Book 3: I'm Yours, You're Mine [Fin]

by THISNIE

Hindi sumipot si Odette sa kasal nila ni Vince. Naniwala sya sa mga bagay na nakita
nya. Hindi nya binigyan ng pagkakataon ang lalaking pakakasalan nya na
magpaliwanag. Pero... kaya ba talagang sirain ni Vince lahat ng pinaghirapan nya sa
isang gabing 'yon lang? I guess not.

=================

Prologue.

Prologue.

Hay buhay, parang life!

Alam nyo yung feeling na... In love ka and you’re already sure it’s gonna last?
Yung alam mo at umaasa kang forever na syang nandyan para sa’yo.

Eh yung feeling na... Alam na alam mong sya na ang forever mo?

Ang masaya pa don, you both assured your forever with each other.

Pero pagkatapos ng lahat ng paghihirap nyo, syempre alam mong everything will be
fine as long as you’re both together, di ba?

Eh what if, mangyari ang hindi mo inaasahan? Aware kang okay na ang lahat dahil
kilala mo sya.

Psh! Di mo alam, marami pang bagay ang naghihintay sayo. Siguro isa sya don pero,
you’re still young to experience everything.

It’s just as simple as... He gave a part of him to someone. Pero ikaw, you’re still
afraid to give a part of you to someone else.

Pero it’s never too late. Because he can wait.

Love is game, everyone is ready to play.

Love is a game, you already played. Nanalo ka but your opponent dig into something
that made you still lose the game.

In the end, one thing is for sure will be done – ang magmahal.
But this time, ready ka pa bang sumugal? O kuntento ka na sa consolation prize na
naiwan sayo?

***

A/N: Anong napansin nyo sa prologue ko? Pamilyar ba?

Please po, paki-bura sa isip nyo lahat ng contents ng We Found Love. Walang wala
pong kahit anong relation 'yon dito. Ito po ang original book 3 ng NYM Series. Wala
na po dito si Sarah at Raven. As in no relation talaga! Ide-delete ko na din po
yun.

Huhu! Alam ko ang talaga nito pero sana may sumuporta pa din. Yohoo! Mga MaVince
fans! Andyan pa ba kayo? Huhuhu sana mabuhay ulit kayo! MaVince is back guise!!!

Okay. Bye! :)

Dedicated to Bianx! Bianx, iniba ko yung prologue. :>

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Flashback.

Flashback.

*Note: The Wedding Special and Giving Birth Special were deleted. Paki-delete na
din po sa utak ‘yon. It’s not included in the story. Pretend that it never happened
in their lives. Some changes should be done.

Kamusta na kaya ang MaVince natin? Eh sa Campus Royalties? Ano nga bang huling
balita natin sa kanila?

Ah! Yung binully ng ating Campus Royalty Sweethearts si Charlene. Right?

Hay! It’s been a really long time; it has been five years since that thing
happened.

Kamusta na kaya sila? Ano kayang mga nag-bago? O may nag-bago ba?

Before natin alamin ang mga nangyayari sa ating mga bida ngayon, let’s make a
little flashback.

Pano nga ba nag-simula ang lahat?

It started when...

*Now You’re Mine

Marco and Odette broke up; things went back on track, back to the original plan.
Odette’s family announced her engagement to a childhood sweetheart named Vince.

Not knowing, madami na palang pinagdaanan si Vince for her. Sa kabila ng hindi
kasiguraduhan na mapupunta sa kanya si Odette, he still worked hard. Hindi naman
nasayang ang lahat. Odette still fell on him, head over heels.

They made promises. Vince swore his forever with her. Promised her he would not
love anyone as much as what he gives to her. Alam natin kung gano ka-sincere at ka-
loyal si Vince kay Odette.

Pinatunayan nya lahat.

She kissed another man? It’s fine. As long as her last would be him.

She dated her ex? It’s fine. As long as her ‘I love you’ belongs to him.

She made him her slave? It’s fine. As long as she’s his master.

She tells him to find a new fiancé? It’s fine. As long as he’ll always find her.

She was paired with his ex? It’s fine. As long as he’s the partner in reality.

Everything was fine. Not until he thought she was just fooling him.

*You’re Still Mine

They ended up breaking each other’s heart. Nag-hiwalay sila ng dahil sa isang
malaking maling hinala.

She tried to accept their fate, while he tried to test her more.

When they met again, things went upside down for her. May iba na si Vince, and
everyday sinasampal sa kanya ni Vince na their thing is far over. Pero what did he
do? He still provoked her to fight for him despite the fact that he looked totally
moved on.

He introduces his new girl? It’s not fine. Because she wanted to be his only girl.

He made her his slave? It’s not fine. Because she wanted to be his master.

He planned his future with his girl? It’s not fine. Because she thinks she’s the
one destined to be with his future.

He kissed his new girl in front of her? It’s not fine. Because she owns his lips.

They won against their selves. They went back on track, as lovers, as fiancés.

Ang dami ring pumigil sa kanila. It’s not like them, against the world. They had no
antagonists. They’re antagonist are their selves.

Pero ano nga bang laban nila sa ‘hate’? Anong laban nila sa ‘love’?

And most of all... anong laban nila sa fruit ng kanilang pagmamahalan?

Their lives were better with each other. But it became incomparable, perfect when
their children joined them in their journey.

Five years ago, nanalo sila Vince at Odette sa lahat ng kumalaban sa pag-ibig nila.
They won over their trust issues. They won. And they got the best prize they ever
wished for – their children.

Five years ago, pinanganak ni Odette ang twins na sila Vance Maze Lopez at Marcella
Venice. The two healthy twins that Odette ever had. Her precious gems.

But also five years ago, Odette started raising and living with (just with) her two
kids in Chicago. Painfully leaving someone.

Because five years ago, a wedding was planned, but never held.

A man waited in front of the altar, but a woman never showed up.

Because this man committed a sin, and the woman never forgave him.

***
A/N: Let's have a little flashback and teaser muna bago natin simulan ang third
book.

Intruiging ba ang last part? Napaka laking hint na nyan ha!! In short lang, hindi
sila kinasal. Ang tanong, anong nangyari? Nasa altar na daw tapos... hindi sya
sinipot? Tssk!

Abangan..!

Thank you sa mga nag-vote. Alam ko super - as in mega super duper konti lang nun
pero atlst andyan pa rin kayo! Lalo na kay Bianx!! :*

Vote and Comment!

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.01: The boys' pasts.

Chapter 1: The boys’ pasts.

[JUN’S POV]

“Pareeeeeee! Namiss ko kayooooo!”

HAHAHAH. Pag dating ko sa beach, nakita ko sila nagiinom, at nagche-checkout ng mga

chics dun sa pampang.

Dinamba ko sila nang sabay sabay. Pano nangyari? Ewan ko! Hahaha. Basta. Namiss ko
‘tong mga ‘to. Three years ko din silang hindi nakita ehh. At masaya ako kasi
kumpleto kami!

Andyan si Gerald, syempre sya ang ikakasal sa isang araw eh. Tapos andyan si Henry,
Ivan, Lance at Vince. Ay kulang! Nasan na si Hapon?!

Nagbatian kami, tapos lokohan sa mga nangyari sa buhay namin. Oo. Andami kasing
kalokohan ang nangyari kaya nagkahiwa-hiwalay kami. Yep, hindi lang ako ang
nahiwalay no. Yang si Henry, umalis din yan. Si Vince, kapal naman ng mukha nya
kundi sya aalis. At si Lance, eh kung san san nakakarating ‘yan eh. Bakit?

Ge magkwento kami.
Umupo kami nang paikot dun sa buhanginan. Btw. Andito pala kami sa Holland Resort.
We’re back after five years. So yun na. Umupo na kami para magkwentuhan. YUCK
parang mga babae lang. Pero, kelangan eh. Kelangan ng konting catching up.

“O ano na nga? Anong nangyari sa’yo nung pumunta kang France?” psh! Daya inuna ako
ni Gerald.

Yaeh na. Pagbigyan si groom-to-be.

“Edi ayon. Balik sa dating buhay.” simple kong sagot.

“KWENTO PUTA PADEMURE!” epal nitong si Ivan kahit kelan.

“Eh alam nyo naman nangyari samin ni Zia di ba?...” simula ko.

*flashback

Three years ago, nag-break kami ni Zia. Oo, hiwalay na kami ng babaeng nakapag
pabago sakin. Bakit? Kasi... Hay! Ayoko nang balikan pero para sa inyo, sige
babalikan ko.

Nagta-trabaho na kami nun eh. Syempre graduate na eh. Pinili ni Zia magtrabaho sa
ibang kumpanya, hindi sa sarili nilang company. Gusto nya daw ma-experience eh. Edi
pinayagan ko na rin. Wala naman akong magagawa dyan eh.

Kaso, malamanlaman ko, nililigawan sya nung isang boss nya na kaedaran namin.
Parang gagu noh? Hind yung boss nya, kundi si Zia mismo. Alam nyang may boyfriend
sya, pero nagpaligaw pa rin sya.

Nahuli ko silang nagde-date isang gabi. At si Zia. Hindi manlang pumapalag nung
hinahawakan yung kamay nya. At nakikipag tawanan pa sya. Ibig sabihin, masaya sya.
Gusto nya.

Kahit pa sa mamahaling restaurant ‘yon, nagwala talaga ako. Sinugod ko sila at

pinagbubugbog yung lalaki. Sa sobrang galit ko, napuruhan ko talaga yung lalaki.
Nung nawalan sya ng malay, tsaka ko hinigit si Zia sa labas. Inamin nya saking
nahuhulog na sya don sa boss nya, at bago pa sya makipag break, inunahan ko na sya.

Sobra akong nasaktan nun. Kasi... alam nyo namang si Zia lang yung babaeng nakapag
patigil sa kakatingin ko sa ibang babae di ba? Sya yung babaeng nakapag patibok ng
puso ko. Pero ano? Sya din pala wawasak dito. Tsh.

Kinabukasan agad, kinausap ko yung tropa, pero kaming boys lang. Sinabi ko yung
nangyari. Nalaman ko pang investor si Ivan sa kumpanyang ‘yon, kaya agad nyang
binawi yung investments nya. Sabi nila, hayaan ko nalang. Edi hinayaan ko.
Kinagabihan nung araw na ‘yon, lumipad akong France. At balik sa dating gawi. Hindi
ako pumuntang France para makalimot at magpakalunod sa trabaho. Oo inaamin ko,
walang kwenta ang buhay ko. Umaasa pa rin sa kita ng pamilya namin, at winawaldas
ang pera’ng ‘yon sa mga babae ko. Gabi gabi, kung sino sino nakakasama ko.

Pero hindi na ‘ko tulad ng dati na gentle at pinapahalagahan sila. Bastos na kung
bastos pero kahit ano ginagawa ko, kahit pa nakakatapak na ‘ko ng tao. Ayoko na
kasing mahulog sa babae. Pakiramdam ko gagaguhin nanaman nila ‘ko.

