"So yeah, that's how it was for me," she smiled, but her eyes looked sad.

She had just told me about why she was so bitter about dating, relationships, and love in general.

She had liked this particular guy named Joel and thought they were doing okay—that they have the sparks, as she told me—they had even kissed, and I was surprised to hearing something like that coming from a girl's mouth. I thought girls don't like to talk about kissing and stuff, especially in front of a guy. She barely knew me but she was confident enough to share it to me.

She was obviously a romantic girl who used to believe in happy endings, but this guy Joel had started dating another girl without even telling her beforehand. Later on he apologized and explained that what they were, was just a fling—something that wasn't meant to last for long. He had told her that he thought it was clear to her that they weren't exactly dating.

"I told myself that I love him and he loves me but I was wrong. Wasn't I?" she asked.

"I'm in no position to give my opinion. Besides, I think you already know the answer to that."

"Maybe... But I need to hear it from someone else—from a stranger, from someone who doesn't know my past, who doesn't know much about me or Joel."

"Yeah, you were wrong," I said without an ounce of hesitation.

She sighed and looked down.

"But that happens. It happens to everyone," I said, and it caught her interest because she looked back at me.

"What do you mean?"

"I think at some point in our lives, we will fall for someone who won't love us back. That's how it is. But it doesn't mean that there isn't someone out there for you," I said, sounding more optimistic than how I was feeling.

I never heard someone said those words to me and maybe that was what I needed to hear. Kane didn't love me but it was okay. There would be someone else sometime in the future.

"Wow, is that what they told you? And you believe that shit?" she asked.

"Actually, I made that up. I think that's what I needed to hear too. Unfortunately, it had to come from my own lips."

She laughed, and her face looked so radiant.

"What's your story?" she asked.

I was not going to talk about Kane. Only Vino knew about my feelings for Kane and it would stay that way.

"Do I have to get another bottle to get you to talk?" she asked.

I remained silent as I stared at her. I tried to ponder if this tall girl with tanned skin was worthy of my trust. Is she worthy enough to hear my story? What would happen if I tell her about it? I tried to think of the possible consequences. She didn't know much about me and there was a very slim chance that she knew Kane personally.

"Don't stare at me like that. You're distracting me," she whispered but her eyes were piercing through mine.

Maybe it was safe to tell her about my story. Maybe it would help me ease the burden in my chest. I came up with a resolution that I wouldn't drop names, and I thought it was the safest way to share my story.

"I'm in love with my best friend," I stated.

"Whoa...that's classic. So you're in the friend zone?" She smiled.

"You think it's funny?" I asked.

"Oh, no," she answered quickly. "Sorry if I offended you but I was just...I don't know. I was expecting something else like you were rejected or gone through a recent break-up or something. So you weren't rejected?"

"Technically, no. You can't reject someone who doesn't tell you that he likes you. Can you?"

"So what happened?"

"She likes someone else. Another friend of ours."

"Oooh," she sounded excited. "So it's sort of a love triangle? But they aren't aware?"

She crossed her legs and leaned forward, resting her chin on her right palm. She was eager to listen to whatever I had to say. It was kind of amusing.

What is so interesting about stories of broken hearts?

"Something like that."

"How long has it been going on?"

"Since freshman year."

"And you're now a what?" she asked.

"Senior, this coming school year. We were—"

"Oh okay so you're a year ahead of me," she murmured, interrupting me.

I inhaled deeply to keep myself calm. She apologized and asked me to continue my story.

"So I was saying, we were classmates since elementary. Good friends. Then suddenly I just started liking Kane in freshman year but at that same year, Vino transferred to our school, and I realized right away that I already lost. She likes the new guy."

"So, we have a Kane and a Vino." She nodded.

Shit. I realized that I just mentioned their names, and I silently cursed myself for doing so.

"I wasn't supposed to give you a name."

She gestured zipping her mouth. She shook her head and raised her right hand.

"That's all I've got. Thanks for listening. Can we head back now before they realize we're missing?" I asked before standing up.

"Have you moved on now?"

"I'm trying. A part of me still loves her, you know? But I'm trying to convince myself that it's a different kind of love."

"You only have two options. First, you tell Kane how you feel and see what happens. Second, you keep it as a secret and suffer from that unrequited love in silence."

"What difference does it make? It's not like she would love me back if she knew. Besides, Vino found out about it. And my friends and I had a deal never to fight over a girl."

"I guess you already made a decision," she said as she stood up.

"I guess I did."

I never thought it would be easy to talk about how I feel to someone I just met. Somehow, this girl reminded me of Kane. Although they didn't look very much alike because Kane had a fairer skin and only stood a little above 5 feet, they both sound so sure every time they speak. It was like they always made up their mind before they open their mouth.

"Someone once told me that at some point in our lives, we fall for someone who won't love us back. But it doesn't mean that there isn't someone out there for you," she murmured.

I smiled, and quickly averted my gaze from her to the empty bottles of beer. I picked it up before facing her again. "Let's go back there?" I asked, gesturing towards the reception hall.