Chapter 14: Parallel Lines

I sat there in front of my father's tombstone for what seemed like hours. In reality, it was only 30 minutes. Only that short amount of time has passed since I saw Glace kissing Eris. I wanted to cry. I wanted to go back to Glace's house and tell her to love me. Demand it even. But my pride held me back.

I knew that it wouldn't be good for me and for her. We were friends and friends were expected to support each other in love. Now that she got her dream girl, I had no room in her heart. I needed to forget her, just as I did when Denise rejected me last year.

This time was different though. This time, I was already falling fast for the one who hurt me. It was like rubbing salt in a wound. But with all wounds, I needed to heal. Maybe someday it would turn into a scar and make me stronger. But for now avoidance was the key.

A soft crunch of a twig snapped me out of my reverie. Before I could even look behind me, Glace sat silently on my right. She was so close that I was able to smell her creamy scent. Of all the people to follow me here, it had to be her. How did she know where I went?

"I saw the grocery bag on the kitchen table. Why did you leave?" she asked softly. I turned my head to her and saw her coffee colored eyes searching my face. I just couldn't get mad at her. She only got what she yearned for all these years- her first love. It wasn't her fault that I fell in love with her.

"I saw you kissing. . ." I couldn't continue the sentence. My mouth simply refused to say that I saw her making out with Eris. I inhaled deeply and tried again. "I saw you kissing another girl a while back."

Her brows furrowed and for a moment, she had this confused look on her face. "But we weren't," she said before I cut her off.

"Shhh," I said. "Don't speak Glace. I'm so happy for you. You finally got her." I gave her a wide smile but I died a little bit inside.

She continued to look confused. "What are you talking about Dulce? This is a misunderstanding. I was removing something from her ey-"

I cut her off again and shrugged. "It was just as I said. There's no need for an explanation." I nudged her gently with my elbow. "You told me before that I'd be the first person to know when it happens. You're such a liar."

After I said that, both of us fell silent. I bit my lips to stop myself from crying, while she stared at the tombstone of my father looking out of sorts. Her mouth was opened slightly and she appeared to be baffled. A few minutes passed like that and as if on cue, both of us spoke at the same time.

"I have something to tell you," we blurted out.

"You first," we said together.

I scratched my ear. "Okay let's just say it at the same time. Ready?" She nodded.

I didn't know what her reaction would be. But I didn't really care anymore. I needed to have self-preservation. It would hit me hard, but somehow I needed to tell her that it was alright that she was dating Eris. For both our sakes. So she wouldn't think I was too attached to her. That I loved her and it hurts right now. On the count of three, both of us said what was in our minds.

"I like Denise," I said the biggest lie ever.

"I love you Dulce," she confessed.

I blinked several times, trying to digest the information she said. WHAT? But didn't she love Eris? Blood rushed to my face and it seemed like time stood still.

In that moment, I knew that I was scared. I felt the fear like a blade slicing my skin. I was more frightened in that instant than heights. More terrified than losing my best friends. More petrified than ever before. Because in that moment, I knew I hurt the most important person in my life with what I said.

My eyes inevitably went to her coffee ones and the raw emotion that I saw there hit me like a sledgehammer and almost knocked me unconscious. The saddest thing was she smiled at me. She gave me a genuine smile that was very pretty but at the same time heartbreaking. And then tears fell from her eyes.

"Glace," my voice cracked. The thing about Eris was completely forgotten. All that remained was the unmistakable misery- hers and mine.

Her tears flowed like steady stream coming from a waterfall. I have never seen a person so hurt before. And I was the cause of it. She squeezed her eyes shut and cried softly.

I immediately engulfed her in my arms and also wrapped my legs around her so she was sitting right in front of me with no space between us. Her head went to my shoulder and there she sobbed quietly, her body trembling. I wished I could take it back. I wished I wasn't stupid and I didn't hurt her at all.

But time continued moving and the words I said would never ever be erased. All I could do was to hold her in my arms, give her warmth, and say I was sorry.

"Don't cry... Shhh... Please don't cry." The tears I've been holding back finally broke free and I found myself sobbing with her.

"I love you," she whimpered. Her tone was a combination of litany and agony. I stroked her hair and rocked us both like a mother soothing her child. Only I was a stupid teenager who made an amazing person like Glace cry. "You told me not to tell you," she sobbed. "You told me not to remind you. That you'd remember. But you didn't."

I didn't have a clue about the things she was talking about but I still listened as her body shook and her trembling voice told me that she loved me over and over. Before I knew it, we were back in her house and inside her room. I took her to the bed and lay with her until she fell asleep. The whole time I was thinking of what I should do to correct my mistakes.

Days crawled by. I said crawled because it felt like I was locked in a time warp where nothing and no one was moving as it should. If you were wondering where Glace was, I didn't know myself. She has been absent for a week. I tried calling her but she wouldn't pick up. She wasn't at her house either. At least no one answered when I rang the doorbell.

People were beginning to panic. The idol wasn't in the school and that was a cause for rumors. My classmates were also nervous. The play was next week and Romeo was nowhere to be seen. I decided to take action for my wrongdoings.

