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“What about Kim, man?” His friend Matt asked him.

“Yeah, man, what about her?!” Gerald Anderson said mockingly. Hurt filled his eyes.

“You’re drunk already, pare!” Matt Evans said. “You don’t know what you’re saying!”

Gerald ignored him. He raised the shot glass filled with pure, expensive Tequila to his eye level. He inspected it. His hand lightly trembled. He sneered at himself and his drink. “This glass ain’t full! Hey, waiter!!!”

A waif of a waiter came scurrying over. Matt signalled him to ignore Gerald. The enthusiastic waiter hastily turned around, disappointed.

“Pare, Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” Matt suggested. He was looking at him with so much pity. Poor, Gerald. He has never seen his friend in this kind of a state before.

“Enough?” Gerald said, turning to Matt, smiling. “I’m just getting started, my friend!”

Matt counted the number of shot glasses on the table. There were 14 all in all, including the one on his hand. Knowing Gerald these last few years, Matt knew he was over his limit. He never even had seen him with a drink in his hand in public before. He would take the occasional sip here and there, and even those were very rare occasions.

“This is not the solution to your problem, man!” Matt frustratingly said, trying to grab the drink away from him.

Gerald shielded his liquid courage away from him. He turned slightly, managing to down the shot despite of Matt’s protestations. Almost immediately, images of Kim came flashing back to his mind, haunting him. He shivered at the thought of not having her near him. Most of the time he had Kim on his side to discourage him from drinking. She was not here now.

“You don’t understand, man!” Gerald said. “I need this...”

“Man, whatever problems you have with Kim, you work it out! Turning yourself into a drunken bastard won’t solve anything!” Matt said, his voice a tad more irritated.

“Kim...” Gerald mumbled. “I lost her, man...”

“That I gathered...” Matt said, recalling the phone call he received from his girlfriend, and their mutual friend, Melissa.

“And she hurt me,” he added. “She hurt me really bad...”
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Matt reminisced the day he introduced Kim to Gerald. How their story started was really not at all that special. Boy meets girl in a private bar party. Boy gets her number, right then and there, they hit it off... Next thing you know, they’re a couple --- your typical love story.

“Kim, this is Gerald. He’s a good friend of mine from my old high school.” Matt introduced him to her.

Gerald moved over to her and shook her hand, much more eagerly though than she anticipated. She blushed lightly.

“Gerald, this is Kim, she’s my new best friend here in Manila,” Matt said of Kim.

“And by best friend, you mean someone you can copy off at exams?” Kim joked, her eyes never leaving Gerald’s.

“Something like that...” Matt replied.

“So, now that you had found someone else you can copy off from, that means I’m no longer your best friend?!” scoffed Gerald. “There’s a term for you, my friend, parasite!”

Kim laughed.

“No, man!” Matt explained. “Best bros for life, right?”

Gerald nodded.

Matt initiated their secret bro-shake. Gerald responded, completing their ornate ritual. They ended up with a high-five of sorts. Kim laughed even more at the juvenile gesture.

“Wait,” Kim interrupted. “You guys have that thing...what do they call that again....it's called Bro-mance!”

“Bromance?” Gerald muttered,seemingly puzzled.

“IT’s what they call uber close relationships between guys nowadays!” Kim explained, giggling in between. “It’s basically a non-ual, mutually benefiting, testosterone-ridden, hormonally charged relationship between two guy friends!”

“Oh, no, no, no!” Matt said, immediately dropping Gerald’s hand.

“Hell, no!” Gerald responded. “We’re not any of those things!”

Kim eyed Gerald fondly. He was such an eye-pleaser. The way his hair was cropped neatly, fits his kind face really well.

“So, why don’t I leave you two alone for a minute, grab some food, while I need to look for my next victim!” Matt said, tapping Gerald on the shoulders.

“Who is it this time?” Gerald said.

“There’s this Melissa chick from Fine Arts,” Matt regaled. “I heard she had the hots for me!”

“Urggh...you’re disgusting, Matt!” said Kim fondly, shaking her head in dismay.

“Nice, bro!” affirmed Gerald.

Matt took off excitedly leaving Kim and Gerald by the corner. The music blasted all through out the bar. It was a rowdy end-of-semester party for university students. Kim and Gerald were both invited there by Matt. For those few moments, both of them managed to find themselves alone. They were left with no choice but to make face time.

