I LOVE YOU. I DONT?

DEDICATION

Age is only a number, for the heart will stay forever young.  Don't stop hoping, and don't drown yourself in despair.  Most of all don't ever rush love for true and genuine love is always worth the wait.  The lessons and wisdom within this book are heartfully dedicated to those who thought that love won't come anymore.  Love will come in its own time and pace.  But if it won't, smile and stay happy, for perhaps, destiny sees that you're better off without that single person meant for you. 

NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT

I LOVE YOU.  I DON'T?

Philippine Copyright © 2018  GRETCHEN GERALDE

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publishers, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

CHAPTER 1.  BENCH

LEE'S POINT OF VIEW

I sat on a bench inside the campus. I’m currently waiting for Moniera who’s been an hour late. Yeah, she’s always like that. She doesn’t have a sense of time, but still, I loved her for who she is.

She’s my best friend. A perfect companion. Well yeah, her lateness has busted my nerves for so many occasions, but I don’t have much of a choice, it’s hard to find a worthy replacement.

I let out a heavy sigh as I glance at my watch. God, it’s past an hour, yet still, there are no signs of her. I fished my phone in my pocket and dialed her number again. It keeps on ringing, but she’s not picking up.

I jumped when I felt someone sat beside me. It’s Raffy my ex. We broke up months ago.

“Hi.”

He greeted me enthusiastically. I pursed my lips while removing his right arm which he vehemently anchored on my shoulders.

“Hey.”

I choked.

“We need to talk, Lee.”

Well, my full name is Michelle Miaka Lee.  Lee is actually my last name, but since there are tons of Michelle in school, people call me Lee instead.  Which is a good thing because I don't wanna be called Miaka either. 

“About what?”

“About our break up.”

“Yeah. What about it?”

“You can’t just end everything between us. I didn’t do you any wrong.”

“Listen, RAff, I already explained that to you last week. Everything between us is impossible. I have priorities, and you’re not one of them. I’m sorry.”

I know I’ve been terribly rude to him, but it’s hard to nicely explain why you want to break up with a person. There’s just no nice way to do it.

Yeah, he’s right. He’s been nothing but sweet to me. I don’t want to hurt him, but we’re too young. I can’t settle down yet, not at 17 or even 35, not before I fulfill my dreams or be successful in my chosen career. We’re still on senior high, obviously, we’ve got a long way to go.

I felt his hand next to mine. I glared at him. Why can’t he just move on? My anger faded when I took a closer look at his face. His eyes are swollen. It’s quite obvious that he’s been crying for a long time.

My gazes lowered, fixing towards his body. His bulging muscles are officially nowhere to be found. Were they kidnapped? Or worst assassinated?

Or perhaps, it was I who did this to him. God, what have I done? I felt guilty. I gulped the lumps forming in my throat.

“Ahm, Raff, do you want me to buy you food?”

He furrowed his brows. He looked really puzzled.

“Food?”

“Yeah. You looked malnourished. Aren’t you eating these past few days?”

“I can’t chew a single food, lee.”

“Really? Why?”

“Because every time I chew them, I remembered you. Everywhere I look, I’m seeing your face. In the leaves of trees and plants, at the sky, the clouds, everywhere, even in my underwear.”

My face in an underwear? What the heck? My eyes grew wide. I hold my breath and instantly pulled my hand away from him. He’s gone mad and it’s my fault.

I stood up and walk away as fast as I could. God, I’m too afraid that his parents are gonna put me in jail for starving they’re son or worst for wrecking his brain.

CHAPTER 2.  GRASS

LEE'S POINT OF VIEW

As my pace went faster, my left foot was caught with a huge rock lying on the grass. I stumbled and fell face flat. God, it’s really embarrassing.

I could hear loud cheers of people teasing and mocking me. I hammered my fists on the ground, and lifted my face to see who’s shadow is in front of me.

It’s Jameson, my classmate, and close friend. What a relief. He reached out his hand to lift me up. I could hear the cheers went louder.

“Jameson and Lee sitting on a tree K I S S I N G.”

They hummed loudly and my face turned bright red. Jameson is one of the school’s hotties. His ebony black hair and caramel brown eyes have captured the undying attention of a lot of girls, including me of course.

