One More Chance

~~~If I should stay I would only be in your way and so I'll go, but I know I'll think of you each step of the way. Bitter-sweet memories that's all I'm taking with me. Goodbye, please don't cry 'cause we both know that I'm not what you need. I hope life treats you kind and I hope that you have all that you ever dreamed of. I wish you joy, I wish you happiness, but above all this, I wish you love~~~

-Dolly Parton (Original-Emotional version)-

"S-So it means... it's r-really you that I saw at the---" I haven't even finished the question when he nodded and that's when I burst into tears. "Ohh... D-David..."

"Shhh..." He got up immediately and shifted to the side of the bed. "Shhh... it's okay, babe." He even wiped my tears as he continued to shake his head. The silent tears later turned into small sobs.

I couldn't imagine how he felt at that time when he heard all the words I said.

"But why? Why didn't you tell me? Why did you stay?" I asked between my sobs. But then I closed my eyes as I realized what right do I have to ask him those questions when it's me who's at fault. "I called you that same day but it was Carl who answered your phone. He said you were in the surgery room---"

"I asked him to answer the phone for me."

"Huh? B-But how---"

"I never leave San Francisco and the truth is that I was just staying in a hotel and that day after I left the department store, I received a call from Carl and he said he too had filed a vacation leave and he's planning to stay here. We met at the parking lot, so the time you called I already asked him a favor to answer my phone."

"S-So you heard everything?" I asked and when he nodded, I suddenly wished the ground could open up and swallow me. "So you've been here all this time and following me around?" "Yes, and I was where you were."

"Oh, my--- I-I'm sorry." My hand automatically covered my mouth as the loud sob escaped my lips. "David, I'm sorry..."

"Come on, why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong."

Exactly, why am I apologizing? What am I apologizing for? Of all the mistakes I made while he was not around, which of those mistakes do I apologize for? "B-But---"

"You just followed your heart."

And those words cut my heart into million pieces. Guilt started creeping into my entire body and eating up my sanity.

"No, David." I shook my head. "I never meant to say those words. I-I only mentioned them to annoy Cherry and for her to leave me alone."

"H-Hey, babe, it's okay. Let's just talk about it some other time. You just woke up from surgery and you need to take a rest."

"What about the question you said you wanted to ask me earlier?"

"Uhm... don't mind it, it's not that important."

"But babe---"

"Shhh." He interrupted me by placing his index finger over my lips. "We still have a lot of time to talk about those things, but for now you must take a rest. Your health is more important to me."

I gulped when he pulled me into a hug and kissed me on the forehead. And when he flashed me a smile, I began to question myself again as to why I said those things. If only I had known the consequences, I wouldn't have mentioned those words.

***

Two weeks have passed and I have been finally discharged from the hospital. David has stayed with me for the past few days and comes to visit me at home every day to help me with the therapy. But even though we are within inches of each other, I feel that something has changed in him. Well, honestly, I noticed that everything changed... from how the way he looked at me with pain and sorrow dancing in his eyes to the way he showed care and love every time he touched me.

I don't know how many times I tried to ask him about the topic we were discussing when I was still in the hospital, but every time I talked about it, the more he became aloof and wanted to avoid discussing it, until yesterday... "David,"

"Yes---babe?" He turned to me with a bit of shock written in his eyes and I frowned slightly at how uneasy he was at that moment.

I had just finished the therapy session for my leg and foot injury and the therapist had just left, so we're the only ones left in the room.

He slowly walked over me and knelt in front of me as he held my hands.

"Yes? Does anything hurt or are you hungry? Do you want me to cook for you?" And he was about to get up, but I grabbed his hand. "No, I'm fine and I'm not hungry." I shook my head.

"Okay, what is it?" He asked with a small smile curled on his lips as he pulled the chair from his right and sat down across from me.

I stared at him for a few seconds, contemplating whether to ask him, hold back or if it's the right time to talk about it. But when I do, would he be ready to listen and stay?

"I have something to tell you---" I hadn't even finished the sentence but he was already up and was about to avoid it again if I hadn't grabbed his shirt. "David?"

"We're not going to talk about it." He said looking at me. His mood suddenly turned serious.

"David please---"

"No! Samantha, no!" He immediately shook his head as anger began to register in his eyes. "But, babe?"

He kept shaking his head.

"Why don't you want to talk about it?"

"I just don't want to talk about it!"

"But why? I have a lot of things to explain, so please?"

"No! Forget it! You don't have to explain anything!"

"David, please? This is about what happened, besides, I want to tell you the truth---"

"The truth? Forgodsake, Samantha, do you think I didn't know the truth?"

"Huh?" I gasped, my eyes blinking rapidly in shock.

"I told you, I never leave San Francisco."

"S-So y-you mean to say---"

"Yes, I know everything and when I say everything, it means everything! Every single detail ---everything!"

"Then why didn't you tell me? Why do you still pretending as if you don't know any of it?"

I noticed how his expression softened as he stared at me with hurt and sadness displayed simultaneously on his face.

"Because I told you I don't want to talk about it."

"David---"

"And I don't want to lose you."

"Huh!" My mouth hung in shock.

"I was there when he brought you and Cali to your old house and I was still there when you go out crying. I was there when he followed you to the coffee shop and when Cherry Petterson showed up. I overheard your conversations and everything. I heard that he hadn't filed the divorce papers you left him almost five years ago, so he's still your husband and that you're still his wife. I was at the department store when you and Cherry had a fight and when you yelled at her that you still love your husband."

"David, it's not what you think it is---"

"Shhh..." He put his index finger over my lips before wiping my tears again. "I was at the supermarket, trailing behind you when you met the bartender. I even followed you at the cake shop and to your husband's company."

It crashed my heart the way he mentioned the word 'husband'.

"I waited for you outside the building,

never leaving my sight at the entrance and even saw you running into the street. A few seconds later Luke appeared and ran after you You started to panic and decided to run across the street. I was going to call you that time and show myself because I saw how distracted you were as you ran away from him, but

I was a little late, because in the next

seconds..."

He paused, closing his eyes as he squeezed my hands tightly.

"You were already hit by a motorcycle and at that moment, when I saw you bleeding and lying on the street, I got so nervous and fear instantly shoot all over my body. The extreme fear that I've never felt in my whole life. I thought I was going to lose you that day. My heart pounded faster that I could hardly breathe as you whispered my name before losing consciousness."

"I-I'm s-sorry." I sobbed.

"Hey..." He shook his head. "But you

know what, I realized I wasn't thenovelbin

only one feeling that kind of fear. Luke was there too and I couldn't get it out of my head how his face turned pale when he saw you. He was so worried while you were stil lying unconsciously on the ground as we waited for the ambulance to arrive. He even cried and never let go of your hand until we reached the hospital and at that certain moment I saw the love and care he has for you. They were showing clearly in his every move and every inch of him. He even offered to give you his blood when the doctor announced that you were bleeding so badly and that you needed a blood transfusion..."

"H-He did that?" I asked in surprise as Jack and Dale hadn't mentioned it.

"Yes, he did that." He nodded. "The least thing I wanted to do to help and save you but I couldn't because we don't have the same blood type. Tsk. tsk. It's so funny, right?" He chuckled bitterly that only added the guilt inside my chest. "Even when it comes to saving you and giving you blood to extend your life, I couldn't even do it because we do not match and you and Luke have the same."

I don't know what to say after hearing those words. The only thing I know at that moment was to cry.