Chapter 51

Carla glanced at the tissue paper that suddenly flew onto the windshield in front of her. That made her look at Edmalyn who is sitting beside her on the passenger seat. "Sorry," Edmalyn said to her. Carla did not answer and just focused on driving. Actually, Edmalyn's car is already full of tissue paper. She has been crying for fifteen minutes already, since they left the venue of the birthday party of Carlo Reyes. She would have just kept driving if Edmalyn hadn't cried again. She decided to park the car to comfort her crying friend. "I'm sorry, Besh," Edmalyn said in between tears. "I just can't stop myself." Carla just nodded. "I just feel so stupid, because I assumed," Edmalyn said. "I really thought there's something special between us." "Because he led you on." Carla can't stop herself from getting mad at Carlo. Although, there is still a part of her that wants to give him a benefit of the doubt. She saw how nice he is and that he really seemed to like Edmalyn. But of course, she still sides with her best friend and not with that Carlo Reyes. Why did that man had to have a girlfriend? "Or maybe I just assumed too much," Edmalyn said. "But how can I not? Everything felt so right. I'm so happy when I'm with him. I just feel my heart could burst just by the thought of him. I've never felt something like that before, even to those men I used to like." Carla just smiled sadly. What can she do to make her feel better? "I can't go home like this! I can't go home like this!" Edmalyn burst into tears again. "Besh..." "Can we go to your house instead?" Carla winced. "We can, but there's a lot of people in our house right now. My big brother and his family are with us, for a vacation. I don't think you'll be comfortable if they see you like that." Edmalyn nodded. "How about this? Let's stay here until you're feeling okay, until you can control your tears. Then I'll drive you home." "But how will you get home?" Carla paused. "Well, I could sleep over. It's okay with you, right?" "Besh...!" Edmalyn hugged Carla. "You really are the best." Carla smiled. "I know." "Okay." Edmalyn tried to stop her crying. "Okay... I can do this. I can do this. I can do this...!" But she just burst into tears instead. Carla just embraced her friend to console her. "I can't stop crying, Besh. How can we go home?" asked Edmalyn. "Then, let's just stay here." Carla looked outside the window. It's very dark because there are but a few light posts on the side of the road. Her idea might not be good. "Wait... Wait..." Edmalyn suddenly scrambled reaching for her purse. "What's wrong?" Carla asked her friend. "There's this one place we can go to," Edmalyn said. She searched for someone's number on her phone, then called it. "Where?" Carla asked. Before Edmalyn could answer her, the call was answered first. "Ri..." Edmalyn said over the phone. Ri? Carla only knows one person who goes by that nickname. "Uhm, I'm sorry to bother you. But... can I go to your place now? I just need somewhere to go to." Edmalyn seems to cry again. Meanwhile, Ria suddenly felt worried as she heard her friend's voice. "Yeah, of course. I-Is everything okay?" "Yeah..." Edmalyn's face twisted again. "I'll tell you everything when I get there." "Do you want me to fetch you instead?" Ria asked. "No, it's okay. I'm with Carla and she's driving," Edmalyn answered. "Okay, that's good. I'll just text you the address, then," said Ria. "Okay, Bye..." Edmalyn ended the call. "Are you really sure we'll go to Ria's house?" Carla asked. "Of course," Edmalyn answered. "That's what she told me. She said that if I need someplace to go, their house is always available." "And when did she tell you that?" So they have been hanging out? "Last time, when I asked you out, but you can't come because you're going to Daebak Park," Edmalyn answered. Carla was surprised. So that time, Edmalyn still went out, and she asked Ria to go with her? And the latter agreed, that's why they bonded and became closer. And her best friend did not even told her about it even if they met the following day. Not that she doesn't want Edmalyn to have other friends. She's not that possessive to her best friend. The thing is, she and Ria are not yet okay. She admits she hasn't moved on yet from the incident of Joshua's first love's reveal. After that pretend checkup that Ria did with her, they did not talk to each other again, without resolving if they are okay already. Ria also gave her the space and the right to decide if they are really reconciled. And that is