A year ago.
She ran to him at a bar once again. He must have dealt with a lot of things lately, and one of them is Sam. Stacy halted in her tracks as she recognized her back. What happened again? Did they fight again? It has been 3 weeks since Stacy and Zach parted ways from that dark street.
Stacy knew her dignity has been crushed, but she never care more than anything now. She wanted to ask about his condition, anything Zach could have reasoned out the way he drank three shots of clear wine in just a minute. Stacy pursed her lips, staring at the dance floor, right to the people who were swaying under the dim light.
No one’s here to help him except her.
Stacy got torn upon approaching him on the stool or walking away and let him take care of his own. But it’s Zach! It’s him! He was the one who lighted up her day whenever he smiles. Stacy wouldn’t have been all that smiling in a day if it weren’t for Zach.
Stacy puffed her cheeks and walked at the center of the dance floor towards the stool next to him. She hitched it, took the seat, and signed to the bartender about her order. Stacy is a regular, and she wouldn’t be here in a normal day. Of course, it’s the weekend, so she’ll have a drink when she could after the long work days is happening again.
Zach turned at his side, and look at the woman… on whom he recognized right away. Stacy sensed his gaze, and shifted her eyes. She pretended to see him just right now. Zach was still sober. Stacy breathed, “Zach!”
“Ms. Stacy Lazaro, what are you doing here?” She rolled her eyes. Stacy was wearing a lacy-sleeve off-shoulder Lolita dress. It’s bar time, so she always reserved this dress whenever she goes to bar. Stacy picked up a cigarette, puffed it in between her cheeks, and lighted it up.
Zach doesn’t smoke, but Stacy liked to show her true colors.
“It’s the weekend. So I need to have some time for myself, too, am I right?” Stacy raised her eyebrows. She released the smoke in the air, and Zach turned to the other side, coughing up because of the smoke that went through his airway. Stacy tapped the remnants of the pot onto the ash tray, and turned to him again.
“How about you? What are you doing here?” Stacy asked. Zach raised his eyebrows, cleared his throat, and got another shot of the clear wine. He didn’t answer after a few moments.
“My girlfriend and I fought.” He shrugged, as if he’s getting used to it. Zach ran through the coincidences both Stacy and him dealt with for the past few months. First, the rain, in which she shed an umbrella on his soaked head. Second, she followed him all the way to the dark street when he got lost in the tracks, and even climbed inside his car. And third…now…
They ran to each other inside a bar.
Zach doesn’t know if she showed up at the right time or she’s following him.
“Your girlfriend? You mean, Sam?” Stacy tried to play dumb, but it still showed.
“Yeah, you know the both of us, Stacy, don’t…” he snickered. He must have remembered who Stacy was. She nodded, receiving the order from the bartender, and thanked him. Zach and her, stayed silent for a while. She blinked several times, turning to the rack’s reflection on the counter, and puffed her cheeks.
“So you remember me now?” Stacy pointed out.
Zach smirked. “Yeah, a little. You’re the silent girl at the back, and… the former best friend of Sam, right?”
The past between the two of them, Sam and Stacy, with the incident of the phone theft inside their room and she pointed the blame to Sam. She sighed, raising her eyebrows, and doesn’t want to talk about it already. Stacy do have a lot of grudge with what happened, knowing she never did that on intention, but with a deep reason that Sam never wanted to pay attention at.
“Yeah, we were. Just with the unfortunate circumstance, it didn’t happen at all.” Zach knew the things were awkward as it is, and he doesn’t want to add up to the pain. He bit his bottom lip, and coughed up. Stacy continued to gulp down the contents down her throat. She sighed, pursing her lips.
“So what really happened?” Stacy asked.
…Present time.
“He told me everything that day.” Sam doesn’t want to think it’s her fault, because it’s completely not the case here. It simply the fate had led them to separate. Stacy became one of the people who fill in the spots. Sam liked to have regrets, but this was painful to bear.“He told me how the two of you fought on each other regularly, and he’s too stressed out about the happenings, Sam. But as you know, I never wanted this. My heart just gave in, and I need to vent it out. I wanted to squeeze in my heart out to let Zach out of my mind, but it’s impossible to do that.” No matter how many times Stacy explained the situation, she doesn’t have the right to ruin their relationship. Zach and Stacy was the one who did that: the two of them.
