Chapter 21 Ridiculous Love (1/2)
On the way back home, Rena cursed Alina's name over and over. Leena knew how short-tempered Rena could be, but she also knew how quickly she got over her temper. So she decided to let her be. It had been a rough day for the both of them, after all. The taxi driver, on the other hand, couldn't stand it anymore. He had his own problems to think of, and he certainly did not have the energy to put up with grumpy customers. Glaring at the two girls in his backseat, he said, ”Miss, can you stay quiet for a while? I've been hearing you swear since the moment you got in. It's kind of painful to the ears, you know.”
However, this just served to irritate Rena even more, as though she'd just blown a fuse. ”Damn it!” she exploded. ”It's none of your business. It's not like I'm shouting at you, anyway.”
”You're affecting my emotions, lady!” The taxi driver growled, slamming his foot on the brakes.
”Fucking hell!” Rena screamed before getting out of the cab. Leena got off on the other side, worried her friend might do something stupid. The taxi driver didn't even bother to charge them. Immediately after they got off, he started his car again briskly and drove off in search of more peaceful customers. Just as Rena was about to hail another cab, Leena grabbed her arm. ”Why are you stopping me?”
Rena looked at her friend with big, confused eyes. ”Let's go for a walk,” Leena pleaded.
Rena could see that she was trying her best to hold in her tears. Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to calm down for the sake of her best friend. They started to walk. No one spoke for a while. Rena scowled quietly, searching for the right words to say. ”I've been thinking,” she started to say, ”about how to get revenge for us. Those bastards deserve a beating, I don't care how. To hell with Jimmy and Alina!”
Leena did not answer. Instead, she kept on walking aimlessly. Her mind was wandering far from her body. Rena took her hand and squeezed it, bringing her back to her senses. ”Why aren't you saying anything? Are you just going to let everything be?” Rena frowned.
”It's not that I don't feel anything,” Leena said. ”It's just, I am confused right now. I don't quite understand the whole situation.”
”What can't you understand?” Rena asked pointedly. ”All we need to do is take revenge!”
”Once... I thought he loved me. I really thought he did,” Leena said weakly, her voice trailing off. Her eyes revealed a deep sadness in her heart. ”That night at the Heaven Hotel, we saw each other... He was drunk... I recognized him instantly. It had been nine years, Rena. I could still tell it was him, even from afar! Later that night, Spencer told me that Miguel had a girl in his heart. He said nobody could replace her. I ridiculously thought it was me!” she whined.
Recalling what happened made Leena feel ashamed. She lowered her head and sighed. ”That night, when I was about to leave the hotel, I sensed someone was following me,” she continued. ”I didn't know who it was, I couldn't even make out the figure-- I just knew someone was following me. I went to the bathroom to call you to pick me up. I didn't expect to run into Miguel outside the bathroom. I was afraid to be recognized by him, so I wanted to leave. But he held my hand and called out my name. The way he said my name made me feel like we were kids again. I felt like he loved me. If he didn't, then why would he remember me and be so excited seeing me again? He went back to the hotel every following night, according to my colleague. I wasn't there, because I had to prepare for my exams in school. When I came back for my shift, he was there, waiting for me! That night, we confessed to each other, as silly as it sounds... He even sent me home, and said that he wanted to arrange another job for me. I told him about the situation of my family, and then we said goodbye. After that, he just drove away.”
Leena looked into the distance in a daze, her eyes glazed over. ”I was very disappointed that night. He was always like that — so unpredictable. I could never tell what he was feeling or thinking, and it made me so insecure. He didn't show up in the days that followed. So, one day, I woke up and decided to go on this blind date that my mom had set up for me. Then, Miguel suddenly appeared out of nowhere and confessed his love for me. There it was again, his unpredictability. Like tides that are ever-changing... The ocean is beautiful with its crashing waves, but it never feels safe. That's how
I felt with him. It was not until Alina entered the picture that I realized how stupid I was. Miguel dated so many women. We were never on the same page. He was so careless with how he treated me. I was so in love that I grew complacent. I kept telling myself that he loved me, despite his mixed signals. I convinced myself that maybe he was just too busy on some days. I don't know, Rena, I was so confused!”
Leena smiled bitterly. ”Hey, I think I'm the most ridiculous person in the world. He's probably laughing at me right now, having enjoyed playing with my feelings.” Even Spencer, who knew everything, didn't try to tell her the truth and stop their relationship.