Gerald gently appraised this girl in front of him. Her almond eyes sparkled with her every word. She has this innate cheerfulness that seemed to reside in her skin. Her colourful dress was a dead give-away of her bubbly nature. She was very pretty --- in a pixie-like kind of way.

“So...are you anything like Matt?” asked Kim, shyly.

“In terms of what?” Gerald replied. “Just being confident with women or more on treating women like dirt?”

“Are they not the same?” she asked.

“I’m more of the first...” Gerald said. “But, I don’t think I would ever treat a woman badly.”

“That’s what all men would say,” she answered.

“Well, I’m different from most men,” Gerald winked at her.

Kim almost laughed at his antics. He was confident but not overbearing. She, in fact, found him endearing.

“Well, Mr. Confidence Gerald Anderson,” Kim said suggestively. “I don’t think I believe you.”

“Give me a chance to prove it then!” Gerald said, moving his head closer to hers, his eyes smouldering.

“What do you have in mind?” Kim asked.

“Do you dance?” Gerald said, pitting her nose against hers.

“You’re on!” Kim said as she grabbed him by his neck tie, dragging him towards the dance floor, almost choking him.

“Hey, I’m not a dog!” Gerald exclaimed.

Kim just giggled on.
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Those were their happy times. Matt can’t believe that was 3 years ago. A lot had happened in the three years they were together. Their relationship had become more intimate. There were no days wherein you can see one without the other. They were always together. They met each other’s parents. They were included in each other’s Sunday brunches and other family gatherings.

However, what struck Matt the most was, they never seemed to argue. Not once had he seen them disagree. Matt had never seen any relationship that was that perfect until he saw theirs. However, they crumbled easily after their first major fight. Maybe, no relationship can be that perfect after all.

Matt shook his head as he sees his friend about to take another shot of the alcohol. His eyes were now filled with recalcitrant tears. If only Matt can wiggle out all this senselessness away from him. But he was only there for one thing, and that was to be a friend to him. And being a friend to him right now, means to just listen and be that emotional sponge he needed. That is what he was there for.

“What happened, Ge?” Matt inquired.

“Honestly man, I really don’t know...” he answered.

“What did she say?” Matt pried once more.

“She said...she saw through me....”Gerald replied, downing one more painful shot.

“What did she mean by that?” Matt asked.

“I wish I knew, Matt...” Gerald said. “I wish I knew...”

What happened that afternoon will forever be engraved in Gerald’s mind. Painful as the memories were, he inculcated them in his mind, holding on to the last images he had of her. Fat tears escaped his eyes as he made the recollection. It might as well be his death day. The day he lost her for good, was the day he ceased breathing.
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Gerald made the early afternoon trip just to catch Kim on her way home. She had not spoken to him for days. He just came home from a photo shoot in Boracay and he made it a point that his first business was to see her right away. He needed to know why she had gone cold all of a sudden. He needed to know why he received a break up text from her. He needed her explanation. He even needed her to inflict him with more pain. Maybe such pain can wake him from this bad nightmare.

Gerald had to practically beg for Kim’s dad to let him enter their condo. IT was no easy task. It was like pleading your case to a biased judge, begging mercy for your wretched soul.

He waited patiently for her. After what seemed like forever, he saw her park her pink car downstairs. She slowly entered the house. She immediately stopped at her tracks, when she caught a whiff of his familiar scent. She looked over to the living where he was standing, his eyes were pleading. Kim, at that point, didn’t know whether or not she had the strength to see him like that. Her heart tells her to forget everything...just to kiss and hug him and everything will be alright. But something in her mind tells her to be cautious. She immediately felt cross at herself for being too weak. She had to be strong...or at least, appear like it.

“What are you doing here?” Kim asked.

He moved closer to her. Kim motioned him to stop. His pleading eyes devoured every inch of her being, every strand of sanity she had left.

“Kimmy, what did I do?” he begged to know.

Kim almost passed out from hearing him call out her name. Kimmy was his nickname for her. More than that, it was his special term of endearment for her.

“You know what you did!” Kim cried out.

“Kimmy, that’s why I’m here...I really don’t know what I did wrong. Don’t you think I need to explain myself?”

“Ge, you don’t need to explain...” Kim said, exasperated.

“Damn it, Kimmy! What did I do?” Gerald said.