Alam ko ang cliché nitong nangyari sakin bilang babaero pero ganun talaga yung
pakiramdam pag naloko ka. Kahit sino hindi mo na pagkakatiwalaan. Not until you
found a special person again. Pero tingin ko, hindi na ‘ko makakahanap ng ganun.

Kasi kahit sobra akong nasaktan, aaminin ko. Mahal ko pa rin si Zia.

*end of flashback

“Eh gago ka pala eh! E kung inayos mo nalang yung buhay mo sa France? Edi sana may
ipapamukha ka kay Zia? Sa lalaking pinagpalit sayo. Tsh!” sabi ni Ivan sa’kin.

Pano ko aayusin yung buhay ko eh tinatamad ako! Sirang sira na ni Zia eh. Mahirap
‘yon. Lalo pa’t alam kong sya lang makakaayos ulit non.

[IVAN’S POV]

“Eh wala na. Nangyari na eh. Alam nyo naman ang buhay ko, go with flow nalang
palagi. Di na magbabago ‘yon.” sabi ni Jun.

Hay. ‘Tong lalaking ‘to talaga. Di na natuto. Ang LOVER BOY pa din. Hahaha.

“O ikaw, ano na nangyari sa’yo Ivan? Balita ko muntik na kayong maghiwalay ni

Eunice ha?” sabi naman ni Henry.

Psssssh! Ayoko nang balikan ‘yon. Okay na eh. Pero, kailangan eh! Para na rin sa
information nyo, at, nagkasubuan na rin eh. Dapat mag-share din ako.

“Yun? Wala na ‘yon. Syempre iba si Eunice eh...” simula ko.

*flashback

Five years ago, nagkanda loko loko ang barkada. Well not really all pero, yun,
parang nasira na rin ang Campus Royalties. (Wait, it’s weird to call ourselves
Campus Royalties dahil hindi na kami laman ng Campus. Haha anyway) Iilan lang
kaming naiwan dito sa Pilipinas. Kami ni Eunice, si Aly at Gerald at si Zia.
 Life goes on kahit ganun. Si Eunice, landscape photographer but she also do indie
films. Ako naman, I took care of the family business, which is the airline. Okay
naman buhay. Medyo nagiging busy lang ako, at halos si Eunice nalang nakakasama ni
Irish.

Nung naging free naman ako, si Eunice naman pumuntang Spain para sa isang seminar.
I can’t stop her so para makasama sya, sumunod kami ni Irish sa kanya.

Eh takte makita kita ko, sya yung model sa photoshoot eh. Ang sexy pa masyado nung
damit! Pinigilan ko lang talaga sarili ko sa set. Hindi nya alam na andun ako. Pero
hindi ko na nakaya nung may lumabas na lalaki, partner nya. Nag-wala na talaga ako
sa set. At kinaladlad ko sya pabalik ng hotel.

Nakakabwisit pa don, itinago nya saking magmo-model sya para sa anniversary issue
ng magazine ng Luminary (Lopez-Alvarez talent agency). It’s a men’s magazine for
crissakes! Ni hindi sya nagpaalam sa asawa nya?

Sa sobrang inis ko, iniwan ko sya sa Spain. At dinala ko si Irish. She stayed in
Spain for a month. Bago kasi ako umalis, sinabi kong sa sobrang inis ko sa kanya,
gusto ko syang hiwalayan.

Buti nalang na-convince sya ni mama Eve (her mom) na bumalik ng Pilipinas. But it
still took three months for her para kausapin ako at mag-sorry. Kung hindi pa ‘ko
nagpadala ng prank annulment paper sa kanya, hindi sya pupunta sakin.

Of course hindi ko naman sya kayang hiwalayan. We just need time, I needed time to
cool down. At okay na yung four months na paghihiwalay namin. In the end,
nagkapatawaran na kami.

One month after namin mag-balikan, nabuntis sya. Kaya ngayon ay kuya na si Irish
kay Izzy.

*end of flashback

“I can’t blame Luminary, dude. Hot talaga ang—ARAY! Bat ka namamatok?!” Jun

“Pati asawa ko pinagnanasaan mo. Akala ko ba naka-move on ka na kay Eunice?!” sigaw

ko kay Jun.

“O yang OA mo pare.” singit naman nitong si Henry. -_-

[HENRY’S POV]

“Antay antay lang, pare. Tenth anniversary na ng Luminary sa Spain. Malay mo, kunin
ulit si Eunice? HAHAHAHA” pangaasar nanaman ni Vince dito kay Ivan,

“Gago ka talaga!” sabay batok ni Ivan kay Vince.

“Guys, guys. Stop it. Let’s move on.” tapos inakbayan ako nitong si Lance, “Henry,
ikwento mo naman yung please don’t do this to me na drama nyo ni Georgina!”

>_<

Lintek! Talagang kailangan i-open? Well, sige na nga. Kaya nga ‘kamustahan’ di ba?
Sige kwento ko na rin.

“Ayaw ko nang pagusapan pero... well...” panimula ko.

*flashback

Nung gabi bago yung bachelor’s party ni Vince noon, naging kami ni Georgina. Ang
tyaga din nung babaeng ‘yun eh. Imagine? Fourth year college pa lang kami umamin na
sya, at kahit sinabi kong si Zia ang gusto ko, hindi sya sumuko. It’s awkward but
yes, sya ang nanligaw sa’kin mula non. Sinagot ko lang sya a year after, bago nga
yung bachelor’s party ni Vince.

We’re happy for a year already. Ewan pero napunta sa kanya lahat ng pagmamahal ko
kay Zia. Minahal ko sya katulad ng pagmamahal ko kay Zia. Inalagaan ko sya tulad ng
pagaalaga ko kay Zia. Basta iba!

I fall even harder nung sinundan nya pa ‘ko sa Chicago nun nung nagka-problema sa
SU don. Basta. It’s like she can do everything makasama lang ako. Pero namamanage
nyang pagsabayin kami ni Marvin, her baby.

Not until kinailangan nyang mag-trabaho sa Austria. Nakakuha sya ng magandang

trabaho don as a chef. To help her, ako na muna ang nagalaga kay  Marvin.

Pero, sabi nga nila, walang perfect relationship. Bigla nalang kasing, bumalik sya
sa Pilipinas... para kuhanin si Marvin. Malamanlaman ko, boss nya pala sa Austria
yung totoong dad ni Marvin.

Gabi nun. Kumatok sya sa condo ko. When I opened the door, umiiyak sya. Pinapatahan
ko sya at pinapapasok pero ayaw nya. Siguro mga twenty minutes din kaming ganon.
Kinabahan ako ng sobra.

Pero wala. Namanhid ako nung nagsalita sya. Aalis na daw sya, sila ni Marvin.
Pupunta nang Austria. Pero alam nyo yung masakit? Nung inamin nya sa’king gusto nya
nang makipaghiwalay dahil gusto nyang mabuo ang pamilya nya. Nakipag balikan na
pala sya sa totoong dad ni Marvin.
Ang sakit, sobra. Yung... gigising na lang ako wala na si Georg? Wala na si Marvin?
Nasanay na ‘ko na sila yung andyan eh. Pero, basta ang hirap.

Pero anong magagawa ko? Naiintindihan ko si Georg. Ayaw nyang lumaki si Marvin nang
walang ama. Ang point ko lang, andito naman ako ha? Nasanay na din si Marvin
sa’kin. Bakit kailangan pa nyang makipag balikan don?

Hay. Wala na ‘kong nagawa. Hinayaan ko nalang sya. Dun sya sasaya eh, I think? Ako,
hindi na sasaya. O may pagasa pa? Basta. Ngayon masaya lang ako dahil maganda ang
pagpapatakbo ko sa Suzzane University Chicago. Oo, dun ako nitong mga nakaraang
taon.

*end of flashback

“Huhuhu! Penge tissue pare! Kaiyak talaga love story nyo ni Georg!” sige,
nakakapikon ka kaya, Jun. -_-

“Ulol!” binato ko nga ng buhangin.

“HAHAHAHAHA Pero seriously, I feel sorry for you pare. Yung iwan ka nalang bigla ng
taong mahal mo? Sobrang ARAY.” Tapos nagyakapan kami ni Jun.

[LANCE’S POV]

“Pero mas aray kung iiwan ka ng taong mahal mo... sa city of love. Di ba, Lance?”
nginitian pa ‘ko ni Henry ng mapangasar.

Bwiset! Kelangan ipaalala?!

“Bwiset.” umiwas nalang ako ng tingin. Yoko pagusapan.

“Oh! Oo nga pala. Nabalitaan ko yun ha! Sayang nga wala ako sa Paris nun eh. Kwento
ka naman, Lance!” saya mo pa, Jun ha?

“Yoko.”

“Daya! Dali na. Ikwento mo na kung pano ka brineak ni Prei sa harap ng Eiffel
Tower! HAHAHAHA” epal nitong si Ivan.

Tumalikod ako sa kanila, humarap sa beach.

Kaso bigla naman... ACK! Bwiset. Bigla nila akong dinaganan. Ah basta! Ang harot.
May nagpapaligo pa saken ng buhangin!
“Ano?! Hindi ka pa magkwekwento?!”

“Kwento na kasi duuuuude!”

“Ibabaon ka namin sa buhangin, bahala ka!!!”

“OO NA MAGKWEKWENTO NA BWISET!!!!!!” sigaw ko.

Ayun, bumalik na kami sa pwesto. Humarap na din ako ulit sa kanila at nagpagpag ng
buhangin na pinaligo sa kanila.

“Game!” sigaw ni Vince.

Yari ka sakin mamaya, Vince Marcelo Alvarez.

“Ano ba ‘yan. Wag na kasi...” oops, iba na tingin ni Gerald, “Kasi eto...”

*flashback

Bwiset! Bakit kailangan pang balikan?

Aish eto na nga.

So as you all know, ang naging career namin ni Prei after college ay model. Naging
artist kami sa Luminary. Basta. Model, tapos.

Psh. Yoko na kasing ikwento eh. Katamad.

Anyway. Ayon. Three years din kaming okay sa career. Yun pala, akala ko lang na
okay. Hindi na pala sya okay.

To make the story short, basta one day, after ng isang shoot namin sa Paris, inaya
nya ‘kong mamasyal nun. The day went well. Kaso nung gabi, sa tapat ng Eiffel
Tower, when the environment seemed perfect, bigla nalang syang naglabas ng
hinanakit.

In front of the Eiffel Tower, sinabi nya saking gusto nya na ng space. Nasasakal na
daw sya sakin. Sinabi nya lahat. Yung pagiging mahigpit ko at protective. Masisisi
nyo ba ‘ko? Ayaw kong pine-pair sya sa ibang models. Gusto ko akin lang.

Mali ba yun? Psh! Kaartehan nya kasi! Ang sabihin nya, gusto nya lang makapartner
yung French na model. Bwiset.

Ngayon, tuloy pa din ako sa pagmo-model. Pero sya? Tumigil na. She build up her own
boutique and clothing line. Masaya sya. Ako hindi.

*end of flashback

“Ano?! Masaya na kayo?!” sigaw ko sa kanila.

“HINDI PA.” sabay sabay nilang sabi.

-_-

Mga bwisit!!!!

