"Oh look! There she is!"

I whip my head to where she is looking. It took me a few seconds to comprehend who I am seeing at the moment. And when it did register in my head, my brain and emotions became a complete mess. The person who I am seeing right now is none other than Aria.

Aria stares back at me in complete unmoving shock. She doesn't know how to react to seeing me. But, every pain I felt since yesterday returns to me. Neither Aria nor I move. But, the girl who's sitting beside me stands up and walks towards Aria.

"Hi, Bae! What took you so long?" she says as she gives Aria a hug.

When she pulls away from the hug, the girl looks at Aria with sweetness in her gaze. Then on a sudden movement, she leans towards Aria, eyes close. I felt the air get stuck in my throat like a lump as I witness the scene unfold. She leans in and kisses her nose.

I couldn't breathe. I can't take it anymore. I stand up, turn away, and run away. Yet, I could not run fast. My legs feel like jelly. My energy is almost used up. I try to walk away fast but to no avail. I know I have failed to run away when a hand grabs my arm from behind.

"Justin, wait... let me explain." Aria says from behind.

I close my eyes as I try to stop the tears. When I had my tears at bay, I turn to her with rage making her drop her hand that had grabbed my arm.

"E-e-explain? W-what's more to explain? Didn't what I just see explained everything?" I say to her with evident anger.

Aria takes a step back from my outburst. This is the first time she saw me angry because I never show that side of me to anyone. When she recovers from her initial shock, she puts on her brave face and begins talking.

"I'm sorry. I want to tell you a long time ago bu-"

"So you had been doing this for a long time now? Wow, Aria. You're good at hiding, you know that?" I cut her off in my most sarcastic way possible.

Aria doesn't know how to respond to what I said. She didn't know how to explain her own slip-up.

"For how long, Aria? How long had you been cheating on me?" I ask with a threatening tone.

Aria pauses thinking very carefully. She seems like trying to find the right words that will not make me any angrier than I already am.

I look at her with intense eyes getting impatient with her. Aria lets out a sigh of defeat.

"Five months..." she says.

I couldn't speak after hearing how many months I was being an oblivious fool. It was indeed a long time ago. I remember being so happy in those last five months. I thought our relationship is working well and getting stronger. But as I said, I am indeed an oblivious fool.

When I did not utter anything, Aria takes the liberty of explaining why she cheated on me. As if her explanations would justify her wrongdoings...

My ears are too numb to hear what she's saying. My mind is also too clouded with trains of thoughts to comprehend her words. All I understand is that they were classmates. She asked her out, she rejected at first, and she, eventually, gave in.

She went on and on about not meaning to do it. She says she wanted to tell me sooner but she didn't know how to tell me. When she mentions that, I snap out of my numbness. I place my hands on her shoulder.

I was taller than her for about eight inches so I had to bend down to meet her eye to eye. What I did startle her. She stops talking and looks at me with wide eyes. I gave her a broken smile before telling her...

"You could have just told me yourself. It would have been better if you just told me rather letting me find out for myself."

Aria looks at me with even wider eyes. I guess she was expecting some hurtful words to come out of my mouth. But there wasn't... I didn't.

"Wha-what? Aren't you mad at me?" She says in a whispered tone of disbelief.

"I am mad. No one would be happy if they found out that their girlfriend cheated on them." I say in another sarcastic tone.

"Then... why? I don't understand. How com-"

"How come I'm not screaming at you in different profanities known to mankind?" I say finishing what she's saying. As I drop my hands from her shoulders, I didn't give her a chance to talk anymore.

"Believe me I want to curse you. I want to scream at you. I want to tell you how much you hurt me. But... I realized something..."

I trail off as I look at Aria with teary eyes. When I know she's listening, I continue speaking.

"I don't know what gender you associate yourself right now. But one thing is clear to me... You wanted something I can never give you. You wanted to be someone I can't help you become. Is that right?"

Aria looks at me with worry etched on her face. She searches my eyes for something only she knows before making a slight nod.

"You see... it wasn't that hard. I can understand. You could have told me. If you had been honest, I could have let you go. I would have set you free to be who you want to be... and who you want to be with." I say as I spare a glance on her lover who is watching not so far from us.

"But why? Why would you do that?" Aria says with disbelief still heard on her tone.

I look at her with all the feelings I have left for her then say...

"Because I loved you..."

Aria closes her eyes. When she opens them, tears start to flow down her cheeks. Then, she started silent crying.

"I'm sorry Justin Cyrus. I didn't mean to hurt you. I-"

I silence her by wiping a tear on her cheek which shocks her. I honestly didn't want to hear any more that she has to say. She will only make it hard for me to let go.

"I can't say I have forgiven you because that would be a lie. And I had never lied to you before. But... you didn't have to lead me on like that. I wish you didn't make me believe you love me only to hurt me in the end."

Aria is already crying uncontrollably. She seems like she'll keep crying until she runs out of tears. I guess it's time for me to leave.

"Goodbye, Aria. I hope you're happy now." I say as I turn and walk away.

As I do that, part of me still hopes that Aria would stop me again. She'll stop me and say that she's more happy with me. That she doesn't want me to walk away from her life. I'm the one she can't lose. Those thoughts put a temporary smile on my face. But, I know very well that it's only my delusional thinking.

I knew one thing the moment I took the turn to the next street. I, Justin Cyrus Salvador, had officially walk away from Jezzlyn Aria Pua the person I love. I can't believe it. I did that. But, there's nothing else to do. I can't give her what she wants. She'll be more satisfied with her relationship with that woman.

And that is another thing that I couldn't believe. That beautiful woman (that I didn't even get her name) is Aria's other lover. Who would have known? The person I was hunting down was already in front of me.

No wonder she said she was waiting for someone that isn't her boyfriend but they are dating. Because it was a girlfriend! She's a lesbian. A pretty woman who probably had guys swooning over her but has a taste for women instead.

I'm supposed to hate this woman who stole my girlfriend but I can't put all the blame on her alone. Aria is the most at fault here. But there's also me to blame.

I guess I'm not worth staying with. May she be a pretty girl or a plain-looking one, they will still leave me for someone else. Even if I pour them all my love, even if I shower them with gifts and affection, they will still look the other way.

What am I doing wrong? Or am I just wrong for them? Maybe, the problem is them. Or maybe it's me...

I let out a sigh of frustration as I reach my car. I get in my car. And just like yesterday, I let myself cry. The tears I had been holding back earlier are now free-flowing.

I cry to let out all the pent up pain I have. I cry to express all the agony, sadness, grief, and self-pity that I have. I cry like I didn't cry the night before.

Lucky for me the windows of my car are heavily tinted.