The Love That Could Have Been

2

"Sky Romain Finnegan," a familiar voice said from behind me.

Even without turning my back to face him, I could already tell who owned that mysterious yet strangely familiar voice. It was him. It was Caelum. I did not bother to look at him as he spoke.

"We've known each other since we were in high school. We've been debate partners ever since we enrolled in Pleiades, winning numerous awards and cups together," he said, slowly approaching me. Sky must be the other debater that Emily was talking about—the guy who drowned. My eyes are still glued to the trophy in front of me as I try to make sense of what Caelum said. I can feel him standing beside me, looking at the photograph of Sky and him holding their medals.

"To me, he's more than just a teammate. He was my friend. Whenever I feel down, he immediately knows what to do to cheer me up. His embrace is the most comforting thing in the world. I would trade anything to feel the warmth of his touch once more," his voice broke, sadness evident as he spoke. I felt something hot on my cheeks. Tears. But why? Is it because I felt sorry for the death of Sky? Or is it because of the monotony in the voice of Caelum knowing that he'll no longer be able to feel the embrace of Sky again?

"You love him?" I asked, turning my head to look at him. He was still looking intently at the photograph before him with a sad and regretful expression written on his face. My chest feels heavy at the sight of him looking like that. He looks so broken.

"I—," my heart began to pound against my chest as he started to speak when we were suddenly interrupted by my ringtone. Emily. She must be wondering if I am in the room already. I wiped the tears with the back of my hands and answered the phone.

"Are you alright? You haven't been replying to my messages, and I am worried that you got lost in finding your room," Emily says from the other side of the line. I cleared my voice before I spoke.

"Yeah, sorry. I just had an encounter on the way," I replied softly, turning my back against Caelum as I spoke.

"Alright, I'll see you later for lunch," she said before bidding goodbye and ending the call. When I turned my back to face Caelum once more, he was no longer there. He must have run into class. After all, my wristwatch says it's really almost time for class.

—     —     —

Time flew swiftly in class. I didn't understand much of the lecture since most of the time, my mind was bugged with a multitude of questions about Sky. Or Caelum. Or more like the both of them. Why do I feel so connected with the two of them? It's like they are significant people from my past. Earlier, when Caelum was telling me about Sky, I felt deeply moved. Every word he spoke radiates through my chest. It was as if through me, he was telling Sky how much he held him dearly in his heart.

After class, Emily texted me the instructions on the way to the cafeteria. She said she still has things to finish with Ms. Cielo so she may not be able to accompany me. I was walking in an empty corridor when I suddenly heard a familiar strum of a guitar, the sound cutting through the silence like a gentle whisper. Intrigued, I followed where it was coming from. It sounds new yet familiar to my ears. I know I have never heard of it yet since the day I lost my memory but each note is already embroidered at the back of my mind.

Turning a corner, I discovered the entrance to the music room, the door slightly ajar. Each strum wafted toward me as if inviting me to come inside and venture into the unknown, the uncertainty that lies within. Like my forgotten past.

Pushing the door open, I found a familiar feature of a guy—Caelum. He was seated on a stool, his fingers dancing gracefully over the strings of the guitar. The melody he produced was both soothing and haunting, echoing through the room and wrapping me in a gentle embrace. There was something strangely familiar about the sound as if a thread of connection stretched between the two of us.