He plunged his gazes into mine and intertwined my hand with his. The crowd in front of us were silenced as they keenly observe our slightly intimate gestures. I gently tuck my hair behind my ear to at least look better.

But my eyes grew wide as his other hand moved to touch my cheeks, and my lips. I froze. What the heck is he going to do this time? Is he gonna kiss me? Ohh, God.

He leaned his head close to mine. I shut my eyes. This is it, my longtime crush is gonna kiss me. I couldn’t contain my excitement.

Then I felt his lips touch my ears. I shivered. A delicious warmth is slowly budding at the pit of my belly.

“You’ve got some blade of Bermuda grass all over your face.”

He whispered and I gave him my sweetest murderous smile. At that split second, I felt really frustrated. Of course, were good friends. Why am I even thinking that there could be something more between us? I immediately cleared the blades of Bermuda grass sticking on my face.

Anyway, I’m so lucky that he’s around, otherwise, I couldn’t have stood the embarrassment. God, all eyes were on us as we slowly walk pass everyone.

“What happened, lee?”

He asked.

“It’s Raffy, we talked a while ago. I think he wants us to patch things up again. I got scared and walked away but my foot was caught in the rock.”

He furrowed his brows.

“I thought you’ve talked to him last week.”

“We did. I thought he understands, but unfortunately, he didn’t.”

“Well, that guy is really into you.”

“Yeah. The worst part is, he’s starving himself.”

“Wow.”

“Wow? Are you even serious, James? I think Raff is somewhat losing his sanity.”

“Double wow.”

“What’s the wow for? I feel guilty about the things that have been happening to him.”

“Hey, don’t be negative, lee. If he's gone mad then it’s his fault. He’s weak, and when you love someone you must see to it that you’re not on the losing end.”

My eyes grew wide. I don’t get what he’s trying to point out. It just doesn’t make sense.

When you love someone you’re not supposed to be selfish. You place the other person ahead of you, ahead of your personal interest. If you don’t feel that way, then what you felt is necessarily not love.

That’s what I believed in, so I broke up with Raff months ago when I realized that he’s the last among my priorities. I know what I did is evil, but it’s for our own good.

“Thanks for helping me back there. I couldn’t have stood again amidst of those crazy people without you.”

He shrugs his shoulders, manifesting his calm and relaxed air.

“I’m here for you.”

He winked at me. I smiled blushing even more.

“Well, I owe you big time.”

We head outside the campus hand in hand. His close proximity is giving me cold sweats all over my body. My eyes flicked towards the Mc Donald’s outlet just across our school.

“How about lunch at Mc Donalds, lee?”

Hurray, I’m glad he has thought of that too. Everything that happened just a while ago and with his hand on mine made me really hungry.

“Sure.”

We crossed the street, and he opened the door for me. My brows furrowed. Why is the great Jameson Adrian Cowell extra sweet today? Does he feel the same attraction?

I can’t help but wonder if he looks at me more than just his good friend.

CHAPTER 3.  FAST FOOD

LEE’S POINT OF VIEW

We ordered cheeseburgers, large fries, and sodas. Fast food is the best. It’s cheap and extremely satisfying.

Instead of taking the seat across the table, I sat beside him. I grabbed my burger and took a huge bite. I’m really hungry.

I side glanced at James. He was staring at me all along. God, I suddenly regret devouring my burger in less than a minute.

“You look really hungry. Do you want mine?”

He offered his burger to me. I shook my head in embarrassment. We’re friends but the truth is that I liked him, and I want him to like me too. To make that little dream possible, I need to at least maintain my poise.

“No, thanks.”

I gulped as I stared at his burger. The cheese, patty, lettuce, and tomatoes in between the bun are drenched with mustard sauce, mayonnaise, and ketchup. Ohh God, it looks really good. I gulped again, drank my soda, and ate some fries. Poise, poise, poise.

After we finished our food, I cleared my throat and placed my palm on top of his jeans. The fabric is quite rough, it’s tingling my soft skin.

“I like you.”

He whispered in my ear. I couldn’t believe what he just said. After all these years he finally told me what he felt.

“I like you too.”

I croaked.

“Can I kiss you now?”

He’s too upfront and fast, but I like it. I mean what’s the point of prolonging the agony? I’ve been longing to kiss him since kindergarten.

“Of course.”

