CHAPTER 10: FIASCO

*FLASHBACK*

“Hey!” I tapped Rev’s shoulder. He looks absorb in his thoughts while holding my drawing of a wedding gown. “Are you concentrating to try and see if the gown would materialize in front of you?” I asked teasingly.

“Where were you?” he asked and looked up at me while smiling.

“I went to the cafeteria with Xander. He got hungry and told me he will give me a treat if I accompany him.”

His looked annoyed.

“You went ahead and ate with Xander? Then, who will be eating lunch with me?”

“Oh.. that. I can still go with you.”

“No thanks! You chose to go with Xander, so never mind!” He stood up and started walking away in big strides. I ran after him.

“Is my beloved best friend upset?”I bumped his shoulder and walked beside him.

“Because you chose Xander over me,” he said and pouted. I looked at him and giggled. He’s cute, I wanna kiss him.

“I wouldn’t choose anyone over you ever! You’re the No. 1 for me!”

“Tss.. That’s a lie. You chose to eat lunch with him,” he repeated.

“Because it was his treat!”

“What?! I always treat you to whatever you want to eat, too, right?!”

“Yes that’s right. So I thought you’ll save money this time around since someone else will pay for my lunch!”

“Don’t do that again.”

“Do what again?”

“Choose someone over me.”

“I told you I did not choose anyone over you!”

“You chose someone else over me, period!”

I hugged his waist while we walk towards the canteen.

“Don’t get upset anymore, please,” I pulled out my best weapon- my puppy eyes!

He draped his arm around my shoulder and sighed.

“I need to ask your opinion,” he suddenly said.

Hmm.. He looks serious. “About what?”

“Do you think I’m a good man?”

“Of course! Do you even need to ask that?”

“Someone who can be a good husband?”

“Hmm, but how can I answer that? I haven’t tried you as a husband yet,” I gave him a playful jab. “Why are you asking these questions? Are you really considering proposing to Jean soon?”

He did not answer. He just looked afar and went silent. They say silence means yes, right? Should I start crying now? If I tell him he will not make into a good husband, will that prevent him from proposing?

“You’ve gotta be there,” he said afterwards. “On my wedding day, you’ve gotta be there. I won’t get married if you don’t come.”

I swallowed. And then I realized I’ve been squeezing him hard as if he’s going to disappear any minute. I don’t like that!

“Why, am I going to be the priest?” I joked with faltering voice.

“Nope. You’re going to be the major sponsor.”

I just gave him a sullen look.

“Y-You should be there in my wedding, too,” I said after a while.

“Of course I will be there! I will ruin your wedding if you get married without me!” he said and grinned.

I wanted to hit him.

*PRESENT TIME*

I blinked my eyes furiously. I cannot allow myself to shed even a single tear right now. Not on my wedding day. Not while I’m marching down the aisle towards my groom. Not when Bryan is waiting near the altar, looking at me with a mixture of awe, adoration and love. It would be pathetic. But maybe, yes I’m pathetic, because as I held out my hand to Bryan, my heart is still pleading for Rev to take me away. He’s just staring at me blankly as if absorbed in his thoughts. He must be seeing someone else in this wedding dress, he must be remembering the woman he wanted to marry. Auntie Eva told me that Rev never had another girlfriend after Jean. After the night of our graduation, he immersed himself in mountain of work to keep himself busy.

The ceremony went on in a blur. I’m withdrawn almost throughout all of it. I didn’t hear when the priest asked me. Bryan nudged me to answer.

“Yes, I do,” I stammered.

Bryan gave me a warm smile. Then it was his turn to answer.

Somewhere from the behind, a commotion stopped him from answering.

We both looked back to see what is happening.

“You jerk! You think I will allow this?” a shrill voice caught our attention. At the middle of the aisle stands a woman who looks furious.

My eyes flew to Bryan, my eyes asking him.

People started backing away from her. She is holding a gun. My instinct tells me that the woman isn’t in her most rational mind. She’s even swaying as if she’s drunk. Her hair is unkempt and her skin pale, as if she neglected herself for a long time.

“Bryan, I will never allow you to be happy,” she pointed her gun at him.

“Belinda, put it down. You don’t know what you’re doing,” there’s tremor in his voice, as if he’s begging her for his life.

“After you ruined my sister’s life, after you left her pregnant and alone, do you think I can allow you to be happy? No, no way! Do you have any idea where my sister is right now? She’s in an asylum, and it’s because of you, bastard! You discarded her like a garbage, even though she had her life revolve around you! You made her miserable! You made her lose her baby! She’s my only family Bryan. And I lost her because of you! She’s inside that place because of you! I can’t accept that we’re the only miserable ones here, Bryan! Both of us has to lose people we love!”

I was shocked at the words she said. I turned to Bryan to ask but he couldn’t look me in the eye. He’s couldn’t even begin to explain.

“Let’s be miserable, both of us, Bryan!” the woman screamed again.

Then, in what seemed like a slow motion, she pointed her gun at me and I heard Rev cursed loudly while Bryan froze beside me.

I lost sight of the woman, just as I heard the loud sound of the gun as she pulled the trigger. And then chaos followed.

I felt something hard hitting me, I heard people screaming and commotion followed. I heard someone shouted to chase the girl while someone else said to call the ambulance.

I waited for the pain, there was none.

“Rev! Rev! O God, Rev!” I heard someone shouting from the background.

“Rein..”

I looked up to the person holding me. Our eyes met.

“Rev..”

“You’re safe. I will never allow anyone to harm you. Never.” His smile is taut, almost like a grimace. But he is hugging me tight and I hugged him back.

He coughed. I felt the warm and sticky liquid slowly flowing into my hand that is holding him. Fear gripped me as realization dawned on me.

“Rev!”. My shocked face looked up at him. “Y-You’re bleeding..”

“Don’t worry..” he mouthed, but his voice wouldn’t come out. His speech slurred and his body swayed towards me. “Don’t worry..”

Rev’s hand slowly slipped. He slid down my body and I followed. I knelt beside him and squeezed his hand.

“No! No Rev! No.. Don’t speak. The ambulance is on it’s way, hold on.. Hold on tight, Rev. I love you. I love you, please don’t leave me. Please…”

Tears, sweat, snot filled my face but I did not care. I can’t see anything or anyone else but Rev. I felt someone held my arms and is trying to help me up, but I pushed them away and hugged Rev tighter. Maybe I am being hysterical, but those things, I don’t care about right now. I won’t allow anyone to separate me from Rev. I don’t care if my gown becomes stained with blood.

I watched in horror as his eyelids slowly closed. It’s like a nightmare, surreal. This couldn’t be true! He’s not dying! I’m not going to allow him! I’m not letting him go!

“REEEEEEEVVV!”