Chapter 40

Madeline is already an orphan, and her siblings are all abroad. That's why no one attended to her in the hospital, except for Joshua who stayed to watch her. He remembered what they talked about earlier. ‘What if... What if we're really destined for each other?' Joshua was not able to answer that. How could he? First, he doesn't know if it's a yes or a no. He cannot see his own destiny, so he cannot know if Madeline is the one for him. And, even if he does know, he still can't say it. He's bound by the rules of being a Cupid, and he cannot say anything to anyone about fate and destiny. "Ria posted a tweet about your first love already." Joshua looked at her. Madeline is now looking at her cellphone, already calm and not crying anymore. "She didn't put my last name," Madeline said. "Did you not write it on the slam book?" "Maybe she thought it's not important anymore," Joshua said. "Also, that was way back then. It's been fourteen years, right? Or more?" "Yes, but it doesn't mean it's just nothing," Madeline said as she continued reading the tweets on her phone. "It could happen again, right? I could be your love again." "Are you really serious about that?" Madeline looked at him. "Mads, it's been fourteen years..." How can he tell her that whatever happened before will not happen again? That he will not fall in love with her again? He's well aware that he could not fall in love with someone else other than his red thread, and he's quite sure that Madeline is not that person. No, he didn't check it on his Cupid phone. He just knows that Madeline is not his red thread. He's sure of that because he can't feel any romantic feeling for his ex-girlfriend. "Are you saying that you can't love me anymore?" Madeline asked. Joshua nodded even if he doesn't want to. "Wow, that was so harsh." Madeline smiled bitterly. "I'm sorry..." This is what he was trying to avoid. "Are you in love with someone else?" Joshua shook his head, though he kind of felt a little uncertain about that. "And you're saying that you still cannot fall in love with me even though you're not in love with someone?" Joshua did not answer. Madeline took that as a yes, which in reality is correct. "Wow... really, wow..." "I'm sorry, Mads," Joshua said. "I didn't mean to offend you... I have my reasons." "I understand." Joshua was quite surprised. "Actually, I was just teasing you. I'm just testing if I'll get you. Who knows, you might end up loving me again, right?" A half-meant joke. Joshua still feels a little uncomfortable about that. "But of course, you're Joshua Socorro now. The Joshua Socorro. It's impossible for you to fall for me." "That's not it..." Madeline smiled bitterly. "Even that person who's just a nobody, he was able to choose someone over me. More so you, who can make anyone you like fall for you." "Don't say that," said Joshua. "Don't blame yourself for the mistakes that your ex-boyfriends did. It's not your fault that your past relationships went like that. It's... it's what's meant to be." "So I was meant to hurt?" Joshua sat beside her on the bed. He took her hand and held it. "Maybe all those heartaches happened because you were loving the wrong person. But once you found the right one for you, you won't get hurt anymore." "And that person can't be you?" Joshua smiled. "Are you still teasing me?" Madeline smiled. "If I only knew you would become a superstar, I would never have broken up with you. I could just have endured our LDR." Joshua just smiled. "But we're still friends, right?" Madeline asked. "At least, I'm a friend of Joshua Socorro." "Of course," Joshua said. "I'll add you on Facebook. You see, Friendster is long gone." Joshua laughed at what she said. Madeline smiled as well. "Mads!" The door suddenly opened, and a guy came rushing in. Joshua and Madeline looked at the guy, both shocked. Even the guy who just entered was shocked upon seeing them, particularly Joshua. He gazed at his hand holding Madeline's. "Oliver..." Madeline said to the guy. Oliver looked at Madeline. He walked towards her. "Are you okay?" Worry is written all over his face. "Oliver Rodriguez?" Oliver looked at Joshua. The latter looked at Madeline, who nodded at him. "Yup, it's him," said Madeline. "Wow! Joshua... Joshua Socorro," Joshua said to Oliver, while pointing himself. "Remember?" "Of course," Oliver said with a smile. "Who would not know Joshua Socorro?" "That's not what I mean," Joshua said. "Wow! It's been so long since we last met... So, you became friends?" He looked at Madeline, then at Oliver. "We saw each other again during college. We're classmates in Manila," Madeline said. "Since we already know each other, he became my best friend." Then it suddenly hit Joshua. He looked at Oliver again, and that shy look on his face kind of gave it away. He smiled at the two of them. "Well, at least you have your best friend now even though your siblings are not here," Joshua said to Madeline. "So, I guess I could go now?" "Okay, then," said Madeline. "Anyway, my best friend is here already." "Surely, he would take care of you," Joshua said. "Right, Oliver?" Oliver just nodded. "I'll go now..." Joshua smiled before heading to the door. Before he completely closed the door, Joshua peeked inside again. This time, his red thread radar is on, and he could clearly see that one read thread connecting Madeline and Oliver's hearts. He smiled as he closes the door. He suddenly felt fulfilled. He feels like he's getting better at this Cupid game. Just a little more and he can be like Ria when it comes to being a Human Cupid. He suddenly felt weird while on the elevator. It's like he doesn't want to go home yet. He feels like he still need to resolve something. Like he needs to talk to someone. As he got out of the elevator, he decided to not go to the parking lot as he initially planned. Instead, he looked at the signages posted around the hall and figured out how he can go to the Emergency Room.