Chapter 16

Joshua has been in Tarlac for a few days now, but all he does is go out every night and get himself drunk. He goes to different bars every night to avoid being recalled, except for Pure Act Café. He knows he can't have himself drunk in that place because James will definitely stop him, and they might just quarrel. He knows what he's doing is wrong. He should not waste his time drinking and doing nothing productive. But right now, he does not know anything to do but get himself drunk. It makes him feel a little better. It makes him forget a little. That night he went out again and hung out in a bar that he doesn't even know the name. He knows his family is getting curious, he knows they're getting worried about him. He talked to them and told them to let him be. He will get by, and he will always be safe. He is a Human Cupid after all, with all those weird immunities that proved useful sometimes. Speaking of Cupid, for the first time since he saw her in his condo, Ria went to him. He was a bit drunk that time and he's not thinking straight anymore. His mood is also getting bad. 'Josh..." She sat down at the bar stool next to him. 'Oh... so you're finally here." 'Are you expecting me?" 'A little," Joshua said. 'I'm expecting you to go to me and ask me to stop doing this." 'Well, yeah. That's why I'm here now." 'Well, spoiler alert. I'm not stopping." He drank his scotch again. 'Josh, what are you doing? You drown your pain in alcohol. Why don't you find something that will make you forget what you're going through right now?" 'What, be a Cupid instead?" Ria was taken aback. 'You are so inconsiderate, Ria. You know what I'm going through right now. I'm having problems with love, then you want me to spread love? What an irony." 'I'm sorry," Ria said. 'I just want to help you forget." 'Love can't heal love, Ria. It will just worsen the pain." 'How can you say that?" 'Because it just makes you remember the hurt that love caused you." Tears started forming on Joshua's eyes as he remembered what his two most trusted persons did to him. Trusted and loved. Truly. It hurts more knowing that Caitlyn just used him to become more popular. The pain rises exponentially with that thought. 'But doesn't it make you more hopeful?" said Ria. 'It gives you hope that love can mend your broken heart and put back all the pieces together. It can take away the sadness and give you happiness once again." 'Of course, you will say that." He faced her. 'You're a pretty good writer who writes love stories for a living. You manipulate people to believe in true love and happy ever after so that you will gain financially and have a comfortable life. How much does your book cost, Ria? Are you earning millions per year for just a title? And it's all because of you trying to paint this wonderful idea about love and destiny." Ria just stared at him, shocked at what he just said to her. 'Why can't you write about people who lost in love? About those people who were left behind? Those people who were cheated on? Why don't you write about the realities of love? The real pain that love can cause you? Why do you have to write about love in such an ideal way?" 'Joshua, it doesn't mean that you are hurt, that you are in pain, that everyone should be like that," Ria told him. 'Everyone does not need to feel what you are feeling right now." 'You're just saying that because you don't know how I feel!" Joshua's tone increased. People turned their heads on him. 'When did you become a Cupid again?" 'Joshua..." Ria looked around to see if someone heard him speak about her being a Cupid. 'High school? No, college, probably. Am I right? College? What year." Ria is obviously getting annoyed. 'Joshua, please…" 'I'm asking you when you became a Cupid!" Ria was stunned. 'Oh, let's see." Joshua took out his Cupid Phone and searched Ria's information. That's where he found out that she became a Cupid at nineteen years old. 'Nineteen... and you never had a boyfriend before that. So you never had a boyfriend ever. So you never experienced heartbreak. You never experienced what I'm going through right now! You don't know how I feel! You don't know my pain!" Ria's tears began to form in her eyes. She was obviously hurt at what Joshua said. She is obviously trying to prevent herself from crying. When Joshua saw her reaction, he somehow calmed down. 'You're right. I never had a boyfriend. But not having a romantic relationship doesn't mean I've never experienced heartbreak ever." Joshua felt guilty when he saw Ria wipe the tears that fell down her face. 'I never thought you're still this dense, Joshua. Yeah, maybe, you're really not meant to be a Cupid, because a Cupid can never be that dense." She walked out and left him. Joshua just looked on as Ria left the bar. He felt worse at what happened, so he drunk some more. But then, liquor cannot make him feel better anymore. He just feels worse as he continued drinking. He left the bar and went to his car. It was parked on the other side of the road. He didn't bother checking the road before crossing. He's a Cupid, at least he still is. He still has that Cupid Phone so definitely, he's still a Cupid with all his immunities. So he just crossed the street carelessly. From a distance he saw the light of the incoming vehicle. He looked at it, but he didn't bother dodging. Why would he? He is a Cupid and he has his immunities. And the car did not hit him. In fact, it swayed to the side of the road. It missed him. But then, the driver of the car is not a Cupid, so he didn't have immunity. The car crashed to a tree on the side of the road. Joshua was stunned. He saw how the car directly missed him and swayed to the other direction. He saw how it crashed to that tree by the side of the road. He saw how the driver's head hit the steering wheel, making him unconscious. Then, it finally hit him. Yes, he is a Cupid and he has immunity, but that didn't mean that the accident will not happen. It only means it might miss him, but not the other person involved. He would still be hurt, and the damage could be fatal. He realized what happened when people around him started screaming. Some even went to the car, checking on the driver. He's one of those people who went to see the condition of the guy in the steering wheel. He's unconscious. That's when Joshua got scared. 