He leaned his face closer, his forehead touched mine. I licked my sun-dried lips to make it appear soft and kissable. If he’s gonna kiss me now, he’s gonna be my first. A kiss from one of the hottest male in school, I’m extremely excited.

“Close your eyes.”

He murmured while staring at me intensely. And I did as told. I could feel his warm minty breath as he leaned closer. This is it. My lips are twitching nervously.

BUZZ BUZZZ BUZZZZ.

My phone is ringing loudly, we immediately pulled away from each other. I let out a heavy sigh. Our lips didn’t even touch a bit. What a bad day.

Who could this be? At this moment l feel like I’m somehow capable of murdering the person calling.

I took my phone from my pocket and glared at the screen. It’s Moniera, after almost 2 hours of waiting, she has finally decided to call me back. I pressed the accept button to talk to her.

“Mon? Where have you been?”

“I’m sorry, Lee. Grandpa had a mild stroke.”

My anger faded the moment I heard her sobbing. Ohh, God, I didn’t know. If I did, I could have rushed to comfort or help her.

“It’s okay, Mon. How’s Grandpa?”

“He’s still asleep, but the doctor told us, that he’ll be fine soon. He just needs to rest and take some medications too.”

“Where are you now? Do you want some company?”

“Yes, Lee. Please. I really need someone to talk at this moment. I’m at DMD General Hospital.”

“Okay, I’ll be there in a flash.”

I hung up and fixed my gaze on James. How am I gonna explain this to him?

“I’m really sorry James I need to go. Mon needs me.”

He furrowed his brows. He looked really upset.

“You can’t just leave me here, Lee. I’ll come if you want.”

“Sorry James, I can’t take you with me. You and Mon is a perfect disaster. You know he doesn’t like your presence.”

“If that’s the case, then stay.”

“I can’t, my best friend needs me.”

“How, about us?”

My eyes grew wide. Us? My skin is pricked with goosebumps. Does that mean that he’s my boyfriend already? Wow, dream come true.

But Mon needs me, and if I have to choose between the two of them, I’d still choose my best friend. This is crazy.

I really liked James, but it seemed like were not meant for each other. I have to decide as early as now.

“Ahhh, it’s over. I’m sorry James.”

I murmured softly, and in the sweetest way possible.

“Over? We didn’t even start it yet.”

“Sorry.”

I stood up and left James. My heart is aching badly as I hailed myself a cab. I really liked that guy. Mon owes me big time.

CHAPTER 4. FAST FORWARD

LEE'S POINT OF VIEW

It's been 20 years since I broke up with Jameson.  So today, I’m no longer 17, but already 37.

All my X boyfriends and most of my friends are already married.  They all have children and a family of their own.

I gasp when I thought about my present situation.  I'm a 37-year-old virgin, with no boyfriend as of the moment.

Yeah, I hate to admit it, but I've never been intimate with anyone.  The most sensual kiss that I experienced, was a smack in the forehead.

What’s wrong with me?  I don’t know.  Maybe I'm scared, and I thought about the future too much.

During my 20’s, settling down never worries me, because I have lots of suitors, to begin with.  I'm not the type who plays with fire, I'm actually the kind who never plays at all.

Sometimes, I question myself why I acted that way towards love.  Why do I easily give up on my previous relationships?

The longest relationship that I have is only a month, and that’s because we don’t always see each other.

When I was younger, love was never my priority.  I'm the kind of person who thinks that family, education, and career are the most important thing in the world.

Everything that I believed in before was wrong.  The things that have been going on in my life today are nothing but mere consequences of my crazy principles in life.

Family, education, and career are not the only things that'll make you live a happy life.  To be happy you'll need love, and you need to at least find one when you're younger. Not necessarily very young, but probably at least in your 20’s.

Now that I'm older, I realized that time is of the essence.  God, I hit puberty at an early age of 11, so that means my reproductive organs will retire at an early age too.

I mean, I'll probably be at the menopausal stage at 40, and I still don’t have kids. Such thought gave me nightmares almost every night.

My mom and dad got divorced, she never remarried after their break up.  Just like me, she had no boyfriend too.  My sister Winona is single too, but unlike me, she has Drake, her ten-year-old son.    I guess things like this runs in the family.

At this age, I say, I'm already successful in my chosen career.  Well, I'm not filthy rich, but I never dreamed to be one either.  I'm already a nurse, and I couldn’t ask for more.

