couldn't handle it.
"I love you, Ry, I love you, did you hear me? This is what you were waiting for, right? For me to love you too? To say the words 'I love you,' right? I love you... I love you... just don't leave me. I'll accept everything, but please stay with me." I was still sobbing, and I looked up and saw pity in his eyes, which quickly disappeared.
His jaw clenched as he looked down at me, his eyes darting back and forth. He bent down and lifted my chin, his eyes shifting between mine.
"I told you everything, Aubree. Why I was getting close to you, why I teased you even more... just to attract you and make you obey me. Don't worry, Sebastian will still accept you." His words were like a knife stabbing me. I just shook my head.
Where was the Ryker I knew? Where was the Ryker who was so gentle when he talked to me? Where were our promises to each other, laughing at our names in bed? Where was the real Ryker?
He stood up straight, and I didn't realize I had let go of his legs. That was my cue to let him go, and now he was rushing away from me.
"Ryker! Come back, please!" I yelled.
I stood up and followed him to the parking area. I didn't know if people were staring at me, because the rain was pouring so hard. Was it because of our graduation, or because the weather was mirroring my tears?
My clothes and body were soaked.
I saw a car leaving the parking area, it was Ryker's, and before I could block his way, he sped off.
Even though it was unlikely I could follow him, I ran, hoping he would see me in the side mirror and stop.
"Ryker! Wait, Ryker. Don't leave me, please! Please!" I called out to him, and because I was so weak, I collapsed onto the pavement.
"Oh my Jesus! Aubree Lynn, it's you!" I heard Rowela calling out to me.
"Rowela! Help me! Let's chase after Ryker, please, please! It's Ryker, Row, it's Ryker... he just bet on me."
"What? Aubree? What are you saying?"
I grabbed Rowela's shoulders, crying in front of her. "When we were in Cebu, he already had bad intentions towards me, he didn't love me, Row, but... but I loved him. I loved him so much." My voice cracked as I cried to Rowela, and I knew she was crying too.
"You mean?"
I nodded. "Yes, Row. Something happened between Ryker and me! Not just in Cebu, but several times!"
"Oh my, Aubree Lynn!"
"Then... then I found out that he just bet on me, he just made me believe he loved me, and now he doesn't want me anymore." I was still crying with my friend.
"Oh, Aubree! If I had known, I wouldn't have let him get close to you. Oh my!"
"But because I already loved him, I didn't care what he said, and I found out, I would still accept him, please help me get him back to me, Row. Please!"
"Aubree!"
Then a professor came up to us to calm me down, and he wanted to take me to his office, but I refused. I just wanted to go home, and when the weather cleared, I would go to Ryker's house.
When I got home, I didn't even thank Rowela's parents for driving me home, and without a word, I got out of the tricycle and walked. Rowela wanted to come inside with me, but I shook my head because she was also wet from the rain, even with an umbrella, and if she got sick, I would be the one to blame. They were also in a hurry to get home because the streets might flood.
"Thank you, Row." I said goodbye.
"Be strong, Aubree, if he doesn't listen to you, it only means one thing, don't chase after someone who's not worth it." She said, patting me on the shoulder, and I just nodded, even though that wasn't my plan. I was going to force myself to go back to how things were with Ryker.
When I reached the door of our house, I tried to hold back my tears so my parents wouldn't notice I had been crying, even though I was choking back sobs, and I was about to open the door when—
"We are proud of you, my baby Aubree Lynn!" I couldn't move where I stood when I entered the house and saw my parents standing in front of me, Mom holding a balloon and Dad holding a cake that said "Mama & Papa are proud of you." I looked around, and I cried even louder in front of them because they had hung a tarpaulin in the living room with my face on it and "Congratulations Aubree Lynn" written on it.
"Mama! Papa!" I called out their name before I passed out.
- Writer