“Please don’t raise your voice...”Kim whispered. “My dad will kick you out if you do.”

“I know that,” he declared obstinately. “But, I will continue to do so, if you will not tell me right now what I did...”

“Please, Ge...” she begged. “Let me go...”

“I can’t!” Gerald exclaimed. “Three years, Kimmy!”

Tears she had been holding on for so long, finally fell from Kim’s eyes. They fell down with reckless abandon.

“Three years...” she sighed inwardly.

“Kimmy, I beg you one more time,” he pleaded once more. “What is it? Don’t you love me anymore?”

“God knows, I really do,” she admitted. “I still love you so much, that’s why it hurts even more.”

“Kimmy, just tell me,” he said frustratingly.

“It’s over, Ge. I can’t be with you anymore.”

“But why?” he asked, this time like a caged bird begging for freedom.

“I saw through you...” she replied cryptically. “And I didn’t like what I saw...”

“What did you see, damn it?!”

“The real you...”

He uttered more expletives to himself. Kim almost died right then and there.

“Kimmy...please, just tell me. What did I do wrong?”

She didn’t answer him. Instead, she turned her back away from him, wiping her tears away. When she gained a little bit of composure back, she faced him once more.

“Remember, years ago, when we first met...you said you can never treat women like dirt,” she eyed him, assessing his reaction.

“Never had, never will. Especially not you...” he answered confidently.

Kimmy walked over to the kitchen counter. Gerald followed her, confused as ever. She grabbed a magazine and handed it to him.

“I believed you...with all my heart I believed you. You said...no, you promised. You promised never to break my heart...” Kim said with tears blinding her. “But you did...”

Gerald just stood there, bunged up with so much hurt and guilt in his heart. As he held the magazine that manifested his guilt, his hands shuddered as he had confirmed his offence.

In it was a picture of him kissing a well known actress in Boracay. He did that, he can’t deny it. The circumstances as to how such came to be, was not as clear to him as it was for Kim. Gerald could only remember briefly, as he was sufficiently inebriated.

“Kimmy, I can explain this...” he implored her mercy once more.

“A picture is worth a thousand words...” she said mockingly.

“Believe me, Kimmy, there is an explanation to this!”

“Ge, just go...” Kim answered. “I don’t want to see you anymore.”

“Kimmy, I didn’t mean it, I swear.” Gerald said. “I was drunk!”

“You don’t drink,” she said curtly.

“But I did!” Gerald explained, moving closer, holding her hand. “Sorry, if I broke my word not to drink, but I did! I couldn’t refuse. Then, everything happened so fast. It was just one kiss! I didn’t even realize they had cameras there. I know it sounds incredulous, but that’s what happened. Kimmy, that kiss? It didn’t mean anything!”

“It meant everything to me, Ge...” she said, prying her hand away from his.

“It was only for a second,” he countered.

“But, enough to break your promise...”she retorted.

“Kimmy, come on. She was just a random girl...” he blurted out.

The moment he said that, Gerald wished he could take it back. Kim’s eyes once more welled with tears. Only this time, there were anger and ferocity added to the mix. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” was the first thing Gerald thought of. So, this was what hell looked like, he thought to himself.

Kim bravely wiped her tears away with the back of her wrist. She never felt so much pity for herself.

“Ge, you’ve officially treated me like dirt...” she said, turning away, running towards her bedroom.

“Kimmy wait!” he shouted after her.

All he heard back was the hollow echo of his broken plea.
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Matt can only empathize with him after his painful recollection. He pitied him. He truly felt sorry for him. What he did was wrong, of course. But seeing him now, reducing himself to this level, can only mean one thing. He really loved Kim, and hurting her was his biggest sin.

“Did you try talking to her after that?” Matt asked.

“Several times...” he answered brashly.

“Did you tell her how you feel?”

“She said she could no longer trust me,” Gerald answered.

Matt was all of a sudden silent. Frankly, he didn’t know what to say to him anymore. Moments later, he found the courage to ask Gerald the truth.

“Did you ever truly love her?” Matt asked.

“Yes, I did.” Gerald answered succinctly. “And God knows I still do!”

Gerald banged his fist on the table, sending the shot glasses flying in all directions. People began looking concernedly at them. The club bouncers were ready to kick them out.

“Maybe, it’s about time I take you home, my friend,” suggested Matt.

