The Accidental Love Wrecker

With utmost care, I slowly opened the door to Rev’s office. I’ve been standing outside his room, debating whether I should enter or not. I look stupid going back and forth and mumbling arguments with myself. In the end, I decided to take courage and pushed open the door, since I already knocked anyway.

He greeted me with his icy stare.

“What do you want?” Cold. Oh, so cold. He did not even bother to offer me a seat

“Ah.. I went to your place. Auntie Eva said you are here, so..” I trailed, not knowing whether I should continue speaking or not. His glare makes me want to bolt for the door.

“That does not answer my question. Stop beating around the bush. Tell me what you want, then leave.”

Is this really Rev now? Is he really the guy who used to be my best friend? It’s been five years, and I thought he might have forgiven me already. It seems I was mistaken. Five years of being best friends in college, gone in just one night of stupidity. If only I didn’t drink that night.

He gestured for the seat nearby.

I promptly took it because my knees are shaking. The air conditioning of his room is in full blast but I am sweating out of nervousness. This feels like I’ve been called to the principal’s office.

“Rev.. Are you still mad at me? It’s been five years.”

He looked at me and squinted his chinito eyes.

“What are you?”

“Eh?”

“You think you’re too special?”

“Eh?”

“Five years. Do you think I spent my five years hating someone like you?”

“Uh..Someone like me? Which means..?”

“I don’t feel anything towards you. Nothing, as in NIL. Not even hatred.”

“Oh! That’s great! It means we might still be friends. You’re still my best friend!”

“I said I don’t feel anything for you. That includes friendship.”

If his stare was frosty earlier, now his eyes are blazing. Obviously, the guy still hates me. Regardless of what he say.

“Rev..”

“Shut up. I don’t want to have anything to do with you.”

“Why do you still hate me so much?”

“I don’t.”

“Yes, you do.”

He sighed.

“Please just leave me alone. I said I don’t want to have anything to do with you.”

“Because I ruined your life? Hell, Rev, it’s been five years! Can’t you move on?”

His nostrils flared in obvious anger. Rev rushed towards me and held my shoulders with such pressure I almost winced.

“It’s so easy for you to move on, because you are not the one who was hurt. Rein, I trusted you, I loved you, and then, what?? For a night of fun, you threw our friendship away!”

I swallowed hard. My heart constricted in what he said. I know I deserved his anger, especially from his point of view. But I think it is not entirely my fault that their relationship fell apart. Jean could have chosen to forgive him, afterall, he didn’t do anything wrong.

Besides, is our friendship so weak that he couldn’t forgive me even after so many years? He should have known that I never intended to purposely hurt him or cause him to break up.

I get it that I was the one who caused their misunderstanding, but it was Jean who decided to dump him.

Alright, Jean is his one true love. And I think that is what hurts more. Even until now, it still hurts. But I will not do again what I did before. He should not find out that I still love him.

“I clearly told you before; I no longer want to have anything to do with you. I don’t want someone like you in my life.”

“For the nth time, what do you mean someone like me??”

“”Someone who never considers what other people would feel. Rein, of all people, I least expected you to play games with my feelings. For the sake of some bet, you went ahead with that stupid prank.At my expense.”

I stopped on track. ‘Prank?’

I shook my head to brush off the memory of that particular night. I do not want to remember that right now. I have one objective in coming here, I should accomplish that.

I took a deep breath.

“I came here to ask you a favor.”

He looked at me incredulously. That you-have-the-nerve-to-ask-me-for-a-favor(??) look.

“My answer is NO.”

“C’mon, you haven’t even heard it yet.”

“Nothing to do with you, remember?”

“Please, Rev. For old time’s sake. After this, I won’t appear in front of you, if that’s what you want.”

“You really just used me all through those years, didn’t you?”

“What??”

“You made a friend out of me because I was convenient for you. You did not even give me importance. When I got mad, you went away. Now you’re back because you need me for something?”

His sarcasm is cutting through my heart. He has no idea how hard I tried to stop myself from sending him messages or look for him in his home. I went away because he asked me to. I stayed away because that was what he wanted me to do. I thought space and time will make it easier for him to forgive. For five years, I kept my distance.

I inched back towards the door slowly.

“Don’t ever come back again.”

Deja vu.

My eyes were threatening to roll down my cheeks as I took the courage to look at him.

He was taken aback. Then a slight hesitation cross his face before he reverted to anger.

“Just this once, please.” I knelt in front of him.

Rev looked shocked and quickly came over to me. He sat in front of me and held my arms to try to pull me up.

“What are you doing??” he almost shouted.

“I’m getting married. I want you to be our bestman. Please..”

I held onto the left sleeve of his coat tightly.

I don’t know why I am crying. I didn’t want to marry someone else. I didn’t want to love someone else. But I need to. I need to help myself to find love somewhere else.

Yes, I admit that right now I am just using Bryan to move on. But I swear I will learn to love him. After our wedding, I will forget everything about Rev. For real this time.

Rev was silent for a whole minute. When I peeked at his face, he looked dumbfounded while looking at the space behind me.

A painful memory crossed my mind, but I shrugged it off quickly.

“Do you remember, we promised to be there on each other’s wedding?”

He remained silent and unmoving. After a long while, he turned to me.

“So, we did.” He stood up and left me kneeling. “Get out.”

BLAG!

We turned around in unison when we heard the slamming door.

“What foolishness is this, Rev Dylan?”

“Ma.. What are you doing here?” Rev ignored his mother’s question.

“What are YOU doing?”

Auntie Eva approached me and helped me up. “Hija, you shouldn’t do this. Don’t kneel before arrogant people who think they are some demigod.” She glared at him.

“Rein came here to ask you to be their bestman. Since when did it become customary to kneel before the person you are inviting to be the bestman?”

“She did it on her own. Like she always did.”

“Cut the crap. You are going to be her groom’s bestman. That’s final.”

“Don’t dictate me, Ma.”

“Don’t cross me, son.”

Rev glared at me. “See, are you happy now? You always get what you want from me.”

“I..”

“Don’t worry about him, Rein. C’mon, let us go shopping. You’ve been gone for too long, I missed you! For the people out there who pretends they did not miss you, let them rot.”

Rev was about to retort but chose to keep his lips close. He rolled his eyes on us.

I let Auntie Eva pull me towards the door.

“Cancel all your weekend appointments in the next five weeks. All of them will be for the wedding rehearsals,” she told him before closing the door behind us, leaving him unable to say even a single word.

I cannot help but smile. Rev might hate me to death, but he cannot say no to Auntie Eva.