“Sasaya lang kami pag nagkita na kayo. HAHAHAH” kahit kelan epal ‘tong si Vince.

[VINCE’S POV]

“Ah ganon? Eh bat kaya hindi ikaw ang mag-flashback ng nangyari five years ago?
Para naman madamdam natin lahat ng mga paghihirap natin. Di ba guys?” sabi ni
Lance.

Nginitian ko lang sila. Akala ba nila affected pa din ako? Well, oo. HAHAHAHA.
Masakit pero tinanggap ko. Kasalanan ko naman yun eh.

“Oo nga Vince! Dali!!!” sabi ni Jun.

“Since nagka-share-an nadin ng mga problema sa babae, go na.” sabi ni Henry.

“Damay damay ‘to! Dalian mo!” sabi ni Ivan.

“Spill mo na kung ba’t hindi ka sinipot ng kapatid ko sa kasal nyo.” sabi ni Lance.

***

A/N: Boys muna ha? Nasa flight pa si Odette eh. HAHAHA. So anong masasabi nyo sa
kapalaran ng ating mga boys? Saklap no. Mga single gentlemen yan. Sino gusto? Libre
lang. Jk. Hahaha!

As usual, pabitin nanaman ako. Don't worry. Bukas ako maguupdate ulit. Bukas nyo
malalaman ang sagot ni Vince sa tanong ni Lance.
Abangan...!

Salamat po sa mga nag-vote pa rin. Waaah. Kakilig!!! Keep on supporting this. Para
sa MaVince haha!

Vote and comment!

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.02: The girls' pasts.

Chapter 2: The girls’ past.

[ODETTE’S POV]

Hay! Finally nakarating din ng Holland Resort. Nakakairita lang maging driver ‘tong
si Kevin. Super bagal at puro stop over pa. Lahat ata ng nadaanan naming stop over
na may Starbucks hinintuan eh! I miss the whole barkada na kaya. Tapos kung san san
pa nya ‘ko dinala.

Dumiretso na nga kami ng lobby. The staffs are so... annoying! Magha-hi/greet sila
kay Kevin tapos pag nakita nila ‘ko, they’ll do it too pero hindi na happy. They’re
like tensed.

Pero impressive ang resort. Lobby palang! This is so Greece-like. I like it! The
staffs are impressive too dahil bright and sunny ang mood nila sa guests. Sakin
lang sila weird. -_- Well, all thanks to Kevin who took care of this resort for me.

Lumapit na kami sa front desk. Standing there are two ladies in well-worn summer
dresses.

“Good morning, sir Kevin.” naka-smile nilang bati pero nung nakita nila ako, their
smiles backed off. Ugh!

“Good morning din, May and April. This is Odette, Odette Lopez. Yes, the owner of
this resort.” pakilala sakin ni Kevin. I flashed them my ‘bitch’ smile.

“G-Good morning po, Ms Odette.” sabay nilang sabi.

Me? No answer. I just turned around to check out the whole place again.
“The place is so impressive, Kevin. I’m sure matutuwa si kuya Harvey pag nakita nya
‘to. Pero something’s missing. Di ba sabi ko dapat may portrait akong naka-display
dito sa lobby?” Me

“Od, nakalimutan mo bang ni-reject mo yung unang painting na pinagawa ko? Pinabago
ko pa yun and it’s coming from Italy. But don’t worry, ngayon dadating yung
portrait.” Kevin

“Good.” Me

Umikot ako to look at the view of the beach on the other side. Grabe! Ang perfect
talaga ng transformation ni Kevin dito sa resort. It’s been five years mula nung
ipasa sakin ni kuya Harvey ‘to. Five years nung si Kevin muna ang nagpatakbo. And
this is so perfect.

I smiled at the view. Ang ganda eh.

Then I felt someone near my ear.

“Od, will you be a bit nicer? Smile honestly to your staffs. Okay?” I heard Kevin
whispered. Then lumayo sya sa tenga ko to stand beside me, then he held my hands.
“D’you wanna take a rest first? O gusto mo nang makita ang barkada mo? Or d’you
wanna have a tour around?”

“Can you please get your hands off of mine, first? Nagfi-feeling ka nanaman na
boyfriend kita eh.” then I rolled my eyes to him.

“Hindi nga. Kasi susunod na tayo kela Alyssa. Tayo ang susunod na gagamit ng
Holland Resort sa wedding natin.” Ugh?! Kapal! Napaharap ako sa kanya and he’s
giving me his infamous killer smile.

“Asa ka pa!” I threw him my bags sabay walkout.

Hah. That wuss. That man... Hay... I really admire him for being so persistent. I
admit it, I like Kevin, and I’m close to falling for him. But I’m still afraid to
fall in love. Lalo na sa tulad nya. He’s like Jin, a playboy. Pero tulad din ni
Jin, he fell in love with me.

HAY EWAN. BAKIT PA KASI AKO BUMALIK NG PILIPINAS EH. I miss Venice and Maze
already. :(

So I took a walk on the beach first. Libot libot lang. Though the hotel looked
different, ang beach ay ganun pa rin. Malamang! Pano mababago ang beach? Duh!
I stopped under the shade of a tree. Ang init kaya! Tapos nakaka-relax pa yung
ambiance dito. I was about to sit on the sand when I heard familiar voices.

“Ah ganon? Eh bat kaya hindi ikaw ang mag-flashback ng nangyari five years ago?
Para naman madamdam natin lahat ng paghihirap. Di ba guys?” I know that voice. Si
Lance ‘yon.

Sumilip ako sa other side ng tree. Only to find the BOYS having fun. Buti nila nila
ako nakita agad. But I guess not all of them. Si Gerald kasi natanaw ako.
Sinenyasan ko sya na wag akong ituro.

“Oo nga Vince! Dali!” that’s Jun.

“Since nagka-share-an na din ng mga problema sa babae, go na.” and that’s Henry.

“Damay damay ‘to. Dalian mo!” that’s Ivan.

Napatingin ako kay Lance, na... nakita na din pala ako. Sinenyasan ko rin agad
syang wag akong ituro. Good thing he got it.

But he spoke while looking at me, “Spill mo na kung bat hindi ka sinipot ng kapatid
ko sa kasal nyo.”

And then I confirmed it. Si Vince nga ‘tong lalaking nakasandal sa puno. :( All
those memories... ugh!

“Guys, wag nating pilitin si Vince. Compare to your hardships, mas mabigat yung
kanya. Kung ako man si Vince, pag iniwan ako ni Aly sa altar sa kasal namin,
pagkaraan ng limang taon, alam kong hindi pa rin ako makaka-move on.” sabi ni
Gerald.

Err. Why am I eavesdropping here? I should be scolding all of them. Pinagchi-

chismisan nila ako, kami! Pero something’s really stopping me to make a scene here.

“Yun ay kung hindi pa nga nakaka-move on ‘tong si Vince. Eh balita ko nga may
Spanish girlfriend na ‘to eh. Yun ba ang hindi pa nakaka-move on?” sabi naman ni
Lance.

“Gerald’s right, guys. Masakit yung nangyari kay Vince. Let’s just pass him.” sabi
ni Henry.

“Sige! Ganito nalang. Kung ike-kwento mo ang nangyari noon, maniniwala kaming naka-
move on ka na sa utol ko. Pero kung hindi, yari ka sa bastusang asaran pag nagkita-
kita na ang lahat. Ano? Deal?” bakit ba ang sadista mo, Lance? Bwisit ka!
Ayoko na. Natatakot na ‘ko sa susunod na maririnig ko. I stepped back at ready nang
umalis but before I could step another foot, narinig ko syang sumagot.

“It’s been five long years, guys. Move on move on din! Daig nyo pa ‘ko eh. Okay.
Let’s start this with my bachelor’s party...” for five fucking long years, ngayon
ko lang ulit narinig yung boses nya. And guess what, let’s give him a round of
applause. Namiss ko yun eh, yung boses nya. Pero sobrang sakit nung sinabi nya.
It’s like, he’s not hurt.. like he was never hurt.

xxx

I did not attempt to listen to his whole story. Ayoko nga, ano yun? To-torture-in
ko sarili ko? Ever since book 1, I told you, I am born to be a sadist, not a
masochist.

I ran before I could hear his story. I rushed to the nearest CR and composed
myself. Pag labas ko, nakita ko agad palabas sa beach ang mga GIRLS. Yes, my girls.
My peers!

Tumakbo agad ako sa kanila and I hugged them.

“GIRLS!” I shouted behind them.

Sabay sabay naman silang napalingon. Mga five minutes sigurong processing mga utak
nila before nila ma-realize na it’s ME. -_-

Sheeeeeesh.

“OOOODDDDDD!!!!!!!!!” then the rest is history. Syempre, yakapan at gitgitan.

I really missed them. It’s been soooo long since we last met, as in, since were ALL
together, complete.

Nagpaalam na muna ako kay Kevin na I’m just with the girls. Sabi nya, okay daw. May
aasikasuhin lang sya, tapos dinala nya na din daw sa suite ko yung mga gamit ko.

Boyfriend na boyfriend lang! Hahahaha kaya loves ko yang si Kevin eh. He’s all in
one, best friend, kuya, tatay, assistant, at pwede ring... husband. Uuuuuy! I’m
sure kung malaman ni Kevin ‘tong sinasabi ko, I swear, agad agad yun. Tatakbo sa
simbahan. Haha

ANYWAY. Back to my girls. Pumunta kami sa isang kubo sa may beach. SO SO SO far
away from where I saw the boys. Dulo na ata ‘to ng resort eh. We had cocktails pero
yung walang alcohol. Too early to get drunk!
Super namiss ko talaga ‘tong mga best friends ko! As in. I had no communications
with them for the past five years. Believe it or not, pinagtaguan ko talaga sila.

“Seriously, nakakainis ka, Od! Alam mo ba yun? We always plan to have a get
together pero lagi ka talagang may reason. Hide and seek lang ang peg?! We tried
reaching you pero everytime na pupunta kaming New York, lagi ka namang busy, if
not, nasa ibang bansa. Tell us, pati ba samin may galit ka?” hah! Namiss ako ni
Eunice. Ayaw pang diretsuhin ehh.

Pero namiss ko talaga yang taklesang babaeng yan. My trash talker partner.

“It’s not that I’m mad with you guys. Masyado lang akong focus sa pag-aaral ang
pagiging mommy kela Ven and Maze. Naman! Nag-aaral ako tapos nag-aalaga ng mga
bata. Wala na ‘kong time sa mga ganun.” Defense ko. Woo sana kumagat kay Eunice.

“Wag mo kaming lokohin, Maria Odette Lopez! You graduated on your two-year Business
Administration course in SU Chicago three years ago! At wag mo ring idahilan ang
mga anak mo dahil their yayas are the ones taking care of them, not you.” Ugh,
Aly?!

“Akala mo ba hindi namin alam? My gosh, pano mo nagawa saming isekreto na nagmo-
model ka sa clothing line ni Tiffanies a Japan? Kung hindi pa kami bumisita sa
Japan nun, hindi pa namin malalaman!” How did Zi knew about that?