I sat at the nurse station and took a pen and a paper.   I need to cut my thoughts and start working or else I'm gonna get fired.

As I was about to stand up to visit my patients, Ross scared the hell out of me.  He literally threw a cockroach on my face.  The thing hit my nose, fell, and landed on my lap.

I freaked out and screamed at the top of my voice.  I paced up and down, slapping my face with my bare hands to at least get rid of the cockroach's residue.

“Back off, you crazy baboon.”

I yelled at him when he was about to walk towards me.  He laughed loudly, holding his stomach.  It seemed like he's having a stomach ache from laughing.

“Don’t be afraid, Gran.  It's already dead.”

The nerve.  He frequently calls me Grand or Grandpa to piss me off.  Ross is only 26, which means I'm 11 years older than him.  He said he loves to call me such to remind me of my age.

“I don’t care if it’s dead.  It's still a cockroach, moron.”

I yelled again.  God, I'm just so glad that it didn't hit my lips.  That would have been too gross.  This man is seriously insane.

“You should be thanking me, Gran.  I killed that cockroach for you.”

“I would have much appreciated if you killed yourself, stupid.”

“Nah, I know you'll never want me dead.  I've been killing several cockroaches for you on a daily basis because I know you're afraid of them.”

“Why the hell do you have to throw that thing on my face?  Do you realize what could have happened?  That thing could have hit or glide in my mouth.”

He laughed profusely.

“Actually, I was aiming for it, so you could finally have your much awaited first kiss.”

“First kiss from a cockroach?  Do you think that would make me happy?  You're nuts.”

“It’s not just a cockroach.  It's a cockroach prince, from the kingdom of roaches.”

He chuckled, picked the cockroach on the floor and hand it to me.  I shrieked and ran away as fast as I could before he could ever think of shoving that thing into my mouth.

“It’s a plastic cockroach, Gran.  I bought it for you yesterday.  Chill.”

He shouted.  Plastic or not, I don’t care.  Ross has officially managed to destroy my day again.

CHAPTER 5.  ROOM 631

LEE'S POINT OF VIEW

I proceeded to room 631 and locked the door.  The click of the knob resounded and echoed loudly in the whole room.

I sucked in as much air as I could, to relax myself a bit.  Ross has nailed it once again, and I hate it when he does that.

“Nurse Lee,  what happened?  Looks like you've run out of breath.”

A familiar male voice made me jump.  It’s Rob, he watches over Liam for his boss.  Liam has been in and out of the hospital for years.  The kid got asthma and has always been confined because of that.

“Hey, Rob.  Don’t worry, I’m fine.  I'm here to get Liam's vital signs.”

“Well, okay.”

I fished the thermometer from my pocket and placed it on Liam's armpit.  I gasp and place the tip of my fingers on the bed.  I jerk up when I felt Rob's fingers next to mine.

Our eyes meet, and I could literally see fireworks exploding in his iris.  Oh God, I know what these means, and I seriously don’t like it.  It's attraction knocking at our doors and is determined to break its way through unless we both hid its call.

To put some distance between us, I pulled myself away a little bit.  The thermometer is already buzzing. So I reach out my hand to get it, but he likewise reaches out his hand to get it too.

His hand connected with mine, and when I flick my gaze on him, he immediately pulled away.  It’s funny, his skin against mine made me feel uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry, Nurse Lee.”

“No harm was done, Rob.  Just call me, Lee.  Don’t be too formal.”

“Sorry, it's just that I have so much respect for you.”

“I would have greatly preferred if you wouldn’t respect me.”

I murmured in a low voice so he wouldn’t hear a single word.

“Really?  Good to hear that.”

What the heck?  He heard me. I never thought that he had such a powerful ear.

I tuck my hair behind to clear my face.  God, if he'll touch me again, I swear I'm gonna pass out.

“Are you free today, after your shift?”

“I don’t have any prior appointments.”

Oh my God, he's gonna ask me out.  I feel my muscles tense, I'm more anxious than ever. I took the pen in my pocket and jot down Liam's temperature.

“Do you wanna go out for a drink?”

My jaw dropped.  Out for a drink?  Seriously?  I don’t do alcohol, I have extreme allergies.