Sam shook her head, cutting her off for what she was about to say. “Then why didn’t you make it stop, Stacy? Why are you still following him even though you have the decision to step back and let us fix it?”
“Is there something to fix at all, Sam? Zach said to me there’s none.” She unclasped her arms from her chest, and looked straight at Sam. Stacy’s emotionless face triggered her the most. Sam knuckled her fists, and sighed.
Sam just doesn’t want to accept… he love a woman other than her.
“Do you think I push myself to him? No, Sam. I was there for him when he needed you the most,” Stacy confessed. And that might be the saddest statement she would ever receive. Stacy stood up from the bench, staring at Sam. Her eyes were still on the floor.
“When he kissed me that night, I can’t resist him anymore. We had the same preference when it comes to guys, but just so you know, Sam, I never push him to fall in love with me. If you think so, then why wouldn’t I be the one who would fill him whole in those past 10 years?”
It hurt her. Sam was the one who did that, and not Stacy. She closed her eyes, and brushed her fingers to her scalp. Sam swallowed, waiting for her final words.
“I let him bombard my life. I wasn’t clueless about me ruining his relationship with you. Because I would lie if I did it, Sam, and I never wanted to do that again with you.” Sam mustered up all of the courage to look at Stacy. She had the nerve to talk about that, yet she’s the one problematic at all times. Stacy tilted her head to one side, and released a furious sigh.
“I’m admitting it, and it’s not a mistake. I don’t want to apologize to you, because that sounded common. I ruined your relationship with him, and I’m aware of that, Sam. Now, if you please excuse me, I have to check my boyfriend’s condition.” Stacy’s face got stonier the moment she turned her heel around. Sam was left alone there, staring at the space from where she left off. Stacy went inside Zach’s bedroom, and fell down the floor. She held onto her pants, and closed her eyes.
Sam doesn’t pay attention to their meeting at all. She’s pre-occupied with the things going on between Stacy and Zach. All along their relationship, he has been lying to her that she’s the only one. Nothing could ever change the fact he lied… that she’s the only one he slept on.“Ms. Samantha Lee? Ms. Samantha Lee?” She snapped back to her senses. Right after she saw their gawking eyes, Sam raised her eyebrows to her member, and nodded. Good things they haven’t started the presentation yet. Sam shook off the thought of Zach right the moment the lights turned off.As Sam worked up in the details of their new concept for a drama, she couldn’t help but to wonder how those memories never cease to exist. It’s the only thing that’s keeping her still down a path Zach was never taking again. Sam had a lot to unravel, had a lot of questions to ask, on how he fell out of love after the 10th mark of th
Stacy got taken aback. With his question, she doesn’t know what to answer. Something had gone wrong with her ears, but Zach was asking the right question. It’s not possible, right? They’ve been on each other’s side for a year, hiding behind Sam’s shadow, kissing each other inside the tinted cars so that no one would find out.Did Zach just regard her as a pastime?Stacy swallowed before speaking up, “Zach, I know you’re confused right now. But so you know, your heart was the one who would learn to remember those things and eventually, you’ll come back to square one.”She gave a little smile. Zach was staring at her face. He must be processing all of it before turning to another conversation. Stacy straightened out his comforter, and sat down on the edge of the bed.“How about my work, is it difficult?” Zach asked. Stacy reached out, holding his hand, and stared at his
It was a month after his car accident. He stood close in the hospital window while his family took care of the things. Zach doesn’t know if he should help, but they insisted for him not to move, even if he can fold on the clothes he’s on. Stacy slung his bags over his shoulders, and Zach came up on her rescue, retrieving the bags in her hands. “It is fine, Zach. You should stay there. Don’t exert yourself.” Zach was still on unprogressive state. His mind is still blank, and he couldn’t remember anything. They hoped that flying in to another country can give them ample amount of therapy he needed. Zach dreaded that the memories he had weren’t that good, that’s why his family isn’t saying something. “I can bring these, Stacy. Don’t treat me like a baby who couldn’t lift things.” Zach slung the bags over his shoulder while his parents cleared up the private ward. Stacy smiled to him, and she looked stressed. She must not be getting enough sleep based on how sunken her eyes were.