Well, sabi nga nila bumisita sila sa Japan.                                       

“Just admit it, girl. Umiiwas ka, umiwas ka. Pati kami iniwasan mo. Ang daya mo!”
then Aly pouted.

“Nakakainis ka. Pati kami dinadamay mo sa galit mo kay Vince! It’s so unfair. Tapos
kay Tif at Jin ka lang magpapakita?!” ayan nanaman po ang isip batang si Zia. Akala
ko naman nag-mature na ‘to.

“OKAY OKAY! Stop interrogating, okay? Fine! Umiwas ako. Aren’t you guys aware of
what I’ve been through? I just want to forget. That’s why I cut every connection
here in Philippines. I had no idea na naghiwa-hiwalay rin pala kayo. I had no idea
na pumunta palang Spain si Vince. Akala ko he’s still here kaya hindi ako
nagpaparamdam dito.” I explained.

Yes, umiwas ako kasi akala ko nandito pa si Vince sa Pilipinas. As much as

possible, gusto kong putulin lahat ng connection ko sa kanya. For the past five
years tinatak ko na sa isip at puso ko na wala nang Vince na nag-exist sa buhay ko.

It was late when I learned from Kevin na nagpunta palang Spain si Vince to pursue
his career in photography, at the same time, to manage Luminary Spain.

Kaya ngayon lang rin ako nagka-chance na magpakita sa barkada.

“I’m sorry guys. Kung pati kayo nadamay. I’m sure you understand me, right?” then I
gave them my apologetic look.

“Yes, we do. Pero you know what’s wrong? Yung ilayo mo yung mga anak ni Vince sa
kanya. Vince is still their father.” Eunice

That caught me off guard. Yang idea na ‘yan ang super kong kinatatakutan for the
past five years. Natakot akong one day, dumating nalang si Vince sa New York, at
isumbat sakin yung paglayo ko sa anak namin sa kanya. I’m afraid. I’m afraid
because I know I’m wrong.

I was left speechless. Hindi na din naman sila nangulit pa. Maybe they know I’m
guilty.

“Nako nako nako! Stop poiting out mistakes, Eunice Alvarez! Kung maka you know
what’s wrong ka kay Od. Ikaw nga ‘tong nagsinungaling sa asawa eh.” Aly broke the
ice.

Whew. Thanks, girls! :) They’re still the best girl friends I ever had.

Tinignan ko naman si Eunice ng akin interrogating smile. Time to turn tables. And I
need lots of kwentos!

I actually heard once kay Kevin about sa almost breaking up issue nitong si Ivan
and Eunice. Pero hindi ko na pinakwento yung whole story kasi I’m afraid na baka
kasama sa picture si Vince.

But now, it’s time to know.

“Alam mo Alyssa Wong, kung hindi ka lang ikakasal ipapabaon na kita dito sa sand.
You know we already forget that issue, right?” hah, the bitch’s back!

“Can you tell the story again, Eunice? For me? You owe me that kwento!” pa-cute ko
naman. Hahaha sana effective kay Eunice.

“Ayoko! I moved on. We all moved on from that.” Eunice

Aish! Tigas ng ulo.

“Just spill it! Kwento lang eh!” Zia

[EUNICE’S POV]
Wow! Thank you, Zia ha? Kwento LANG pala eh. Humanda ka sakin mamaya.

“Ah sus. Kwento LANG pala eh. Sure. But let’s have a deal. Hindi lang ako ang magi-
spill dito. You have to tell that epic cheating you did to Jun TOO. Deal?”

“DEAL! Hahahaha” sagot nila Aly and Od.

Of course Aly would agree. Wala namang epic almost break up issue yan kay Gerald
eh. Didn’t we mention it before? Perfect couple yan eh. Pero etong si Od? Hah,
makatawa ka pa kaya kung pati ikaw magkwe-kwento? Hahahaha

“Ay, wag nalang pala. Hehe! Sarap ng mango smoothie!” Zia

“Ang daya!” Odette

“Zia, pumayag ka na. Then Od have to share her runaway drama five years ago. Don’t
you think it would be fun?” I added

Automatic! Hahaha biglang nagbago expression ni Od. Syempre dapat fair. If I have
to tell my lying thing, then they have to tell theirs.

“O-Oy! Bat pati ako? Sapakin kita eh!” wow. Od’s really Od.

“DO IT. FOR ME! :) This would be the best wedding gift you’ll give me.” Alyssa

Sana naman pagbigyan nila yung ikakasal di ba?

Nagkatinginan yung dalawa (Zia & Odette). Nagpaawa pa! Hindi naman effective. Like
duh. Boyfriends—I mean EX boyfriends lang nila ang tinatablan ng ganyan nila. And
bitch please, 24/25 years old na kami! Hindi na kami teenagers for that pa-cute
stuff!

“Pretty please, pretty ladies?” pilit ni Aly.

“Fine” walang ganang sagot nung dalawa.

Yes! I won! Nag-apir naman kami ni Aly.

“Okay, mauna ka Eunice.” ako naman ‘tong biglang nag-back off ang smile. -_-

Pero since POV ko naman din ‘tong nakasalang, fine.

*flashback

Well, after college I pursue my photography and filmography field. I was a

landscape photographer who does galleries. And I also do indie films. Then one day
(in the past) nakausap ko si Vince who was already in Spain nung time na ‘yon.
Gusto daw ng pinsan ni Ivan (who is also a boss in Luminary Spain) na ako ang
maging cover girl sa anniversary issue ng magazine nila.

At dahil gusto ko rin, at hindi naman ako makatanggi kay Vince at sa pinsan nila,
pumayag na ‘ko. Without telling my husband.

Then I went to Spain to do the shoot. Sabi k okay Ivan, photography seminar ang
pupuntahan ko. And I swear to every god and goddess, sobrang guilty ako. It was the
first tima na magsinungaling ako kay Ivan. Hindi ko sinabi sa kanya kasi I’m sure
hindi naman sya papaya. The theme of the shoot is too sexy. According to the
contract I signed, may makakasama akong guy.

At the day of the shoot, the first part went well. Not until when the second part
was about to start. Bigla nalang out of nowhere ay lumabas si Ivan. Nagwawala. At
binugbog nya yung male model na kapartner ko.

Ewan! My mind went blackout that time. Hindi ko sya ineexpect sa Spain. Ang alam ko
nasa Pilipinas sya, busy sa airlines.

He pulled me back at the hotel at don ako nag-explain. Kasama nya rin pala si Irish
don. Pero wala, hindi ko rin nakita ang anak ko. When I explained everything to
Ivan, lalo syang nagalit. Sa sobrang galit nya, iniwan nya ‘ko sa Spain.

The next day, they flew back to Manila.

Sa sobrang hiya ko kay Ivan, nawalan ako ng lakas ng loob bumalik ng Manila. So I
stayed in Barcelona for a month. Not until ma-convince ako ni mommy na bumalik. I
went back... to my family’s house.

Halos three months pa din akong hindi nagpakita kay Ivan. I’m afraid. I’m scared.
Ayokong hiwalayan nya ‘ko but by the looks of it, mukhang ganon na din ang
nangyayari.

Until I received a letter from his lawyer. My jaw fell when I learned that it was
an annulment paper. Sa sobrang kaba ko, lalo akong nawalan ng gana sa buhay. As in,
I felt like I’m dying.

Sa sobrang pagsisisi ko sa ginawa ko, it took me another month bago ko napuntahan

si Ivan. I swear kung hindi pa ‘ko napilit ni mommy, at kung hindi pa nagpadala ng
another paper yung lawyer nya, hindi talaga ako magpapakita. Pero my mother’s
right. Baka lalong mawalan ng pagasa kung hindi ko pa kakausapin si Ivan.
So I did. Bumalik ako sa bahay namin.

Only to find him seductively lying on our bed with just his boxers. I was staring
at him for a minute or two before I went back to reality. I showed him the
annulment papers he sent me and started mumbling things I don’t even know where I
got.

Pero napatahimik nalang ako when he started laughing like a retard. It’s like a
really hilarious thing happened.

Kinuha nya sakin yung paper and ripped it into pieces. At tsaka nya inamin sakin na
those papers were just pranks. Prank para magpakita ako sa kanya.

And you know what happened next? Izzy, our second child, was made... :)

*end of flashback

“O, edi ikaw na may hot night ending! Bwitet.” Tamo ‘tong si Zia. Medyo may
tililing ba ‘to?

Sya ‘tong gusto akong mag-kwento tapos ngayon... hay whatever. Palibhasa inggit.

[ZIA’S POV]

Err. Nakakainis talaga! Nainggit nanaman ako kay Eunice.

Why? E kasi, yung akala naming hopeless marriage nila ni Ivan, ayun, nasundan pa ng
another reason to stay. Nakakainis kasi... SUCCESSFUL pa rin ang marriage nila.
Nakakainis kasi, they’re happy. And I’m not.

Oh, no! I mean, I am. Pero every time maalala ko yung reaction ni Jun noon, hay...

“Alam mo kasi, Zi. I just lied. I did not cheat.” kita naman sa mukha ni Eunice na
nangiinis sya.

I know napaka-harsh nun pero what can I do? May point naman sya eh. Admitting you
lied is way better than cheating.

“Lie? Cheat? Oh please, parepareho pa ring kasalanan ‘yan. It’s still a way of
being unfaithful to your partner. Okay?” napatingin naman ako kay Od.

She’s serious. I mean, she looks like she’s bitching pero alam ko serious ‘yon.
“Aww. Na-touch ako. Leche! At least we ended up being TOGETHER. Si Ivan kasi,
marunong magpatawad. Because love sees nothing, even sin. Hindi tulad mo, ang OA.
Parang wala kang pagmamahal sa taong iniwan mo.” mataray naman na sagot ni Eunice
sa sinabi ni Od.

I can see na sobrang napikon si Od sa sinabi ni Eunice. She’s being too

straightforward.

“Quit bitching around, Eunice. It’s not funny anymore. And don’t you dare tell me
that what I did to him is wrong. Because there’s no sin in this world that’s
right.” Odette

“I am so much aware of that, because as I’ve said in my story, I also committed a

sin called ‘lying’. But you know what’s the difference? It is how the victim
understood the sin.” Eunice

“Not all victims are like Ivan. There are two types of victims, the tough ones and
the weak ones. I belong to the tough, and Ivan belongs to the weak. Weak victims
always let the sinner take over them, and tough victims don’t.” Odette

“Know what? The way you reacted to my opinion simply states that your hide and seek
peg for the past five years was nothing. You don’t look moved on.” Eunice

Sheeeeesh! Bakit sila nagaaway ng ganito? Tinignan ko si Aly. She’s also worried.

I swear, ngayon lang nagsagutan ng ganito ‘tong dalawang ‘to. For all we know,
partners-in-crime sila sa pangta-trashtalk, right? Pero ba’t ngayon sila ang magka-
trashtalk?

Eto naman kasing si Eunice eh! Parang hindi alam na sensitive yung issue ni Od. :|
Kung ano ano pa sinasabi.