'Someone call the ambulance!" He started to panic. And feel guilty. What has he done? He was so focused on himself that he forgot about other people. He didn't think about the repercussions of his actions. Everything after that is chaos. At least, to Joshua. Inside him, to be exact. He's scared about what might happen to the driver. He's guilty for his carelessness. He's distressed because he doesn't know what to do. The ambulance came, and Joshua went to the hospital with the guy. He doesn't know where they will take him, but he still came along. The guy was taken to a room inside the ER, and Joshua was not allowed to go with him. He remained on the waiting area feeling so lost and agitated. 'Joshua?" He looked up. Maybe he's so messed up with what happened that he did what he would never dare do. He went to the female doctor who called him and held onto her. 'Carla... Carla, that guy, he crashed. He crashed." He's really very scared. 'Okay... Okay, Josh." She took him to a chair. 'Josh, try to calm down, okay?" She sat down in front of him. 'It's my fault. It's all my fault." He started crying. Carla tried to console him. 'We'll do everything to save him, okay?" Joshua nodded. 'Try to calm down." She stood up and asked a nurse to give Joshua some water to drink. Then she went back to him. 'Our nurses will take care of you. I'll just check on the patient." Joshua nodded. Carla went inside the room where the patient was taken. Joshua was given some mineral water by a nurse. He immediately chugged all of it, but it still feels insufficient. 'Take it easy." Joshua looked at the girl beside him. 'Destiny?" He looked around. 'It's okay. They can see me." Joshua looked at her once again. 'I am sorry. I know you were very scared." Destiny touched his shoulder. Suddenly, Joshua felt calm like nothing happened. He even felt his drunkenness disappear. 'That guy, he was destined to have an accident." Joshua frowned. 'It just happened that you are the one who is there, and coincidentally, you are not on your right mind." Joshua remembered what happened and how stupid he has been. 'I'm sorry..." 'It's okay. That happens. But as I have said, it was bound to happened." 'Why?" Joshua asked Destiny 'He has some family problems, and his life is a mess. That accident is the turning point." 'So, he's not going to die?" Destiny shook her head. 'Nope. He just needs to stay here for a while. But he will recover." Joshua felt relieved. And because he can think more clearly now, he suddenly realized what he and Destiny is talking about. That made him look around. 'Don't worry," Destiny said. 'No one can hear us." Joshua looked back to her. 'Why do you think no one is surging towards Joshua Socorro?" Joshua realized the reason. Magic. Or, more technically right, divine intervention. That's good, since he's not in the mood to be nice to fans right now. 'But, you are not yet absolved." Joshua looked at Destiny. He remembered what he did earlier to Ria. He looked down. 'Sorry... Ria is right. I don't deserve to be a Cupid." 'Yes, she is right. A Cupid shall not be shallow. But that can be learned." 'So, you're keeping me on the team?" 'Of course," Destiny answered. 'It is hard to find a new recruit." Joshua has never felt so glad like that. Destiny's words gave him a different kind of joy. 'But you have to fix yourself first," Destiny said. 'You're right," Joshua agreed. But aside from that, there's also that one thing he needs to solve. 'Destiny...?" 'Hmn?" 'What happened to Ria?" 'Ah! The heartbreak?" Joshua nodded. 'When she was nineteen years old, she discovered that his father is having an affair with another woman." Joshua was shocked. 'It has been going on for years, and her parents kept it from her. Ria thought her father is just busy in his business trips. She doesn't know he has another home." Joshua is not aware of that story. That time, he was busy with his own problems and he is focused on his family. That is why he doesn't communicate much with his friends, especially those he is not very close with. Like Ria. They were classmates but they just became close recently when he became a Cupid and she became his Mentor. But during their high school years, they were just like normal classmates who are casual with each other. 'So you see, even though she never had a boyfriend, she had enough heartaches already. But love is also what brought joy back to her life." 'How?" How did Ria manage to overcome such pain? 'She became a Cupid." And Joshua finally got it. Ria might have been hurt because of love, but seeing other people be happy because of love, and being the reason for such happiness, that might be the thing that cured all the pain she experienced. Destiny stood up. 'I am not saying that what healed her pain was her being a Cupid, but love is contagious. Try it." She winked at him before going out of the ER. That's when Carla went out of the room where the patient is. Joshua stood up and went to her. 'How is he?" he asked Carla. 'He's stable now, though we need to run more tests on him to check if there are other damage internally." Joshua was glad at what she said. 'Thank you. Thank you..." He felt like crying. Carla smiled. 'It's my job... You, are you okay now?" Joshua nodded. 'Yes... Thanks." Carla smiled again. 'I have to do something at the station." 'Okay..." Carla left him. Joshua reached inside his pockets, setting his hands on his phone in the process. He took out his phone, his personal phone. There are a lot of messages on his notification screen. One in particular caught his attention. It was from Christina Paras, the owner of Rise Up Agency and his mother figure in showbiz. 'Joshua, call me whenever you can. I'll be waiting.' Yeah, maybe he needs to fix his life first before moving on to the next phase.