the reason why she doesn't want to go to Ria's house tonight. Edmalyn immediately received the text message that Ria promised. She showed it to Carla, and since she knows that place they easily arrive at Ria's house. It seems like the guard by the gate is expecting them. He immediately let them in when they arrived at the luxurious mansion of the Nelmidas. Ria was the one who greeted them as soon as they went out of Edmalyn's car. "Tats! Carla!" she called as she went to them. She's on her pajamas already, like she's getting ready to sleep. "Ri!" Edmalyn instantly cried. She embraced Ria when she reached her. "What happened?" Ria looked at Carla. "She found out that Carlo has a girlfriend," Carla answered. "What? But Carlo does not have a girlfriend," said Ria. Carla was surprised at what Ria said. "How did you know?" "Well... I just know," Ria answered. "I don't know anyone who might be his girlfriend... Well, we're not that close, so..." "He has," Edmalyn said to Ria. "I saw how intimate they were." "Maybe you were just mistaken?" Ria asked. "You're not defending Carlo, are you?" Carla asked Ria. "Of course not!" Ria rebuffed. "I'm just being rational. I'm just rationalizing things." Carla is skeptical about Ria's explanation, but she just let it go. "Why don't we all go inside?" Ria asked the two. The three of them went inside Ria's house. "So... do you want anything? Have you eaten already?" Ria asked. "I don't want anything," Edmalyn said instead. She then cried again. Carla and Ria both looked at him. "Okay, then," Ria said. "Let's just go to my room." "Do we really have to?" asked Carla. "Well, because we're in the living room, and this is a common place where everyone in the house can go in," Ria explained. "I'm just thinking Edmalyn needs some privacy while she..." –she looked at Edmalyn– "cries her heart out." And that is exactly what Edmalyn did. She instantly burst into tears. Carla went to her and stroked her back. "Let's just go upstairs," Ria said again. The three of them went to Ria's room on the second floor. Upon entering, they were greeted by countertops that made the place looked like a mini kitchen. "You have a kitchen at your room," Edmalyn said as she looked at Ria. "It's a small pantry," Ria said. "You gotta eat when you're hungry, right?" They went inside the room. A glass divider separates the mini pantry from the bed area, where the queen-sized bed is located, as well as the flat screen TV. There is also a lounge recliner chair near the balcony. "Your room looks like a hotel," Edmalyn commented. "Well, thank you," Ria said. "Sit down." She indicated her bed. Edmalyn sat down the bed, and Carla sat beside her. "I'll just get you some water," Ria said to Edmalyn. "Or do you want something to drink–" "No!" Carla interjected. "Please don't." "Okay." Ria went to the mini refrigerator to get two bottled water, which she gave to her two friends. Edmalyn looked at Ria. "Do you have something that's not cold?" Ria giggled at her question. "I'll get you one." She then looked at Carla. "How about you?" Carla shook her head. "I'm good." Ria was about to return to the refrigerator, when she heard some knock on the door. She went there instead and opened it. One of their maids peeked inside. "Miss, someone's here to see you." "Who?" Ria asked. "Joshua," said the maid. But of course, Ria thought. "Is he alone?" "He's with another guy," answered the maid. "Tell them to wait for me," Ria said before closing the door. She then went back to her classmates. "Why is Joshua here?" Carla asked Ria as she approached them. "I don't know," Ria answered. "Why does he know your house?" Carla asked again. "Why do you seem so hung up?" Ria asked instead. Carla didn't answer. "Well, maybe because he's my classmate and he just know where my house is," Ria said. "You know, why don't you just go with me downstairs? Let's go." "Is Carlo with him?" Edmalyn suddenly asked. Her two classmates looked at her. "The maid said he's with someone. Maybe that's Carlo," Edmalyn added. "Maybe he's not," Carla said. "Why would they go here? Unless..." –she looked at Ria– "someone told them that we're here." "Are you accusing me?" Ria asked Carla. "Is there a reason I should?" Carla asked instead. Ria gaped at Carla. "Look... I'll go meet them, and if you want to stay here, then just stay here." "I'll go with you," Edmalyn said. She even went ahead of Ria to the door. "Tats!" Carla called as she followed her best friend. "What have you done again, Joshua?" Ria asked as she followed the two.