“GIRLS. Stop it. Baka kung san pa umabot ‘to. We’re just doing this para magki-
catch up sa isa’t isa, okay? I’m sure you won’t start some cheap catfight here.”
Finally, pinigilan na sila ni Aly.

They were both stopped by what Aly said. Good thing they still listens!

Pareho lang silang napayuko then nagkatinginan nalang kami ni Aly. Tinignan ko
naman ulit si Eunice, nakatingin sya kay Od. Same as Od to her. Maya maya,
napangiti na sila sa isa’t isa.

“Alam nyo, para kayong baliw. The first minute nagbabangayan kayo. Then the second,
nagngingitian. You’re creeping us out!” reklamo ko.
“I’m sorry.” naka-smile naman na sabi ni Eunice.

“Forgiving is automatic to the four of us, right?” then Od winked.

“Ay ewan ko sa inyo! Please, proceed Zi?” at sakin naman tumingin si Aly.

-_- Okay, my turn. So here, I’m gonna tell you my cheating story.

*flashback

Three years ago, I decided to start working. I worked in a different company, hindi
sa family company namin. Gusto ko kasing maging successful from my own hardships.
Hindi yung instant boss nang walang pinagdadaanan.

Well, life went well. Okay naman sa parents ko yung decision ko. Jun contradicted
me pero hindi naman sya mananalo sakin eh.

But a year after, troubles started to show up and ruin everything I have. One day,
nagising nalang ako may gusto na ‘ko sa boss ko. He’s on the same age as me, young
businessman. He’s nice, he’s mature, and he’s dedicated. In other words, he’s
totally Jun’s opposite.

And then the next day, I fell for him.

We started dating together, yung walang ibang kasama, walang friends, walang
officemates. It’s just dating, we’re not yet in a relationship.

Pero I came to the point na naguguluhan na ‘ko. Mahal ko si Jun, he’s the one who
helped me to move on from Henry. Pero mas sumasaya ako sa boss ko. Pag kasama ko si
Jun, I’m stressed! I feel like I’m a baby sitter. Feeling nya kasi teenager pa din
sya. No work, no career. Just having fun. Unlike my boss, na sobrang mature na mag-
isip.

I kept the present, as if not afraid of what might happen on the future. I still go
out with my boss on my boyfriend’s back. Wala naman kasing gulo. Hindi naman
nalalaman ni Jun.

Not until THAT night came. Nagdi-dinner kami ng boss ko. Masaya. We’re happily
chatting, enjoying the food. Tapos biglang dumating si Jun. He’s so mad. Binugbog
nya yung boss ko. He really made a scene. Nang mapuruhan nya na ang boss ko, tsaka
nya ‘ko kinaladkad sa parking lot sa labas.

I confessed. Everything. Sinabi kong I’m already falling for my boss.

Akala ko pa naman mas gagaan yung pakiramdam ko nun kasi nasabi ko na sa kanya.
Wala na ‘kong tinatago eh. Pero mas masakit pala. Hindi ko kinaya yung reaction
nya. He really broke down into tears. I swear hindi biro yung lungkot at guilt na
nakuha ko as I watch him weep in pain. Sa sobrang galit nya, he even made five cars
in that parking lot broken.

The next day nalaman ko nalang nalulugi na ang company namin (my boss’s). I asked
what happened and he told me na binawi ng investors ang investments nila. Sa
pamumuno ng Alvarez GOC.

Sinugod ko agad si Ivan as soon as I heard the news. Alam kong sya ang may pakana
nun. And I’m sure this is connected to what happened betweent me and Jun. Yun pa?
Kilala nyo naman ang pagkakaibigan ng mga boys di ba? Once na masaktan ang isa,
lahat re-resbak.

When I came to their building, naabutan ko lahat ng boys sa office nya. The looked
tensed, panicking, and nervous. Lahat may hawak na phone at may tinatawagan, yung
iba nasa harap ng laptop.

Hindi ko na nagawang awayin si Ivan nun. Dahil sa pinagkakaabalahan nila. Not that
I’m afraid to disturb them but because of the reason why they are busy. Busy sila
sa paghahanap kay Jun.

A month after, nalaman nalang namin kay Jin na nasa France na si Jun.

*end of flashback

“My god, Zerena Cruz! How the hell could you do that to Jun? Alam mo namang sobrang
mahal ka nung tao.” Err. Ang lakas maka-konsensya nitong si Od ha.

But I cannot blame her. Ang epic naman kasi ng ginawa ko kay Jun. And I admit it,
until now, nako-konsensya pa din ako. Guilt is killing me to the bones.

“That’s what we told her.” Eunice

Napayuko na ‘ko sa hiya. But I held my head up again.

“Girls! I told you, I was wrong. And I admit it. Doesn’t have to slap it on my face
again and again.”

I’m really wrong. Wrong!!!!!!! Wrong for hurting Jun. Alam ko kung gano nya ‘ko
kamahal, minahal. Ako yung babaeng sineryoso nya aside from Eunice eh. Ako yung
babaeng nagawa nyang ipaglaban eh. Pero niloko ko pa rin sya.

[ODETTE’S POV]
“Don’t call it a mistake, Zia. Because if you do, then we will assume that you’re
not happy with Gian. If you’re happy, you wouldn’t take everything that happened as
a mistake, but a blessing in disguise that brought Gian to your life.” seryosong
sabi ni Aly kay Zi.

Wait, who’s Gian?

“Who’s Gian?” I asked, cluelessly.

“Edi ang lalaking pinagpalit ni Zia kay Jun. Her boss.” Eunice

“So, moving on..?” err. Zi is such a bitch.

Para matapos ang topic tungkol sa kanya, ipina-pass nya na sakin ang throne. I just
looked away. As if I have no idea what’s going on.

Kaso lahat na sila tinignan ako ng ‘your-turn’ look. -_- Oh my gosh! No other way
of escaping.

I smiled awkwardly. And my eyes are begging them, to let me pass. I’m really not
yet ready to throwback on that event.

“G-Guys—“

I was about to tell them I can’t do it pero may bigla namang umepal. Two girls.

“Hay nako, Tiffanie Laurent. Please. Tigilan mo ‘ko. It’s like ikaw lang ang
awkward ngayon!” tinignan namin yung dalawang babae na umappear sa harap ng kubo.
Prei and Tif. Tumabi si Prei kay Aly.

“Oh my gosh! Akala ko hindi kayo makakapunta eh!” Aly

“Not me. Eto kasing si Tif eh, masyadong pa-teenager! Ayaw makita si Jin. Ang
bitter lang.” Prei

“I’m not bitter! I’m just—“ Tif

“You’re just gonna tell us the story why Jin and you broke up MONTHS ago. Right
girls?” I cut her out.

Am I too evil? Sorry, have to pass the throne to these two single ladies.

“WAIT WHAT?!” Tif

“Zia’s story is too dramatic. Ubos na ang drinks. I’m gonna go get some, okay? Wait
for me.” and wooosh, I escaped!

Pumunta ako sa restaurant to have our drinks refilled at nag-order na din ako ng
additional two for Tif and Prei. And how cruel fate it? I just saw the boys coming.

Sabi ko di ba ayoko munang makita nila ako? Umurong agad ako at nagtago sa may
poste.

“Miss, here’s your order.” the bartender gave me the tray with six glasses of
smoothie.

“Thanks” at naglakad na ‘ko ng dahan dahan para hindi ako mapansin ng mga boys.

Pero what’s the point of hiding? Wala naman yung tinataguan ko dun. I mean, Vince
is not with them. I wonder if he’s looking for me—HAH! Dream on, Odette. Why would
he? Hindi mo ba sya narinig kanina? He. Has. Moved. On. No more buts, no more ifs.
DONE!

Malapit na ‘ko sa may pinto ng restaurant when I looked back at the boys again. To
check if may nakakita but good thing wala nama—SHIT! Pag harap ko sa harap ko,
muntik nang mahulog yung dala ko. Good thing—no, this is a bad thing.

Mababangga ko na sana yung lalaki pero buti naman napaatras sya agad. But, he’s
holding my hand. I mean, the tray, no, the hand. No. Argh!

Stares. Stares. Stares.

IT’S REALLY MY HAND!

Hinawi ko agad yung kamay ko for him to let it go. Huhuhu! Of all the people, bakit
si Vince pa ang nakasalubong ko?!

“I-I’m sorry” he stuttered.

I was caught off guard to what he said.

Sorry? Sorry for what? For cheating on me five years ago?

I flashed him my ‘for-what’ look.

“I’m sorry, did I startle you?” he repeated. Clearer.

Oh boy. Bakit ko naman ieexpect na magso-sorry sya dahil sa ginawa nya sakin five
years ago sa ganitong pagkakataon? Ang lakas mo namang umasa, Od. And please be
mindful that HE HAS MOVED ON. HE HAS FUCKING MOVED ON. So you better do too.

I held my head up. Yung parang nothing affects me. The Od he knew. Maybe I should
thank Eunice for turning on my ‘bitchesa mode’.

“Yes. You’re face is still a scary, disgusting shit. Yes, you startled me. Excuse
me.” then I strode pass him.

Whooooooooooooo! Boo hoo!

[PREI’S POV]

“Alam nyo, ang daya nyo! Bakit pati ako sinasali nyo sa kalokohan nyong ‘yan? Mga
sadista ba kayo?” I screamed.

Hands down lang ako sa idea nila. Nakakairita sa sobrang ganda! Mag-flashback ba ng
‘breaking up’ issues?

Kumuha agad ako ng smoothie as soon as Odette came back. Pero napansin ko agad
‘tong isang ‘to ha? Kanina before she left medyo okay naman pero bakit parang
naging off ang mood nya?

“Wag kang KJ. Okay? As if you were really hurt.” Eunice

“Kung meron mang taong mahihirapan magkwento ng nangyari sa inyo, it should be

Lance. Kasi sya yung iniwan mo. Iniwan mong broken into pieces ang puso sa harap ng
Eiffel Tower. Iniwan mo sa city of love. Ok?” Zia

“Od, are you ok?” Aly

Tinignan naming lahat si Od. See? Hindi lang ako ang nakapansin! Everybody does.
Nung nakita nya kaming nakatingin sa kanya, she started composing herself.

“Yeah. I just... I just saw some disgusting shit.” sounds convincing.

WOOPS. Mukhang alam ko na kung sino ang tinutukoy ni Od. Maybe it’s my cousin. I
mean, VM, not Ivan.

Our faces were asking for more. Kaya naman nagsalita na ulit si Od.
“Okay fine. I saw Vince. He talked to me, and I trash talked him. Happy? Now,
moving on to Ms Prei Alvarez’s epic Eiffel Tower break up?” wow. She passed the
stare on me.

Urgh. Why me again?! Pero sige na nga. Seems like Od really want to get rid of the
topic.

*flashback

Lance waited for me to finish college before he chose what his career path would
be. Gusto nya kasi magkasama pa rin kami. He wanted to do modeling and I wanted
designing. Pinapili pa nya ‘ko ng field eh ipiplit rin pala nyang mag-modeling ako
like him.

Even though I wanna build up my own clothing line, I ended up in modeling with him.
It’s fine. I enjoyed it.

