Chapter 30

MAT’s POV:

I thought things would get easier.

I was wrong.

Because somewhere between pursuing Kat and watching Pat slowly disappear, I realized I was losing something too.

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At first, it was small.

Pat stopped staying after training.

Stopped inviting me to eat.

Stopped answering half my messages.

Stopped showing up when our teammates hung out.

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The worst part?

She acted like everything was normal.

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As if she wasn’t avoiding me.

As if she wasn’t creating distance between herself and everyone around her.

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Including me.

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One afternoon after practice, I finally snapped.

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“Pat.”

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She kept walking.

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“Pat.”

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Still walking.

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“Patricia Dela Cruz.”

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That made her stop.

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Slowly.

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Annoyed.

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“What?”

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I laughed.

Not because it was funny.

Because I was angry.

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“What’s your problem?”

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“My problem?”

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“Yeah.”

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She crossed her arms.

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“What are you talking about?”

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There it was.

That stupid act.

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The one where she pretended everything was fine.

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I hated it.

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Because this wasn’t the Pat I knew.

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The Pat I knew would fight an entire basketball team if necessary.

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This Pat?

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She was running away.

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From Kat.

From me.

From herself.

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And I was tired of watching it happen.

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“Stop acting stupid.”

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Her eyes narrowed.

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“Excuse me?”

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“You heard me.”

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For a moment, neither of us moved.

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The gym was empty.

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Just the two of us.

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Years of friendship standing between us.

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And for the first time…

Neither of us looked willing to back down.

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“Say what you actually want to say.”

Pat said coldly.

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So I did.

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“Why are you avoiding me?”

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Silence.

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Then:

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“I’m not.”

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I laughed.

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A sharp laugh.

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Because somehow…

She was still doing it.

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“Do you hear yourself?”

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“What?”

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“Do you think I’m blind?”

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Her jaw tightened.

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But she didn’t answer.

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Because she knew.

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She knew exactly what she was doing.

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And that made me even angrier.

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“You know what pisses me off?”

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“Then leave.”

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“No.”

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The answer came immediately.

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Because for once…

I wasn’t letting her run.

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“You keep pushing everyone away.”

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“I’m not pushing anyone away.”

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“Bullshit.”

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The word echoed through the empty gym.

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Pat froze.

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Good.

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Maybe now she’d listen.

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“You push Kat toward me.”

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Silence.

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“You avoid her.”

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Silence.

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“You avoid me.”

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Silence.

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“You keep acting like you’re okay.”

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Still silence.

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And suddenly…

I was furious.

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Because all this time…

She was suffering.

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But she wasn’t the only one.

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“Do you think you’re the only person hurting?”

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That finally got a reaction.

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Pat looked up.

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Confused.

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“What?”

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I took a step forward.

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“Do you think you’re the only one losing something?”

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For the first time…

She looked unsure.

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And that only made me continue.

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“You’re my best friend.”

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The words came out harsher than I intended.

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But they were true.

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“When I first got here, you were the first person who treated me like family.”

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Pat looked away.

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“Mat—”

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“No.”

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I cut her off.

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“You’re going to listen.”

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Because God knew I had listened to her long enough.

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“You think you’re sacrificing yourself.”

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Her expression immediately changed.

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There it was.

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The truth.

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“You’re not.”

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The words landed heavily.

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“You’re just running.”

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Pat clenched her fists.

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And I knew I hit a nerve.

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Good.

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Because someone had to.

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“You think giving Kat away makes you noble?”

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“Stop.”

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“No.”

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“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

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“I know exactly what I’m talking about.”

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My voice echoed across the court.

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And suddenly…

Years of frustration came rushing out.

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“Have you even thought about what Kat wants?”

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Silence.

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“Have you?”

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Nothing.

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“Have you even asked her?”

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Nothing.

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“Or did you decide for her?”

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That one hurt.

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I saw it.

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Immediately.

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Because deep down…

She knew.

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She never asked.

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She never gave Kat a choice.

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She simply decided.

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For both of them.

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And somehow convinced herself it was love.

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“Mat.”

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“No.”

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I took another step forward.

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“Even once.”

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My voice cracked.

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Because now I was angry too.

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“Even once, did you think about how I feel?”

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Pat froze.

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“What?”

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The question came out small.

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Too small.

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“You keep pushing Kat toward me.”

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I laughed bitterly.

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“As if she’s some prize you can hand over.”

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The gym suddenly felt too quiet.

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Too small.

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Too honest.

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“I like her.”

I admitted.

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“God, I like her so much.”

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The words hurt.

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Because they were true.

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“But every time you do this…”

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I pointed at her.

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“Every time you step aside.”

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My voice shook.

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“It feels like I’m losing my best friend just because I chose someone I like.”

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Silence.

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For the first time…

Pat looked devastated.

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And maybe she should.

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Because I was too.

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“You know what’s worse?”

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“What?”

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The answer barely came out.

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I laughed.

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A broken laugh.

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“You’re making me the bad guy.”

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Pat immediately shook her head.

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“No.”

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“Yes.”

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The word came out sharp.

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Painful.

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“Because you’re acting like I’m stealing something.”

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Her eyes widened.

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And finally…

Finally…

I saw her understand.

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I wasn’t angry because I liked Kat.

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I was angry because she was giving up.

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Without even trying.

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Without even fighting.

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Without even giving herself a chance.

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And somehow…

That made me furious.

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Because if I were in her position?

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I’d fight.

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Even if I lost.

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Especially if I lost.

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At least I’d know.

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At least I’d have tried.

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“Do you know what I would give…”

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I laughed.

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“…to have ten years?”

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Pat’s breathing stopped.

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Because she knew exactly what I meant.

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Ten years.

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Ten years of memories.

Ten years of friendship.

Ten years beside Kat.

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I never had that.

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I never would.

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Yet somehow…

She was throwing it away.

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Like it meant nothing.

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And that was the first thing that genuinely made me angry at Patricia Dela Cruz.

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“Fight for her.”

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The words came out almost as a demand.

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Not advice.

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Not encouragement.

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A demand.

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Because I was tired.

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Tired of watching her surrender.

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Tired of watching Kat suffer.

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Tired of watching all three of us hurt.

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“Fight for her before it’s too late.”

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The gym fell silent.

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Neither of us moved.

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Neither of us spoke.

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Because for the first time in years…

Patricia Dela Cruz had no answer.

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And somewhere deep inside her chest…

For the first time…

A terrifying thought finally appeared.

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What if Mat was right?

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What if the thing she’d been calling sacrifice…

Was actually fear?

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And what if one day…

She woke up to find Katherine Reyes smiling beside someone else…

Not because Kat chose them.

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But because Pat never gave her the chance to choose at all.

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For the first time since this started…

Pat was afraid of losing Kat.

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Not to Mat.

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To her own cowardice.

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And that realization hit harder than any loss she’d ever experienced on the court.

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## Author’s Note

MAT FINALLY SNAPPED.

😭💀

Mat:
“FIGHT FOR HER.”

Pat:
“I’M TRYING TO LET HER GO.”

Mat:
“THAT’S THE PROBLEM.”

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The real villain of this story?

✨ COMMUNICATION ✨

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Also can we appreciate Mat for a second?

Bro likes Kat.

Knows Pat likes Kat.

Is STILL telling Pat to fight.

Because he wants Kat…

But he doesn’t want regrets.

And he definitely doesn’t want to win because Pat surrendered.

Next chapter?

Pat is about to have the biggest identity crisis of her life.

And honestly?

It’s about time.