“I don’t drink alcohol.  I'm sorry.”

“Alright, how about coffee?”

“I can't. I have extreme palpitations.”

This man is slightly stupid, can he just ask me for dinner?  That would have been a lot better.

“Oh okay.  Can you accompany me for a medical check-up?”

I curled my lips in shock.  Is he asking me for a date? Or is he asking me to come with him as his free personal nurse?

“I’m gonna buy you dinner, right after that.”

I stifle a little laugh.  Probably Rob is the kind of person who doesn’t want to show affection.  The less romantic kind of guy.

“Okay.  I'm gonna be out a little late.  Clinics will be closed at that time.”

He paused for a while.

“I have no other vacant time.  You have been a nurse for years. Do you have friends that are licensed, doctors? I really need to have my check up, but I don’t have much free time during clinic hours.”

I furrowed my brows.  Can I just burn this man alive?  He wants to go out with me so I could talk to my friends and he could have his check up beyond the regular clinic hours.

“I’m not sure.”

“Please, Lee.  I recently had my annual physical panel, and I badly need a physician who can interpret my laboratory results.  That's all.”

I got frustrated.  Did he just befriend me because of that?  I let out a heavy sigh.

“Okay.  I’ll talk to Gretel.  Maybe she can accommodate your request.”

“Wow, you're the best. Here's my calling card.  Just message me or give me a call.”

I stifle a faint smile.

CHAPTER 6.  HIS TOOTHBRUSH

ROSS POINT OF VIEW

Lee returned to the nurse station. Her face seemed lit up a bit. She looked inspired, and I hate when she looks like that. It only means that she has found a new prospect, a new guy.

“You looked happy.”

I told her while nudging her lightly.

“I have a date later.”

She smiled sweetly.

“Really? Who's the unlucky guy, Gran?”

“The hunk from room 631.”

“Oh.”

I clam up for a while. Yeah, I’ve seen that guy around for so many times. Yet, I know and I’m quite familiar with those type of guys. They’re the type who’ll break a girl’s heart without any reservation, with no regret.

The wheels in my head are starting to turn. I need to save Lee from someone like him, he can’t break my friend’s heart. I won’t let him.

I went down to the pharmacy and bought something to aid my plan. After that, I went back to the nurse station.

Whew, I spent only 20 bucks to get rid of this man. Who needs a hitman when I’m a total genius.

“Hey, Gran.”

I greeted her.

“Hey.”

She responded.

I leaned on the counter and stared at her intently. This girl is seriously too old for me, yet she’s really beautiful.

She furrowed her brows, picked up some pile of papers, and slammed it all in my face. Shit! That was painful. I instantly backed away.

“I know you’re planning something evil. You better stop. Don’t ever think about ruining my date.”

I smiled at her. It’s probably the sweetest smile she’d ever seen in her whole life.

“Do you mind if I visit room 631, Gran?”

I asked and her eyes grew wide so I immediately run as fast I can to room 631. As I reach the door, I turned my head, and I saw Lee about 20 steps away from me. What the heck? She really followed me.

But, I smiled victoriously, jumped inside, and immediately locked the door. Inside, I saw him, he was watching over a kid. Is that his son? Lee is really desperate. Is she trying to hook up with a married man?

“Good morning sir, I’m here to regulate the patient’s IV.”

That was a bluff. The truth is I really need to go near the table so I would have access to his cup of coffee.

“Sure.”

He responded.

“By the way, Nurse Lee is outside, she wants to talk to you about something.”

“Oh, really.”

He immediately rushed outside. As soon as he shuts the door. I Slid my hand into my pocket and took a 60ml bottle of laxative. I grinned as I poured the whole thing into his cup of coffee.

This man will surely thank me for getting rid of his constipation problems. Then I took a deep breath and run towards the bathroom.

From my pocket, I fished out a huge 150-gram bath soap and stuffed the whole thing into the toilet bowl using his toothbrush.

Yuck! I placed his toothbrush again into its usual container. I can’t throw it away, it doesn’t belong to me.

I paced up and down. I could already imagine him shoving this thing into his pretty-boy mouth. I chuckled at the very thought.

Yeah, I’m Einstein’s reincarnated soul. I’m really excited. I immediately went outside the bathroom and went out the room.