But not when I felt I’m already being controlled. Napapansin ko kasi si Lance na
medyo mahigpit. I mean, he’s like my manager. No, he’s worse than my manager. He
forbids me to take solo projects. Gusto nya pag nagmo-model ako, kasama sya. Pero
pag sya may solo, okay lang. I mean, like what the fuck is that?

Ayaw nya rin akong pine-pair sa ibang male models. Sa kanya lang. E di ba kasama sa
career ng modeling ang ma-pair ka sa iba?

Nakakainis sya. Nasasakal ako. That’s why I decided to breakaway. I want to be

free. I graduated Fashion and Design for nothing. And I don’t wanna be a controlled
model for the rest of my life.

I felt everything in my life is going wrong kaya naman before it’s too late,
nakipag break na ‘ko. I did not mean to be so harsh pero dun ko kasi na-feel yung
‘sobra na’. Dun sa shoot namin sa Paris.

Believe it or not, hindi ko piniling makipag break sa Paris. I had no plans of

breaking his heart in the city of love, in front of the Eiffel Tower. It just
happened.

Pero what broke my heart is nung sinumbat nya saking puro kaartehan daw ako. May
nalalaman pa daw akong nasasakal ako. Masakit na isipin nyang gusto ko lang maging
boyfriend yung isang French model kaya ako nakipag break.

I love him. I love him so much. Witness kayo dun di ba? Gusto ko lang kumawala sa
kanya. Not for myself, but for the both of us. Pakiramdam ko kasi hindi na tama
yung pagikot ng mundo namin. Parang saming dalawa nalang umiikot yung mundo namin.
And it’s not right. Yun ang rason ko.

Pero yung ipagpilitan nyang I have someone else? Bullshit.

It hurts big time. Na until now, hindi ako maka-move on. I want him back pero kung
puro pride at ego nya pa rin ang pinapairal nya, I won’t be back.

*end of flashback

“Happy? Thanks for making me tear again.” I rolled my eyes, grabbed a tissue and
wiped a tear on my cheeks.

Ni-rub naman ni Tif yung likod ko.

“Of all the stories I heard this afternoon, ikaw lang ang may tamang rason, Prei.”
Od

I looked at her. Buti naman naiintindihan nya ‘ko. Akala ko ipagtatanggol pa nya
yung may topak nyang kapatid eh.

“You admitted it, you want him back. But that’s if marealize nya yung mali sa
kanya. Eh pano kung mare-realize nya lang ‘yon kung may magsasabi sa kanya?” Aly

Is she saying na kailangan ko pang lumapit kay Lance at batukan sya at sabihing,
“Oy Lance. Pwede bang mag-mature ka na? Tsaka kita babalikan.”. Is she nuts?

[TIFFANIE’S POV]

“Don’t you remember how Lance realized that he is already in love with you? Well,
kinwento mo lang sakin ‘to. Di ba sabi mo, her friend (Georgina) tried slapping his
head; emotionally, mentally and even physically over and over again before nya ma-
realize na in love na pala sya sa’yo? What if it really takes him millions of slaps
before he realizes his mistakes? Then you’ll wait for millions of people to slap
his head? What if there was never one to do it?” I said.

I don’t know where it came from pero that’s what I feel, and what came into my
mind.

Prei told me na Lance is kinda slow in these things daw. Kundi pa daw kay Georg,
hindi pa malalaman ni Lance na he’s already in love with Prei.

Everyone stopped at my sudden speech. Is there anything wrong from what I said? Or
did I just hit bull’s eye?

“Alam mo, may point ka, Tif. Pero what if...” Prei paused, wiping her tears, “What
if ikaw naman ang mag-kwento ng break up nyo ni Jin?”
Oh s—WHAT?!

“A-ANO?!”

“Di ba? It’s a deal. It’s a must. I told my story, so it’s just fair if you tell
yours too. After all, no one knows why you two broke up.” Prei

Eeeeeehhhhhh! Why Prei?! I thought we’re a team here? WHY?!

“Right! Yeah, I know it’s just because of a girl, but, why don’t you tell them?”
Odette

“I’m not telling my story. First, I’m sure sasabihin nyo lang sakin that I’m so
mababaw. Second, it’s too fresh! Compared to yours guys!”

“Ang daming arte, Tiffanie Laurent! Dali na. Spill it, or I’ll call Jin right now
who just texted me that he arrived?” Eunice said while scribbling something on her
phone.

“Err. FINE!” No choice. :(

*flashback

Huhu! I really don’t want to tell our story. I’m scared. I’m scared to be blamed as
‘mababaw’ and ‘over reaction’. But, as you all please.

This is really mababaw. And expected. But this is so painful! First time ginawa
sakin ni Jin ‘to. Well, I am, so as you are all, aware that he’s a ‘playboy’,
right? Pero ever since kasi na ipinublicize namin yung relationship namin, he never
became the same old “playboy” Jin again.

He became a one-woman man.  As in, no other girls anymore.

But that’s what I thought. Our relationship was in good terms, not until three
months ago.

We went to New York for a shoot for my clothing line wherein Odette is our model. I
brought him with me since he wanted to meet her best friend (Odette) too. It’s no
biggie. I know they’re just purely friends.

Anyway. I was busy with my work by that time, preparing the wardrobe and fixing
everything. I was so tired, exhausted and stressed when I went to the make-shift
dressing room.
Only to find my husband not only checking out, not only kissing, but dressing
(knotting) the bikini of the model. And after he knotted it, he turned her around
and started making out!

I wasn’t moving or calling him out. I froze! I was just back to reality when
someone, actually it’s Odette, came calling me. Dun lang din natauhan si Jin and
the model. Their expressions were panicking.

We were all staring for a moment when I lost control. I flicked my killer heels and
I approached them. Sinubukan akong harangin ni Jin but he failed. I took a glance
at the coffee I’m holding before showering it to the model’s bare body.

And the next thing Jin knew, he’ll be receiving an annulment paper.

You know what hurts most? It’s when Jin didn’t even bother to explain himself. He
went back to Japan without a word. Without a singe apology.

*end of flashback

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH Epic, Tif! It still tickles me to death!” we all glanced at the

laughing Od.

Urgh! Nakakainis sya. As in through the whole story, nagpipigil na sya. And that’s
how she exactly reacted nung totoong nangyari yon.

“Odette, nothing’s funny.” Aly

“There is. You know what’s funny? Tif’s bitchesa scene. I swear. Kung kayo din yung
nakapanuod ng live don, oh my gosh! The innocent European icon? Being so bitch?!
Hahahaha!” Odette

UGH

Tawa pa rin sya nang tawa while holding her tummy. Really funny eh?

“Alam mo, I think Jin was just seduced, SO MUCH. I mean, natiis nya na yung seven
years na ikaw lang eh. Na ikaw lang yung nahahawakan, nahahalikan at nagagalaw nya.
Tapos bibigay lang sya? I think that model really turned him on, BIGTIME.” Eunice

“Then why didn’t he bother to explain himself?”

“Because he is guilty. He admits that he was seduced. Bakit sya mageexplain? To

defend himself? To lie? Girl, I’ve been telling you this since you broke up. Jin
isn’t the typical guy who would lie just to clean his name. If he’s guilty, he
won’t explain. He’ll let his name be in dirt and disgust. Because he admits what he
have done.” Odette

We all looked at her. Bigla kasing naging serious eh.

[ODETTE’S POV]

“Kaya ba you rejected Vince when he wanted to explain himself? Kasi iniisip mo
na... he will just make lies and clean himself to you?” Eunice

My tongue suddenly backed off. Somehow, tama si Eunice. Ayoko syang mag-explain
noon dahil natatakot ako na baka pagtakpan nya lang ng mga kasinungalingan nya yung
maling nagawa nya. At natatakot ako na baka maniwala ako sa kanya.

“Right.” Napatingin ako kay Aly. “What if, he wanted to explain himself kasi, gusto
nyang aminin na guilty sya at nagsisisi sya? If Jin isn’t the typical guy, hindi ba
pwedeng Vince isn’t also the type of guy Jin is?”

And Aly’s right too. Agh! Naguguluhan na ‘ko!!! Ayoko na. Bakit ba sakin nanaman
bumagsak ‘tong usapan na ‘to?!

“Eh bakit hindi nalang natin tapusin ‘tong trip natin. Since napagusapan na din
naman si Vince, Odette do the honors for the finale.” Sabi ni Zia.

Err. Lakas ng trip nya ha. Minsan talaga medyo lutang ‘to eh no? Can’t she feel na
masyado na ‘kong nato-torture dito?

“Tama. Let’s just refresh the pain of being cheated. Kasi, puro kami ang may
kasalanan sa aming issues eh.” Bitch Eunice

“Fi—“

A-agree na sana ako kaso may biglang dumating.

“I finally found you girls. Kanina ko pa iniikot ‘tong buong resort, andito lang
pala kayo.” Sabi ni Kevin.

I guess, I’m saved by the bell? Bumaba agad ako ng kubo tsaka sumabit kay Kevin, my
forever savior!

“Just in time Kevin! Bored na kami eh. Why don’t you give us a tour around?” sabi
ko.

Sorry girls, I usually don’t play fair.

“WHAT?! Hey ang daya mo. We’re not yet done!” reklamo agad ni Eunice.

“We just had our finale. Right Tif?” then I winked at her.

“Sorry pero kailangan muna nating pumunta sa restaurant. I called the staffs,
kailangan nilang makilala ang big boss. At ang legend ng inyong grupo. So if you
don’t mind?” Kevin

“Panira ka talaga kahit kelan, Kevin. Alam mo yun?” iritang sabi ni Prei.

“Hoy! Ano nanamang ginawa ko sayo? Miss mo lang si Lance e.” Kevin

“PAKYU!” Prei

Kinuha na ni Prei yung bag nya tsaka naunang maglakad. Then sumunod na rin kami.

“By the way, Kevin, Si Tiffanie pala. Yung girlf—I mean ex girlfriend ni Jin.”
Eunice

“Hi Ms Laurent! I’m Kevin. Kevin Wu.” Kevin waved kahit nasa likod namin si Tif.

“Hi. Nice to meet you.” Tif

“Alam nyo girls, excited na ako! Lalo na ngayon, sa pagpunta natin sa restau.”
Kevin

“Bakit naman?” Zia

“Basta. Excited ako. Lalo na para kay Prei, sayo Zia, sayo na din Tiffanie. At
syempre, lalo na akong excited para sayo, Od.” Kevin

“Bakit nga? D’you have a surprise for us single ladies?” Zia, so excited -_-

As if wala kang Gian, Zerena Cruz!

“You’re not single, duh!” Eunice

“Yep, may surprise ako sa inyo.” Kevin

“I think alam ko na kung ano ‘yon, Kevs!” Eunice

“I’m sure pareho tayo ng iniisip, Eunice. Epic! Right?!” Kevin

“OMG. Hot guys?!” Zia

“Tigilan mo nga, Zerena!” Eunice

“But you’re right Zi. They are HOT guys.” Kevin

“Single ladies? Hot men? Oh my Kevin! Ang lakas ng trip mo.” Aly

Okay, sila na nakakabasa ng utak ng isa’t isa. Tawa lang nang tawa ‘tong sila Aly,
Eunice and Kevin......