“You are always nagging me to do the things when I’m tired!” Dinner supposed to be happy conversations and laugh between them. But when Sam stood in the kitchen door’s frame, nagging Zach to repair a light bulb, he burst out like an angry old man. Sam didn’t know how to react, knuckling her fists at the side, astonished by her boyfriend’s words. Zach scratched the back of his head, turning his heel around, and slammed the bedroom door tight. Sam froze, too stunned to speak. What is it that she heard? Is it another behavior she hadn’t seen from Zach for a long time? Sam maintained her balance, leaning at the door frame, and swallowed. The lump on her throat made her out of breath, as if she’s catching it after a split second. No air meant she’s getting suffocated. Sam sniffed, fighting back the raging tears, and goes back to the kitchen. She wiped her bare face, looking at the dishes to wash, and sighed. Sam closed her eyes, resting for a bit
It’s too old to even fight with a single argument, but for Sam, it convicted her whole purpose as a woman. Being disrespected with a single word is everything to Sam. He shouted only a sentence and it broke her dignity. Sam would never accept and tolerate that kind of action towards her. Why is he even asking about their marriage when he’s apologizing? Sam didn’t want to believe this man’s attitude at all. As their relationship took its 10th year peak, she realized the bumps of the road. Sometimes, you just have to let go of too much pain. Like what she’s experiencing with Zach. “Do you just have to do this now when we’re going to get married in a few months?” Zach asked her. Sam couldn't believe she's hearing that question. How can he even think of this marriage by now? When his behavior wasn't the same as when they're just both a couple? Sam shook her head. Looking at his eyes, Sam didn’t know if he was the same man she loved at first sigh
Kissing her underneath the sweet music of the hotel room meant how much thirsty Zach had been. He slammed the door, making sure it’s locked, and pulled her closer. He swirled his tongue to her. She did the same thing. A chuckle even came out from her lips. The back of her knees found the edge of the bed, and she quickly sit down. Zach traveled his hands to her tight coat, and slipped his fingers on the button. He released it and wore it off from her smooth shoulders. Zach was a bit aggressive this time. She scraped her hands in his scalp, pulling the strands, and it made Zach grit his teeth in her chin. She moaned, liked the pleasure he brought to her. Zach whispered, “I wanted to be inside you, Stacy.” Opening her eyes, she pushed him away. That hard he sprawled on the floor right away. Stacy puffed her cheeks, glaring at him. Zach has come to his senses, yelping out, “Why are you resisting me now?” Stacy brushed her fingers in her scalp, c
Sam decided to take the overtime job today again. Besides, she got nothing to do in Lyza’s house but to slack off in her soft couch. Her office was silent, and the only noise she can hear was the keyboard she’s typing on. Sam’s heart became heavy as usual, and she had gathered up a lot of strength every morning to get out of Lyza’s couch. It has been 4 days since she last seen Zach, and they’re not communicating ever since.He must have enjoyed a lot with his mistress, eh?Whenever it flooded his mind, Sam got distracted. Her eyes gone back to the ring she received when Zach proposed the marriage to her, and she chuckled. Why was she still wearing this? Sam leaned back to her swiveling chair, sighing. Looking at the glamorous gem perched at the top of the silver ring, it’s beautiful. Sam knew she was the happiest when she received that ring. She wanted to spend her life with Zach, no matter what happened.But
Sam’s empty eyes landed to Zach’s panicking ones. His hair was tousled, like he was just gotten out of a bewitching love-making session. Standing there, she knew it. There was a silhouette of a woman by Zach’s back, only a distance from the door. Sam chose to ignore it, but her insides crumpled like a paper. It kept on shattering, like someone slammed a sledgehammer. Sam sighed. She waited for Zach to ask the question, but Sam’s not going to respond. She’s not here to come home. She’s here to confront someone. Zach let go of the doorknob, saying, “You’re home.” Sam thought he’s going to ask that question. She thought he’s going to ask if the week is over yet. Sam thought he’s going to push her away because of that damn space, but no. He welcomed her home… with the mistress behind his back. What a brazen act to do. Zach stood there with his stony face. Sam didn’t even form the words, but her eyes speak of loathe. Zach sighed, knowing Sam had seen Stacy. He