Fading Echoes

Chapter 1

["Hey, man, where the heck are you? Tita's waiting for you here,"] I massaged my head while staring at Dream. That's her nickname, sounds weirdo, but it sounds nice to me. Okay, I'm weirdo now. But her mom said her real name was Winslet Dapney, but they call her Dream because when she was still a kid, she would always dream of something she wanted when she grew up.

"I'm... I'm at... I'm studying," I lied because if I tell him the truth, he will surely throw some irritated questions.

"Come on, come back here. Tito and Tita will leave at 9." It's already 7 in the evening, she fell asleep while crying on my chest. Her mom said she didn't sleep well. She lacks sleep because she always wanders around the house. Someone is watching over her, but she keeps running away.

They tried to bring her to a mental hospital, but her condition only worsened.

I sighed and glanced at her. I'll call a nurse to look after her.

"I'm on my way," I said and ended the call. I glanced at her once again before leaving her room. Her parents are taking care of her. I told a nurse to look after her before going to the parking lot and driving home.

When I got there, I saw them sitting at the dining table, waiting for me.

"Where have you been, Cassius? We've been looking for you," Mom said when I sat beside Harold. I started eating.

"Anyway, our flight is tonight. You know that. And are you really sure about your decision?" Mom asked. I sipped on my water and wiped my mouth with a tissue.

"Yes. I just hope that you'll be okay with it," I said and continued eating. I remembered Dream. How is she? Is she looking for me again? I promised her that I won't leave. But this is urgent for me. My mom and dad want to have dinner with us before they fly away.

"Well, you got what I want, so it's time for you to achieve on your own," she said. After our dinner, we escorted them to the airport. We bid our goodbyes, and when we couldn't see them anymore, we turned our backs and headed outside the airport. Harold and Calix hugged me while Andrius ate his ice cream that he bought after we arrived here.

"Where are you going after, dude? If you're not busy, we should go to Porsha's club," he said. I quickly shook my head as Dream's mom texted me, saying that she's causing trouble again. I know I shouldn't go to her because she's just a stranger to me, but I feel guilty about what I just did. And she needs someone to take care of her.

"No, I'm going somewhere..." I said quickly. He mentioned that something happened to me because I never go out at night. I just said that it's none of their business. I sometimes hate these two guys because they always ask me questions. I'm tired of answering them. Luckily, Andrius is not like that. Otherwise, I would have another headache.

I drove back to the house and grabbed some clothes because I'm planning to sleep there if she needs me.

When I got there, I saw some nurses trying to calm her down. They were about to inject her, but they stopped when her mother saw me and gave them a sign to stop.

Dream stopped crying and her eyes widened as she ran towards me.

"Nate! Nate, I thought you wouldn't come back..." She started crying again, and she hugged me tightly as if she was afraid of losing me. I patted her back and looked at her mother, who was biting her lips while tears streamed down her face.

"Don't leave me... Nate... I can't... I can't handle it... I might... I might kill myself..." She started crying harder while sobbing. I suddenly felt something strange in my heart that I never felt when Tori cried. My chest tightened, and it felt like I was about to cry.

I released my hug, wiped her tears, and kissed her forehead to make her stop crying. "I won't leave... again. Don't cry," I smiled, hugged her again, and didn't realize that tears were streaming down my face.

"We just... um...Cassius... I know this is so embarrassing to ask for this favor, but... can I?" Tita Driahana asked when Dream fell asleep after crying. I nodded while holding Dream's hands. She still held on tightly as if she didn't want to let me go.

"Um... can you... can you take care of her for a while? I'll be back. I just have something to take care of." I nodded at her and smiled. What am I actually doing this? I feel like I'm cheating on Tori. But this is not cheating anyway. I'm just doing her mother's favor because they need someone for their daughter. And it's like... my responsibility. I feel like she's one of my first-ever patients.

I looked at my vibrating phone, kinuha ko iyon sa bulsa, and tried to let go of her hands, but she didn't let go. She held it tight instead. I sighed. It was Tori. She's asking why I didn't text her after I drove home. I put down my phone and massaged my head using my left hand and then typed a reply. I was having a hard time because it's difficult. Isa lang ang gamit kong kamay.

To: Hon

"I'm so sorry, hon. There was just an emergency, so I forgot to text you."

She replied asking why, and I said it was fixed now, so she had nothing to worry about. I put my phone on the side table and leaned my head on the hospital bed while facing her.

She's pretty. She has long eyelashes, a pointed nose, and perfectly shaped lips. Her face is heart-shaped. Her straight, light brown hair is long until her waist. Her skin is like milk. I was staring at her for a long time until I fell asleep.

I woke up because of a noisy sound. Naramdaman ko ring nasa malambot na kama na ako. I slowly opened my eyes and roamed my eyes around to where the sound came from. It was her. May kung anong hinahalungkat siya sa isang kabinet. I'm in the hospital bed now. I sat on the bed while staring at her back, confused.

What the hell is she doing?

She sighed na parang bigo. May hawak pa siyang bowl. I don't know where she got that. Nang humarap siya sa akin, nanlaki ang mata niya at nagulat pa kaya nahulog ang bowl sa sahig. Nabasag iyon. Nataranta siya at pinulot 'yon, but I ran fast towards her and stopped her.

"Don't," I said and led her back to her hospital bed. "Wait here..." I was about to turn my back when she held my hand immediately.

"W-wag mo akong... iwan, Nate." Naluluha na naman siya, so I stopped and sat beside her so she would not cry again.

"What are you doing?" Tanong ko. "And where did you get the bowl?" I asked, I tapped the button on the bedside table.

"I'm... I want to cook you... breakfast..." Humina ang boses niya. She even bit her lips. My eyes went down, but I quickly looked at her face. Not good.

"What?" I asked. Why would she cook breakfast? And there is no gas stove here. She really has a mental health condition. But I can't help but chuckle a bit. Hinawi ko ang ibang buhok na nagtatakip sa kanyang maamong mukha. "It's okay. We can order food online." I smiled at her, and then a janitor came para linisin ang bubog sa sahig.

"Pero gusto kitang ipagluto." She pouted, which made me smile again.

She's cute. I wonder why that guy named Nate would leave and replace her. I mean, I bet she's a kind, sweet, and caring girlfriend. She's an ideal wife, wife material.

Yet, he still replaced her with another woman. What a jerk.

If I were him, I wouldn't replace her with another woman. She's too pretty to be treated like this.

I shook my head. Why the heck would I think about it?

I leaned my head back and dialed a number to order our food. After the call, I took a glance at her. She's lying on her bed, with her right hand holding mine and the other holding a book.

I didn't know she loved novels. I'm a bookworm too. Every weekend, during vacations, or whenever I'm bored, I read books like novels.

For many years, reading has been my comfort and a way to relieve sadness, especially when Tori left and went to Cal.

We ate when our food arrived. She looks happy. Her day ends without causing trouble because I'm not with her.

So it seems that only the guy named Nate can control her, and I was the Nate she was referring to.