WAIT.

Single ladies...

Hot men...

OH MY GOSH.

Please tell me it’s not...

“I’m excited to see these single ladies’ reactions, when they finally meet the hot
men... AGAIN.” Kevin said before opening the door of the restaurant.

***

A/N: I'm on HIATUS mode guys. So I dunno when's the next update.

So ngayon alam nyo na ang side ng mga girls ha? Any violent reactions? Jk. Haha!
Ha? Ha? Oo na! Alam ko pambitin sa 'break up' ng MaVince. E.. wala eh, ganyan
author nyo. Haha. Tsaka na. Sabi kasi ni kuya, "sa takdang panahon".

Btw. Kung sa Exo terminologies ay forever ang meaning ng 'soon', sakin naman
forever ang meaning ng 'bukas'. Hahaha! Kaya bukas ako maguupdate ulit. Bleh :p

Basta... abangan nyo sa susunod na update ang UNBEATABLE FACE OFF ng mga mag-e-
exes. K?

Abangan...!
Salamat po sa pag-basa. :)

Vote and comment!

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.03: Unbeatable Face Off.

Chapter 3: Unbeatable Face Off.

[GERALD’S POV]

Bakit nga ba kailangan pang maging awkward ng lahat? Hindi ba pag awkward ibig
sabihin may something pa rin? May nararamdaman pa din? Does this mean... lahat ng
mga ‘to ay hindi pa nakaka-move on?

Mali ba na tipunin namin ni Aly ‘tong mga kaibigan namin ulit? Gusto lang namin
silang lahat makasama sa espesyal na araw namin, pero bakit parang mali ‘tong idea
na ‘to?

I know this would be awkward for all of them... but I never expected this. THIS –
them, fighting as if they were never in love before.

“ANO PA BANG PROBLEMA MO JUN?! Bakit mo ba pinapahiya si Zia ng ganito?!” Eunice

“Pina—pinapahiya? Guys, kinakamusta ko lang sila ng boss nya. Anong pamamahiya

don?” Jun

Biglang tumayo si Zia with her head bowing. Tsaka sya tumakbo paalis ng restaurant.

Ang gago kasi ni Jun. Tanungin ba ang ‘sex life’ ni Zia at Gian?

“Nawalan ka na ba talaga ng respeto sa mga babae, Jun? Is this what you learn from
France?” Prei

“Oy! Makinig ka kay master. Master din yan sa France... master sa pambabastos naman
sa lalaki. Haha!” Lance

“Lance!” Odette
“O? Totoo naman ah? Di ba Prei?” Lance

Tsk. Nginitian pa ng maloko nitong si Lance si Prei. Halata namang nagtitimpi lang
si Prei.

“Know what? Bagay talaga sayo ang maging model.” Prei

“Well, thanks for the compliment, Ms Heartbreaker.” Lance

“Puro looks ka lang kasi. Until now, wala pa ring laman ang utak mo. Nakatapos ka
nga ng college, wala ka naman natutunan.” Prei

“Prei, calm down.” Henry

“Stop jerking around, Lance and Jun.” Odette

Kinuha ni Prei ang bag nya at hinarap ulit si Lance.

“You know what, Lance? I think you need to google the word ‘maturity’. It can help
you. A lot.” Prei

Like Zia, umalis rin si Prei.

Naiwan kaming lahat dito na tulala. Two girls walked out because of these two
jerks. Bakit ganito?

“Susundan ko lang sila.” Tumayo agad si Henry.

“I’ll come with you.” Tiffanie also stood up at sumunod kay Henry.

Nang makaalis na sila, nagulat nalang kami nang biglang ibagsak ni Jin yung fork
nya. Tsaka nya masamang sinundan ng tingin si Tiffanie.

“Ang se-sensitive naman puta. Sila pa may ganang mag-walkout.” Jun

“Say what, Jun?” Eunice

“They are not sensitive. You are just too insensitive.” Aly

“This is not good.” Ivan

Yeah, I guess so. Look at us. Akala ko pa naman magiging maayos naman ‘to kahit
papano. Okay naman kasi kaming boys kanina. When the girls came, mukhang okay din
sila.

Nagkagulo lang nang mag-sama sama kami.

Hindi ba nila pwedeng isantabi yang mga galit nila? Pucha kaya kami magkakasama
ngayon dahil ikakasal kami ni Aly two days from now. Hindi ba nila pwedeng
kalimutan muna yon para samin ni Aly?

“Let’s just rest for a while. Hayaan nyo nalang munang mag-cool down ang lahat.” I
said.

“Maghiwa-hiwalay nalang muna tayo?” Aly

“Wait. No. Alam ko na. Bakit hindi tayo mag-lunch ng magkakasama?” Vince

“Are you crazy or something? Hindi mo ba nakita kung pano magsagutan yung apat?”
Vince suddenly backed off when Odette answered him.

“Od, calm down.” Ivan

Lumapit samin si Kevin holding a mic, pero nabigla sya nang makitang iilan nalang
kami dito.

“Oh? Asan yung iba...?” he asks.

Tumayo na din si Odette at tsaka hinarap si Lance at Jun. “I don’t believe you
guys. Hindi ko akalaing kaya nyong pagsalitaan ng ganon yung mga babaeng minahal
nyo.”

Tumalikod na sya at lalapit na sana kay Kevin when Lance spoke, “Sayo pa talaga
nanggaling ha? Nahiya naman ako sa pakikipag usap mo kay Vince.”

That made her turn back to her brother. She smirked, and the next thing they knew,
namimilipit na si Lance sa sakit ng paa nya. Tinapakan lang naman sya ni Odette
with her wooden wedge.

“Tara na nga, Kevin. Napaka walang kwenta ng mga tao dito e.” sabi nya as she
clings her arms to Kevin, pero lumingon ulit sya samin, “Well except you two
lovers. Iwanan nyo na nga yang mga walang kwentang mga lalaking yan.”

At tuluyan nya na ngang hinila si Kevin palabas ng restaurant.

“FUCK U BITCH!” sigaw ni Lance kahit namimilipit pa dun.

Aish! Bwiset. Pati ‘tong magkapatid na ‘to nag-away pa. Ano ba namang klaseng
reunion ‘to?!

Nagulat nalang kami nang pumasok ulit si Odette, “Fuck you too, bastard brother of
mine. Follow me, we need to talk.”

“Fuck no. Kausapin mo sarili mo!” Lance

*Crash!*

Crap. May lumipad nalang na plato sa table namin. Buti sa gilid lang ni Lance
tumama.

“Papatayin mo ba ako?!” Lance

“Are you gonna come with me? O gusto mong maulanan talaga ng bubog dyan?” Odette

Walang nagawa si Lance. Takot nya lang kay Odette. She already did it, malamang
kaya nyang ulitin yon. Sumunod nalang si Lance sa kanya.

Tsk. Natakot tuloy yung ibang tao dito sa restaurant.

“She became more evil.” We all looked at Vince who suddenly spoke.

“No she didn’t. Masyado ka lang natakot kasi mas kaya nya nang mas maging masama
sayo.” Eunice answered.

xxx

[HENRY’S POV]

Naabutan namin ni Tif sila Zia at Prei sa beach. Si Zia, nasa isang kubo, umiiyak.
Si Prei naman, nasa may shore, naglalaro ng buhangin. Hay. Pano ba ‘to? Ah! Alam ko
na.

Hinarap ko si Tiffanie, “Ganto, ako na ang bahala kay Zia. Ikaw na mag-comfort kay
Prei. Is that ok—“

“No.” umiling iling agad sya na sobrang ayaw nya =_= “I can’t. Uhm, ikaw nalang kay
Prei, ako kay Zia.”

“Huh? Hindi, ako na kay Zia. Ikaw na kay Prei. Mas kilala ko si Zia, at mas kilala
mo si Prei.” Sabi ko.

“Yes, that’s why I don’t want to do it. Kilala ko na si Prei, especially when she’s
mad. She always becomes a monster. I’m sure I can handle Zia. Now go.” Tinulak nya
ako tapos tumakbo na sya sa may kubo, kung nasan si Zia.

Ahy! Hindi naman kami close nitong si Prei e. Malay ko i-comfort ‘to?

Sinundan ko ng tingin si Tiffanie. Pumasok na sya sa kubo, and she’s trying to get
Zia’s attention. Napatingin sya sa gawi ko, at sinenyasan nya akong puntahan na si
Prei.

Pssssh! Bahala na.

Nag-lakad ako papunta kay Prei. Naka-upo lang sya sa buhangin, parang bata na nag-
lalaro ng buhangin.

“P-Prei?” Oo Henry, maririnig ka nyan. Bulungan ba? =_=

Ash! Pano ba ‘to? Tinignan ko ulit si Tiffanie. Cino-comfort nya na si Zia.

Okay. Bahala na.

Umupo ako sa tabi ni Prei. Naramdaman nya siguro kaya napalingon sya sakin. When
she saw me, she flashed me a weak smile. And did I see it right? May luha sa pisngi
nya—Meron nga, umiwas sya agad e. Tapos may pinunasan sya don sa cheeks nya.

Napatingin ako dun sa dalawang babae na mukhang teenagers sa di kalayuan. Naka-

hinto kasi sila, naka-tingin samin. :o

Mahina kong binunggo sa balikat si Prei. “Uy, wag ka na umiyak. Pinagtitinginan ka

ng mga tao.”

“Hindi naman ako umiiyak e. Haha baliw ka ba?” O tignan mo ‘to. Nasabihan pa akong
baliw. =_=

Pagka tapos nun...

. . .
We suffered in a two-minute awkward silence.

Lumingon ako sa may kubo kung nasan sila Tif at Zia—wala na sila don. I bet Tif
already succeeded. Psh—

“Will you do the same thing Lance and Jun did to us when you see Georg again?” Eh?
Tinignan ko si Prei.

Diretso lang yung tingin nya sa dagat. Malungkot.

Kung ganito ang reaction nya, kung umiiyak sya, kung malungkot sya, ibig sabihin...
may nararamdaman pa din sya kay Lance? Mahal pa ba nya si Lance?

Huminga ako ng malalim, “Well, I do—EH?”

Hindi pa ako natatapos mag-salita pero napahinto ako. Nagulat kasi ako sa ginawa ni
Prei. Bigla nalang nya akong niyakap. Ewan ko nga kung pano kasi parang ambilis at
ang tahimik nya gumalaw e.

Nakita ko nalang sya sa harap ko e samantalang andun sya sa gilid ko.

“Prei...”

“. . .”

Hindi na ako nag-abalang mag-salita. Ayun na e. Umiyak na sya bigla.

Pero maya maya nag-salita sya. At hindi pa rin sya humihiwalay sa pagkaka-yakap
sakin. “Henry, alam mo ba yung pinaka-masakit sa break up namin? Yun yung
ipinagdidiinan nyang may iba ako kaya ako nakipag hiwalay. It hurts kasi parang
wala pa din syang tiwala sa pagmamahal ko sa kanya. I did everything, even risk my
studies, for him. Tapos yun yung iisipin nya?”