“No, wait! One more shot...” Gerald begged.

“Come on, you’ve had enough.” Matt said, taking his droopy arm by his shoulder. “I’ll give you a ride home.

“No, wait, I have my ride home...” he said, laughing emptily.

“Who?” Matt wondered.

As if on cue, she came in... blasphemy in a red dress --- Nina.

“Sorry, I’m late...” she announced.

“Hi, Nina!” Matt greeted her.

“Oh my Gosh, he’s such a mess!” she said, seeing Gerald draped over Matt limply.

“How perceptive of you!” Matt said sarcastically, struggling to keep him up.

“Why did you allow him to drink so much?” Nina said in the most irritating voice Matt had ever heard in his life.

“Because I knew you were coming...” Matt said with much meaning. Too bad she didn’t hear him say, “I got him so drunk so you can take advantage of him...”

“Matt, where are we?” Gerald asked cluelessly. “Nina!”

Nina felt Gerald’s forehead. He was burning. She turned to Matt immediately.

“Well, just bring him to my car,” she screeched at Matt.

“You know what, it might be best if I drive him home...” Matt suggested.

“I said, bring him to my car!” she objected, plodding her way out of the bar.

Matt gave out a big sigh.

“Ge, you must be crazy!” whispered Matt.

“IT’s about time I get crazy, man!” said the intoxicated Gerald.

“But, Nina? Your ex-girlfriend?” said the exasperated Matt as he held Gerald along.

“Nina’s the best!” Gerald exclaimed. “I can call out to her anytime!”

“Like a cab?” Matt said blankly.

“Yeah...” Ge said, still walking uncoordinatedly.

“Do what you need to do, man. But don’t mean it.” Matt advised him.

“I will...” Gerald said, a sinister thought came to his mind.

“What about Kim, man?” Matt asked him once more as they finally stepped out of the bar and into the parking lot.

“What about her?” Gerald answered mockingly.

Gerald wished, at that point, Kim can experience all the hurt that he was feeling right now. His judgement was clouded and Matt will no longer be there to protect him. He had the perfect opportunity to retaliate to Kim. Nina might just become collateral damage.
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Gerald woke up an hour later in a surrounding familiar to him. It wasn’t his house, neither was it his room. It was Nina’s room and he was on her bed.

Gerald looked down on himself. He was devoid of any clothing except for his boxers. He immediately saw his clothes strewn haplessly on the floor. He pulled out the sheets to cover himself. He began to seriously wonder how long he was out for...and if anything happened...

He had to brush the thought aside as a massive headache start to wrap around his head. One of the reasons he doesn’t normally drink was because he could not stand hang-overs. Gerald cursed under his breath, swearing alcohol out of his life altogether.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure emerge from the en-suite bathroom. She was wearing a skimpy silk bath robe, shear enough to not leave anything to the imagination.

“Nina...” Gerald gasped. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

She slowly moved towards him. Like a feline in heat, she stalked her way towards the bed. When she reached the foot of it...she completely disrobed.

Gerald’s jaw dropped to the floor.

“I take that as a compliment,” she said sweetly.

“Nina, wow!” Gerald’s eyes widened as he gently examined her rather “bare” presence.

“I’m glad that I could still wow you...” she slowly moved towards the bed, creeping slowly, languidly.

Gerald moved back a little, propping himself up the headboard. He was trapped. This lioness was out to get him. He didn’t know if he had enough courage to stop her.

“Isn’t this what you want?” she asked him, as she seductively touched the curly hairs on his leg.

There was something about what she said that brought Gerald back to his senses.

“Nope!” Gerald said, turning his head to avert her kiss. “This is not what I want!

Nina, feeling the shock of his denial, hastily grabbed her undergarments and began to dress.

“Sorry,” she said. “I got carried away!”

“Nina,” Gerald said. “I’m really sorry...”

“You must really love her?”

“I really do...”

She then, shame-faced and all, stood up and went to the door. As she was midway out of the door, she looked back at him. She had this wistful look in her eye.

“What is it about her that you love the most?” she asked, keeping the door slightly ajar.

Gerald sighed. He thought about it for a few seconds, then he poured his heart out.

