Chapter 4: Who’s Nathan?
“Why the hell do you care?” I pulled my hand from his. But he tightened his grip. I hit his back because of his sudden stop.
He faced me.
“My concern isn’t for you.”
I was loss for words…what he said added to the hurt in my poor heart.
“---I care…I care for…for...for your parents.”
Huh? Since when did he start to give a damn about my parents again?
“Who are you anyway?!” I shouted at him. The rain poured harder.
“My life is not your business.”
“It is my business.”
He carried me like a newlywed bride. Uh-oh. He doesn’t have the right to do this! He already put an end to our friendship ages ago, so why does he acts like my best friend again?
“Put me down, jerk!”
“Not until I bring you back to your home!”
“I don’t have a home!”
“Yes, you have!”
“No! I’m telling you. I don’t have a home. I don’t have parents waiting for me. They’re too busy to mind their business and they already forget that they have a child. I don’t have a family…”
“Yes, you have...”
“Who says so?”
“You have a family…You have me…”
I was so stunned to move when he said that. What’s wrong with him?
“Are you out of your mind?!”
I punched his chest but it didn’t seem to work. I looked at his face, I couldn’t see it. DAMN.
“No, I’m not.”
“You’re not my family and you’re not my friend…”
He stopped walking so; I waited for him to say something.
“I’m still your friend, Lei…” he sadly whispered to himself but I heard him.
“Don’t call me Lei!” I snapped at him.
“I’m going to call you Lei whenever I want! I’m still the Nathan that you knew and you are still the Lei that I knew even though you already hide your true self in that mask…”
“No! We’re already two different people, Nathan. Whether you like it or not, I’m not the Lei you knew…”
“You’re afraid to show your true self, Lei. I know you’re just pretending to be happy outside but deep inside you’re feeling empty…”
“…”
I surrender. He won. He’s right.
“Okay, you won! Now, put me down!--”
The next thing I knew, he ran so fast and it made me dizzy. I just closed my eyes.
He put me down on the passenger seat of his car.
“There you go; you’re safe here in my car.”
I looked at him and noticed that he wore a basketball player uniform.
“Now, quit playing games, Nathan. It’s not funny.”
“I’m not playing games with you, Lei.”
“So, what do you call with this stunt?”
“I’m worried, Lei. I’m worried that something might happen to you…”
I raised my eyebrow. What does he think of me? I’m not desperate to just let myself commit suicide.
“I’m not desperate so, don’t worry about me. I’m not going to commit suicide…”
I start reaching the hand knob while I’m looking at him.
“Don’t push me away, Lei. It hurts whenever you’re doing that…”
“I need too, Nathan. I don’t want to hope again that you’re going to stay with me again…”
As I said that, I opened the knob of his car and went out. I didn’t look back because I’m afraid I will see his expression…
*****
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