Chapter 27

PAT’s POV:

People always say that loving someone means wanting them to be happy.

They never tell you what happens when that happiness might not include you.

—

After that night in the living room, I made a decision.

A stupid one.

A painful one.

But a decision nonetheless.

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If I couldn’t be the person Kat deserved…

Then I should stop standing in the way of someone who could.

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And in my head, that person was Mat.

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Because the more I thought about it, the more the comparison felt unfair.

—

Mat was everything life seemed to reward.

Handsome.

Confident.

Patient.

Rich.

The kind of person who could decide he wanted something and actually go after it.

—

And Kat deserved someone like that.

Didn’t she?

—

Someone who wouldn’t hesitate.

Someone who could openly tell her how he felt.

Someone who didn’t spend ten years hiding.

—

Someone better.

—

The thought hurt.

But I convinced myself it was the right thing to do.

—

So I started pulling away.

Slowly.

Carefully.

Just enough that nobody would notice.

—

At least…

That’s what I thought.

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The first thing I stopped doing was waiting outside St. Aurelia.

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The first night, I messaged Mat.

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**Pat: Training ends at 10. Kat gets off around 11.**

—

Three dots appeared.

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**Mat: Why are you telling me this?**

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I stared at the screen.

Then typed:

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**Pat: Sunduin mo.**

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The reply came almost immediately.

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**Mat: …What?**

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**Pat: Just do it.**

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A few seconds passed.

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**Mat: Are you sure?**

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I looked away from my phone.

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No.

—

Not even a little.

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**Pat: Yes.**

—

Lie.

—

The next night, Kat walked out of St. Aurelia and found Mat waiting instead of me.

—

I wasn’t there to see her reaction.

—

But somehow…

That hurt more.

—

When she got home, I was pretending to study at the dining table.

—

The condo door opened.

—

I immediately recognized her footsteps.

—

Then silence.

—

“Pat.”

—

“Hm?”

—

“Where were you?”

—

I kept my eyes on my notebook.

—

“Training.”

—

“You always wait.”

—

Not anymore.

—

“Got busy.”

—

The answer sounded cold.

Even to me.

—

The silence that followed was worse.

—

“Oh.”

—

Just one word.

—

But somehow…

It felt like a knife.

—

I hated myself.

—

But I kept going.

—

Because if I stopped now, all of this would’ve been for nothing.

—

The days passed.

—

And slowly…

Mat became the one waiting outside the hospital.

—

Mat became the one walking Kat home.

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Mat became the one bringing her coffee.

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Mat became the one asking about her day.

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And every single time I saw it happen…

It felt like someone was pressing on a bruise that never healed.

—

The worst part?

—

Mat listened.

—

Really listened.

—

Because whenever I accidentally mentioned something Kat liked…

He remembered.

—

Her favorite snacks.

Her favorite coffee.

The movies she loved.

The flowers she liked.

—

Everything.

—

And he used that information.

—

Not maliciously.

—

Not intentionally.

—

He just genuinely wanted to make her happy.

—

Which somehow made it harder to hate him.

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One evening, I found him carrying a paper bag.

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“What is that?”

—

He smiled.

—

“Kat mentioned she missed these.”

—

Inside were pastries from a bakery nearly an hour away.

—

I stared.

—

Then laughed quietly.

—

Because of course he would.

—

And of course she deserved that.

—

Someone willing to make that effort.

—

Someone willing to choose her openly.

—

The way I never could.

—

Meanwhile…

Kat was changing too.

—

Not toward Mat.

—

Toward me.

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Because she stopped laughing as much around me.

—

Stopped telling me stories first.

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Stopped waiting for me during dinner.

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And every time I noticed…

I told myself it was working.

—

This is what you wanted.

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So why did it feel so awful?

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One Friday night, I came home late.

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The condo was quiet.

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Kat was sitting alone on the couch.

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The television was on.

But she wasn’t watching it.

—

She looked up when I entered.

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“You’re late.”

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“Sorry.”

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The answer came automatically.

—

Just like every other conversation lately.

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Short.

—

Distant.

—

Safe.

—

Kat looked at me for a long moment.

—

Then asked:

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“Did I do something wrong?”

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My chest immediately tightened.

—

“No.”

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“Then why are you avoiding me?”

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The question hit harder than I expected.

—

Because I didn’t have an answer I could give her.

—

Not the real one.

—

Not:

*”Because every time I look at you, I remember I love you.”*

—

Not:

*”Because I think you deserve someone better.”*

—

Not:

*”Because watching Mat like you hurts more than I can explain.”*

—

So instead I lied.

—

Again.

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“I’m not avoiding you.”

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Kat laughed.

—

A sad laugh.

—

The kind I’d never heard from her before.

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“Okay.”

—

Then she stood up.

—

And walked toward her room.

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Without another word.

—

The sound of the door closing echoed through the condo.

—

And suddenly…

The place felt emptier than it had before she moved in.

—

I sat down on the couch she had just left.

—

Staring at the closed hallway door.

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Wondering why doing the “right thing” felt so much like ruining everything.

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What I didn’t know was that Kat was crying too.

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Not because of Mat.

—

Not because of nursing school.

—

Not because of duty.

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But because the person she missed most was living in the same condo.

—

And somehow…

Felt farther away than ever.

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And while I kept convincing myself that I was doing this for her happiness…

I failed to realize one thing.

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Nobody had ever asked Kat what would make her happy.

—

Not Mat.

Not me.

Not anyone.

—

And that mistake…

Was about to break all three of us.

—

## Author’s Note

WELCOME TO THE MISCOMMUNICATION ARC. 😭

Pat: “I’m doing this for Kat.”

Kat: “Why is the person I care about avoiding me?”

Mat: “Wait… why do I feel like something is wrong?”

Reader:

🧍

🧍‍♀️

🧍‍♂️

“JUST TALK.”

Unfortunately…

If they talked, this story would be five chapters long.

And I need emotional damage.

See you next chapter. 💔🏀🩺😭