“I love the fact that she’s the very first thing that enters my mind in the mornings and I love the fact that she is my last thoughts at night. I love the way she makes me laugh and even the way she made me cry. I love the way she cooks for me...and I love the way she pretends to like the protein shakes I mix up for her. I love the way her nose crinkles up when she’s embarrassed and I love the way she drives me crazy. But most of all, I love the way she loves me and I love the way she cared about me ...”

“You know what, you’re cruel!” Nina said.

“You asked for it!” Gerald said with a weak smile.

Gerald felt like shouting. Although, nothing really happened, how is he going to explain this Nina thing to Kim now? It was déjà vu all over again. He really made a fool out of himself this time.

“Be good, Ge,” Nina said. “Goodbye....”

“Wait, where are you going?” Gerald cried after her. “This is your house!”

He hastily stood up and jumped into his jeans.
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Outside of the room a girl with a broken heart awaited for Nina’s exit. She was hoping in her heart that her man had pulled through...

“Did you hear everything he said?” Nina asked her.

She nodded.

“Congratulations, you found yourself a real man,” Nina said. “He passed the test...”

“Thank you,” she said briefly.

“Don’t thank me, “ Nina answered. “Thank him. I don’t know if I could have stopped if he gave in.”

“Thank you, nonetheless, for agreeing to do this...”

“That was very brave of you,” Nina remarked, wiping some tears off her eyes too.

Nina can almost feel their love for each other pass through the walls. It was that strong. She realized instantly that she was a fool to stand in the way of true love. These two were bound together in more ways than one and nobody, not even her, can break them apart.

“Take good care of him,” Nina said as she moved away. “Don’t ever let him go...I may not be able to resist him next time.”

Nina finally walked away.

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The girl with the troubled eyes entered the room.

Gerald was frantically looking for his cellphone. He was fully clothed now. His back was against her.

“Nina, do you have my cellphone?” he said absent-mindedly. “I need to call my girlfriend!”

“Did you mean to say, ex-girlfriend?” she clarified.

“Kim!” Gerald turned around almost immediately. He was immediately frozen, taken aback by Kim’s presence. He looked at her with both surprise and confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“Believe it or not, I came here for you...”Kim said, laughing inwardly.

“Before you say anything, I can explain this...” he mumbled. “I was out in the bar last night with Matt...for some reason I woke up here...”

“Shhhh...” she shushed him. Moving closer, placing her finger over his lips. “I don’t need anymore explanations. I’ve heard all of your dumb excuses. I don’t want to hear anything from you...”

“But Kimmy...” he mildly protested.

“I’ve heard enough...” Kim said, looking straight into his eyes. “Just love me...now...”

Gerald looked at her loving eyes. It took a while for him to realize what she had said and when he did, he hugged her ever so tightly.

“Does that mean you forgive me?” he asked.

“A little bit...” Kim teased.

“That’s good enough,” Gerald said brightly. “At least I can make up for my sins now. You know I’m good at making up!”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Kim winked at him.

Gerald kissed her on the cheek and squeezed her some more.

“Tell me,” Kim said. “Was everything you said to Nina about me true?”

“You were listening?!” Gerald exclaimed.

“I was there by the door...” Kim explained.

“What if...she took advantage of me?” He said innocently.

Kim gave him this incredulous look.

“I would bust in and kick both your butts off the window...” Kim said, her hands on her waist.

“I can’t believe you made me go through this,” Gerald said, fully realizing what Kim has done. “You’re crazy, you know that?!”

“Somehow, deep in my heart I trusted you. I somehow knew you could resist the temptation...I just needed the confirmation” Kim said. “And you did...I know now how much you love me...”

Gerald hugged her even more. This time, he planted her a soft kiss on the lips.

“Will you tell me again what it is you love about me?” Kim asked him, sitting on the bed.

“I’d much rather show you” he said naughtily.

“NO, I want to hear it...” she said, smiling at him, motioning him to sit beside her.

“How much time do we have?” he asked.

“We have all night....” she blissfully answered.

“I love you, Kim...”

“That, I don’t doubt, Ge....not anymore.” She said.

“Promise me, you’d still be here in the morning when I wake up.” He asked her.

“Promise...” Kim answered. “Promise me you won’t ever drink again?”

“Never...ever” he said, moving his face close to hers. He lovingly kissed her nose.

“I love you, Ge...” Kim said.

Gerald kissed her on the lips once more, sealing her fate with his love... and that same night, Gerald Anderson learned how to breathe again.
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END