He was still talking to Lee. I was pissed off a bit, but I know, today’s gonna be really entertaining.

"Relax, Ross, baby."

I talked to myself.  I always do.  It's my hidden talent.

Lee turned her head towards me, she furrowed her brows. I immediately walk away. She’s a smart girl, she can’t ruin my brilliant plan.

CHAPTER 7.  FIRE BLOWING DRAGON

ROSS POINT OF VIEW

After two long hours, we were still sitting at the nurse station, finalizing our daily patient reports.

Lee suddenly stood up, she’s probably done with her report. Her hands were now planted on her waist and she was facing me with her annoyed face.

“What’s your problem, Gran?”

I snapped at her.

“What did you do in Rob’s room? Did you do something stupid?”

She asked.

“What are you talking about? I was only trying to see if your new guy is more attractive than me. But he isn’t , so I don’t care if you’ll date a loser like him, Grandpops.”

She let out a heavy sigh, as I over-emphasized my last word. Then we heard a faint commotion. I smiled and jumped with excitement. I braced myself, I know something nasty is going to happen.

Two of the Hospital's janitors passed by at the nurse station. They're both laughing their heart out as they shifted their gazes at us. I smiled back at them. I know what they're up to.

"Hey, what seems to be the problem?"

I asked them.

"The toilet at room 631 is clogged, and shits are scattered everywhere."

They responded laughing.

"Really? Is that the room where the patient is a kid."

I asked again, and they laughed even more.

"Yeah, the man watching over the kid had diarrhea, and he pooped and got the toilet clogged."

Wow, my 5 dollar soap is superbly doing its job.

"That's a sure disaster."

"He's currently requesting for a room transfer since their room stinks."

"Oh god."

I acted as if I'm really shocked.

"Oh yeah, the thing is when he tried to flush his shit, there was a water backflow and now his poops are all over the place."

I roared with laughter. I shifted my gaze to Lee. Her jaw dropped and I could literally see her swallowing her saliva as she listened to their stories.

"So were you able to unclog the toilet?"

I asked to uncover more details for my personal diary. Yup, I have my own diary, where I actually record my one of a kind tricks.

"No, his shit must have been really enormous, a toilet pump won't even work."

Hurray, kudos to the soap from the pharmacy.

"Oh no. So what's the plan now?"

I asked again.

"We have already called the plumber, and the poor man is already shoving his hand into the freaking toilet bowl to take all the shits out."

Ewww. Enough about the details. I think I'm about to puke any minute now.

"Wow. I guess you need to go now, boys. The plumber will probably need some help."

We laughed out loud one last time before they finally left. I really feel sorry for them, but this thing is so much fun.

With a victorious smile on my face, I turned towards Lee.

"Weren't you supposed to date that man today, Lee."

I asked her.

"No, we're not gonna date each other. Rob just asked me if I could personally accompany him to his physician."

"So you're gonna personally accompany the king of poops? That would be great.  I think he'll be your first kiss, and that's gonna be tonight."

Her lips circled.  Probably she's extremely disgusted of the idea that she's gonna kiss someone who's shit just exploded in the hospital's bathroom.

She was silent for a while.  She's probably just shocked by the incident.

"How about if we go out instead?  Movie date?"

I was not supposed to ask her out.  But her facial expression as of the moment is priceless.  She's too cute.  She looked like an innocent puppy whose favorite bone has been snatched away.

But to my horror, from that innocent looking puppy her face transformed into a fire blowing dragon, ready to attack and destroy her enemies.  Her hand was holding my neck, determined to choke me at my slightest wrong move.

"What did I do?  I didn't do or say anything."

"You did something when you were in Rob's room."

"I didn't do anything, Granny."

I reasoned out gulping the lumps in my throat.

"Tell me the truth, or else you're dead."

She yelled at me, while her hand is squeezing my throat tighter.

"Okay.  It was just a little trick.  Now, put me down.  Will you?"

She loosened her grip and glared at me.

"Tell me."

"I bought a bottle of laxative and poured it into his cup."

"And that thing caused his diarrhea?"

I nod.

"And why is the toilet clogged?"

I grinned.

"I used his toothbrush to stuff a 200gram soap in the toilet."

"His toothbrush?"

She asked again.

"Yeah."

She clams up.  With the expression stricken in her face, I know she won't kiss that man forever.