chapter 8

Chapter 28

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Four months ago, the thought of inhaling the unfamiliar, yet the welcoming scent of the cool, fresh breeze of Denver, Colorado after waking up every morning never crossed her mind.

Now here she is, still away from family, from friends, from exes, from the frequent heartaches.

Finding yourself a place to heal is not easy and can be suffocating to leave the things you got used to the most. It was really a rough time, but sure enough, she needs herself the most as of the moment.

Love.

Right, she should love herself again. More than anything else.

Clutching the handle of her suitcase and dragging it closer, she took in the already familiar view of the city from the sidewalk she was currently standing on.

It's beautiful.

She still can't grasp the fact that she is indeed staying in the city she dreamt of for so many years. And a few months ago, her brother Ethan was against the idea of sending her away but eventually obliged due to their parents' agreement, thank goodness.

When she will return to her old life, the old Megan, no one knows.

Even she doesn't have the slightest idea. She doesn't want to estimate, what she needs is peace, solace, and me-time.

She sighed and continued walking along the cemented floors littered with dried, orange leaves. She smiled as it rustled beneath her feet.

It has been like this for nearly four months now. Every morning, she would get up and walk along the peaceful sidewalks, or maybe sip a hot cup of coffee or chocolate. The autumn breeze made her feel at ease at some point, and before she knew it, forenoons became her new favorite thing.

Living like this isn't too bad, after all.

Today's different, though. She packed her bags the night before, and today, she will be arriving at her home. She's ready, but her heart thinks otherwise.

Her mind drifted back to her last love from time to time, as much as she hates to admit it. There's nothing to be guilty of, but she cannot shake off the uneasiness she gets whenever she remembers the relationship he had with her best friend.

For goodness' sake, Bliss is like her sister. The mere thought of hurting her for the sake of experiencing her own happiness makes her want to stab the frail, sinful heart of hers.

It's unhealthy. Being with Aster is unhealthy, that's why she ran away.

It's better this way. Everything will fall back into place, hopefully.

Bidding her goodbyes on the back of her mind, the sight of Ethan's car honking at other vehicles made her let out a sigh for the nth time. From the front seat, she saw Andrea giving a small wave. She returned the gesture and approached the two.

"How are you holding up?"

She smiled but chose to stay silent as she opened the door to the backseat and made herself comfortable on the vacant seats.

She opened the car window and leaned on it, taking in the wonderful view outside, remembering the paths she used to walk on for the past couple of months. She thought of Andrea's question, making her flash a smile to no one in particular.

I'm glad she didn't ask if I'm okay, I still don't know how to answer that.

"Where should we head to?"

Letting out a smile, she faced Andrea through the rearview mirror. "Can we stop by Dulce's? I just need to buy something."

After a hefty amount of time of filling up three large paper bags of assorted pastries, they entered the car and Ethan started driving again.

As soon as the car stopped on the familiar parking lot, Megan got out, leaving her suitcase behind and carrying the three paper bags with her small arms, and a new black bag kept safe on her shoulders. She smiled wider, seeing the familiar doors on a familiar hallway. She fiddled with her keys and unlocked the door, the all too familiar aura and the comfort of her own place welcoming her tired body.

But she can't rest just yet, something needs to be done first.

Removing her jacket, she exited apartment #117 and stared at the numbers made of metal glistening under the sunlight seeping through the wall's lone window. She knocked softly two times, like what she would usually do before.

No one answered.

With furrowed eyebrows, she knocked again, the smile displayed on her face slowly disappearing.

Still, no one.

"Hey, Cheeto, are you there?" she looked down, clutching the pastries along with the newly-bought black case.

"Dude, I bought something," she paused, releasing a nervous chuckle. "A gift. Your favorites."

It made no difference to the silence that was dominating the other side of his door, much to her dismay.

"You're back?"

Megan turned around, hearing the voice of his cousin.

"Lois."

"I didn't expect to see you here. How are you doing?"

She smiled, looking away and fiddling with the strap of the black bag. "Where is Cheeto?"

"Cheeto?"

She scratched the back of her ear, embarrassed at the endearment. "Sorry, I meant Aster. May I know where he is?"

Lois went closer to the smaller lady. "The thing is—"

"I didn't have the time to contact him about my arrival," she cut her off, smiling and showing the things she bought. "You see, I was actually planning on giving him this—"

"Megan."

"Because there are— yes? Sorry."

Lois sighed, moving closer and pushing the bread back at her stomach.

"I have a hunch that he didn't tell you."

Brows furrowed, she stared at Lois's uneasy hands as they moved to the side. "What do you mean? Is there something I should know about?"

"Megan, Aster flew back to Manila two weeks ago."

She almost dropped the paper bags as hands went numb at the revelation. She couldn't understand why she wasn't informed. But then again, it was she who wanted it in the first place.

Gently taking Lois's hands and smiling bitterly, she placed the black bag on top of it, making her fingertips hold the strap tightly.

"What is this?" Lois stared at the case, admiring the sleek design. From the looks of it, no doubt that the object inside coats a fortune.

"He wanted this, and I was fortunate to see it three days ago." Her smile grew wider, letting go of the older's hand. "Give it to him someday."

"But I don't think it can be possible."

"Please," she cut her off. "Make sure that he'll get it, okay?"

"Megan..."

"I know it's pretty stupid on my part, but I really wanted to give that to him for quite some time now." She but her lip, turning around. "I hope he lives well."

"Another thing, I think you deserve to know this. I was angry at Aster for hurting my best friend, but if you must, please give him the benefit of the doubt. He's just confused and scared."

"I know." Her fingers stopped turning the doorknob. "Why are you telling me this?"

Lois sighed and she can hear her footsteps getting softer and quieter. "Megan, he flew back with Xyrill for a reason he chose not to tell, not even to me."