When the last bell rang, I said goodbye to Tim and Patty and hurried to my car. I drove straight to Glace's property and parked the car on the street. No one would answer if I rang the doorbell again, so this time around I'd have to break in. Well more like entering and not breaking, but you get the drift.

I waited till nightfall to ensure that no one would see me climb the wall. It was a good thing that I was athletic and slender or I wouldn't be able to reach the top and drop smoothly on the other side. It was also lucky that Glace didn't have a Rottweiler or something or I'd be torn to pieces by now.

I walked briskly to Glace's house and tried the door knob. What do you know? It was open. A peek on the living room and kitchen told me that she wasn't there. I also tried the music room and library but no such luck.

I climbed the stairs and crept into her room. There she was sleeping on her bed. Even with her eyes closed, I could tell that it was puffy. Her lips were devoid of lipstick or lip gloss but it was still pink. She had a hoodie on but no jeans and she was hugging a pillow to her chest. God I missed her. Not just her beauty but all of her.

I walked to the bed and climbed next to her. She stirred awake when I took the pillow from her arms. "Go back to sleep," I said. "I'll be your pillow."

Her eyes fluttered open. "Dulce?" she said in wonder. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for you silly. Now go back to sleep," I replied gently. She shook her head. "Will you stay? Your mom will flip."

"I already told her I'm sleeping over, so don't worry about that." I stroked her raven-black hair. "Would you like something to eat? I'll prepare anything for you." She gazed thoughtfully at me, no doubt thinking what she wanted to request. It was that or she wanted me to go away. I hoped it was the former.

It was my turn to take care of her. I knew that she was hurting. I knew that she wasn't okay. So I'd make up for that. Not by saying anything to her because that would just mess things up further, but by showing her that I loved her too. Her and not Denise.

"I want beef and mushroom," she said after a while. I nodded to her and got up from the bed. "Okay Glace. I'll just run to the store and buy the ingredients." She grabbed my hand before I had the chance to walk away.

"Please don't go Dulce. Please don't leave," her voice broke and she swallowed hard. "What I mean is there are ingredients in the fridge. You don't have to go to the store anymore."

"Alright. I won't go I promise." I leaned in and took her head in my hands. "But while I'm cooking, go and bathe. Change your clothes too. I can't stand seeing you like that. Yeah?"

"Yeah," she murmured.

I gave her a small smile and released her cheeks before walking out the door. My feet carried me to the modern kitchen and I proceeded to make the dish for her. When I was tasting the sauce, I heard her play the piano from the music room. Its melodic sound streamed inside the kitchen. I recognized Bach's Air on the G string. It was a sad melody to accompany her mood. I sighed. I wished I wasn't the one who caused that.

While waiting for the meat to soften, I went to the music room and watched her play while leaning on the door frame. She had her eyes closed and her hands moved in tune to the music. Why so cute Glace? I thought.

"You know you can always sit here beside me," she murmured while playing. She didn't open her eyes though. I did walk to her but I stood near the grand piano, leaning my weight on the black instrument.

When she finished playing, she opened her eyes and stared at me. I watched her slender form stand up from the chair and walked silently in my direction. Then, she held both my hands and pinned it to my side before she leaned her head closer. Her familiar scent wafted in my nose making my heart beat faster.

Glace stopped inches from my face. "If I was a bad person who had no control, I would have kissed you right now Dulce." I swallowed before saying, "Well why don't you?"

"Because I know better than that. So let me do this instead." She took my left hand and kissed it softly. "I may not be your present, but I will always be your past, future, and forever. Remember that," she said before walking out the door and heading to the direction of the kitchen.

I followed her there after a few minutes and saw her serving the beef and mushroom plus rice on two separate bowls. "Let's eat in my room instead," she mumbled.

When we reached her bedroom, both of us sat on the bed with our legs crossed. She took a bite of the meal I prepared and smiled, though I could see that it didn't reach her eyes. "It tastes great Dulce. Better than anything I had before."

"Thank you," I replied and matched her smile. She chewed slowly and after a while I caught her staring at me. "What?" I asked.

"You'll make a good wife," she whispered. I nearly choked on the mushroom. After gulping on the glass of water we brought and placing it back on the bedside table, I stared incredulously at her. She shrugged. "My wife," she added.

"Glace I. . ." My throat felt dry and I couldn't continue. I wanted to tell her that I loved her and that I was lying when I said that I liked Denise, but she silenced me.

"Don't please. Don't tell me that you love Denise. There's just so much I can take Dulce." She placed the bowl on the bed and hugged her knees. It hurts seeing her like that.

"You have to eat," I said gently. She shook her head and didn't look at me. With a sigh, I took her bowl and scooped beef and mushroom. "Say ahh," I murmured while placing the spoon near her mouth. When she didn't open it I said, "How about we play a game. You like that right?"

That got her attention. She turned to me and arched her eyebrow. "What kind of game?" I stared her directly in the eyes. "I'll be your wife for a day if you eat."

The corners of her mouth perked up. "It's a deal Dulce," she said without hesitation.