“. . .” Ako naman ‘tong hindi maka-sagot ngayon. Hindi talaga ako marunong mag-
comfort. Putek.

“To be honest, gustong gusto kong bawiin noon yung sinabi ko sa kanya. I was too
juvenile to break up with him in front of the Eiffel Tower, in the most romantic
city. I never wanted to break his heart. I just want him to grow. But turns out
that everything I planned for our relationship is a big mistake. Leaving him to
grow is not a good idea.”

“. . .”
Did you ever feel that little urge that you want to hug a girl because you felt her
sadness? Yung bang... sa sobrang lungkot nya, gusto mo nalang syang yakapin
habangbuhay, at gusto mong ikaw nalang ang magpasaya sa kanya.

“I love him, still. But—“ Naramdaman ko nalang na lumayo sya sakin.

No. Hindi sya lumayo. May humila sa kanya.

“But this dickhead already made a move on you?” Nakita ko nalang si Lance na
nakatayo sa harap ko, at hawak hawak nya sa wrist si Prei.

“What are you saying?” Sinubukan pumiglas ni Prei pero ang lakas ni Lance e.

Tinignan sya ni Lance. Napa-tahimik agad si Prei dahil sobra talagang nakaka-takot
yung tingin ni Lance.

“Mag-usap tayo.” Hinila ni Lance si Prei paalis.

“No. Bitawan mo ako, Lance! Nasasaktan ako!!! Ano ba!!!” Tili ni Prei habang pilit
pa ding nagpupumiglas kay Lance.

Ewan ko kung pano basta nakita ko nalang sarili ko na hinahabol sila. Hinawakan ko
sa braso si Lance. “Lance, wag mong saktan si Prei.”

“Wow. Ano Henry? Niyakap ka lang nahulog ka na? Tantanan mo please.” Lance

“What?” Me

“Wag kang makealam.” Tsaka nya ako malakas na tinulak.

[PREI’S POV]

“Wag kang makealam.” Tinulak ni Lance si Henry, and the he dragged me.

Nagulat pa ako kasi bigla syang tumakbo. Dahil don, napatakbo na din ako. Or else,
makakaladkad ako ng isang ‘to—Teka?! Why am I running with him anyway?

Balak ko palang huminto at pumiglas ng malakas pero bigla na kaming huminto. Andito
kami sa part ng beach na may mga Bangka at mga bangkero (is that what you call
those men na nagda-drive ng Bangka? I’m sorry I don’t know).

Without letting go of my wrist, may binulong sya don sa lalaki tapos nag-abot sya
ng bills kay manong. Tapos umalis na sya.
“Sakay.” He commanded with such an authority.

Malakas kong binawi yung kamay ko, but he’s too strong. “I don’t want!”

“Manong teka!” Tinawag nya ulit si manong, bumalik naman. “Paki-tulak na po muna sa
may gitna.” And so the manong did.

Habang naglalaban kami ni Lance dito, nadala na nga ni manong yung Bangka sa may
medyo ginta. Enough for the boat to not touch the sand anymore.

“Sumama ka nalang kung ayaw mong masaktan, okay?” Sabi ni Lance.

“What are you? Some kind of cheap kidnapper? Hindi kita sinaktan, Lance. Kaya wag
na wag kang gaganti ng ganito. Pag ako talaga nakawala dito, ipapakulong kita.
Sasampahan kita ng attempted murder. I swear to God!” I kept on slapping him pero
what can my skinny body do against his muscular arms?

“PWEDE BA TUMAHIMIK KA? PUTANGINA NAKAKARINDI KA ALAM MO BA YON?!” Wtf?! D-did he

just curse me?!

“FUCK YOU. Just let me go—Oomph!” Hindi na ako nakapalag. I felt his lips... on
mine.

Yes, he fucking kissed me.

“Edi nanahimik ka. Tara na.” Is he effin’ crazy?

Okay, this is not just attempted murder. This is rape.

Hinila nya na ulit ako papunta don sa Bangka. Pero ayoko. He might rape me in the
middle of the sea and he’s gonna kill me and throw me. Omfg. Ganito ba sya kagalit
sakin?

Naghalo-halo na yung inis, galit, takot at etc. ko. Malakas ko na talagang binawi
yung kamay ko sa kanya, and I won.

“I know I broke your heart in the city of love. Tatanggapin ko kung murahin mo ako,
pagsabihan ng masasamang salita, or laiitin. Pero hindi ako papaya na—“

“Yes you broke my heart. And now you have to take the responsibility of fixing it.”

WH-WHAT?!
O_O

Seriously. My eyes grew wider. Is it... is it... it’s cheesy.

Eh? The sea suddenly turned upside down. Bakit napunta yung dagat sa taas? Yung
bundok bumaliktad din. No. Ako ang bumaliktad! Binuhat ako ni Lance sa balikat nya
at tsaka ako dinala sa Bangka.

Pagka lapag nya sakin don, nagmadali na din syang sumakay. Tapos tinulungan sya ni
manong na mapaandar yon.

“L-Lance, what are you... up to?” I stuttered.

“. . .” I am seriously scared. Not until he lift his head. Bakas sa mukha nya yung
seriousness. “I badly need you... to fix me.”

xxx

[ZIA’S POV]

“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay?” Siguro pang-17 na tanong na sakin ni Tiffanie
‘to.

We’re already here in our room at nag-aayos ako ng gamit. I’m planning to take a
bath para mawala din yung bad vibes sa katawan ko. Pero etong si Tiffanie still
worried.

She’s sitting on her bed, nilapitan ko sya.

“I’m completely fine, Tif. No worries, okay?” I told her. “Magsha-shower na muna
ako.”

I was about to enter the bathroom nang may maalala ako. Hinarap ko ulit si
Tiffanie.

“Alam ko na! We haven’t eaten lunch yet, right? Alam mo, mas gumagaan ang
pakiramdam ko pag kumakain ako. Why don’t you reserve a kubo and order foods for
us? Just text me the infos and susunod ako. Okay?” I said.

“You sure? I can wait for you here if you want.” Tif

“No, I’m fine. Go. Bumaba ka na. Mabilis lang ako.” Tapos pumasok na ako sa
bathroom.

Hay... :(

To be honest, I’m still not fine. Sino ba naman ang magiging okay after ng ganong
conversation with your ex? I am so much hurt nung tinanong nya ang ‘sex life’ namin
ni Gian.

It was like, para kasing pinapalabas nya na sex lang ang habol namin sa isa’t isa
e. And, I never saw that coming. Akala ko worst na yung hindi ako pansinin ni Jun
e. May mas wo-worst pa pala dun.

Sigh.

I dip myself into the bathtub. Relaxing, kahit papano.

Habang nagre-relax ako dito sa bathtub, naisip ko. How am I gonna face him after
that? Ni hindi ko nga alam kung makakayanan ko pa syang harapin eh. I am so much
embarrassed.

I am mad. Nabastos ako e. But I can’t be angry at him. Hindi ko alam kung bakit
pero hindi ko talaga makuhang magalit sa kanya.

*Bam!*

Eh?

I was aroused when I heard a noise from the room. Bumalik ba si Tiffanie?

*Knock knock*

“Tiffanie? Wait, lalabas na ako. Mag-aayos lang ako.” Sabi ko.

I took a quick shower at nag-bihis na ng summer dress ko. Nag-suklay lang ng konti
at tsaka ako lumabas ng kwarto—O_O

Oh my. Pag labas ko, nakita ko si Jun. Yes, si Jun. Naka-higa sya sa bed ko. Katabi
nya yung luggage ko, at pinapa-kealaman nya yon. Anong ginagawa nya? T-teka?!
Bakit..? Pinapakealaman nya yung pouch ko ng undies!

“JUN!” I squirmed. Tumakbo ako dun at inagaw yung panties kong hawak nya. >///<

“You’re still the hottest woman in wet hair that I’ve ever bed.” Oh my god.
“W-What are you—What are you doing here?!” Lumapit ako dahan dahan to get my
luggage, pero nagulat nalang ako when he grabbed my arm.

“Ang KJ mo naman. Namiss ko lang ‘tong undies mo.” Inagaw nya sakin yung panties
ko.

Ano ba ‘to?!

“J-Jun, please.”

Bigla syang napahinto sa sinabi ko. Tinitigan nya ako for a while bago sya nag-
salita. Na talaga namang nakapag pagulantang sakin.

“Please what? Please forgive you? Please be yours again?” He suddenly grinned.
“Or... please fuck me?”

Nakaramdam nanaman ako ng kurot sa puso ko. It hurts. How can he casually say those
things to me? Ganito na ba sya kamanhid?

I felt something on my cheeks.

“You know what? Mas nakaka-turn on pala pag may ‘please’? Sa France kasi, isang
‘fuck me’ lang ng babae okay na. Pero mukhang mas pleasurable pag may ‘please’.”
Tumayo sya sa kama at nilapitan ako. I can’t move a bit. I’m frozen by his words.
“Just say it, Zi. I want to hear it.”

I just found myself sobbing in front of him.

Mukha na akong tanga. Andito si Jun sa harap ko. I have this urge to hug him pero
natatakot ako na baka bigla nya nalang akong itulak. Kaya eto, mukha akong tanga na
umiiyak sa harap nya, habang dahan dahan niyang hinahaplos yung leeg ko. Ang lapit
na din ng mukha nya sakin.

And not any longer, he started kissing me. Ewan ko ba sa sarili ko. I don’t want to
push him away, and I am responding.

He slowly parted with a smirk on his lips. Magkalapit pa din kami ng mukha, our
noses are touching.

“Say please. I’m begging you.” He said in a husky voice.

There’s a hint of plead in his voice. I want to say those words. Parang may iba pa
kasing meaning pag sinabi ko.
There’s his lips, waiting for mine. Gusto ko syang halikan.

“Just say please.” He said again.

But instead of saying ‘please’, I heard myself say.

“No.”

“Ziaaa~~! Are you done--? J-Jun...” A voice of a girl made me go back to reality.

Yung smirk ni Jun, napalitan ng ngiti... ng malungkot na ngiti. :( He bit his lower
lip, as he looks at me. “T-Thanks.”

Thanks? Thanks for what?!

Binitawan nya yung leeg ko. Dahan dahan syang lumayo sakin. And I have this urge to
pull him back to me and kiss him until we get this thing done. I just... I want him
now.

xxx

[VINCE’S POV]

“Sige, dito muna ako sa lobby.” Sabi ko kela Ivan.

Umalis na muna sila nila Eunice, Aly at Gerald. Masyadong na-badtrip si Gerald kaya
naisipan ni Aly na lumabas na muna sila ng resort. Ayun, naki-sabit yung dalawa.
Kakain na daw muna sila ng lunch sa isang restaurant sa malapit.

Nagpa-iwan nalang ako. Psh. Mainggit pa ‘ko sa apat na yon.

Umupo ako dito sa may lobby. Walang magawa e. Gusto ko sanang kausapin si Maria,
kaso kasama nya yung Kevin. Hay.

Oh? Si Maria yun ah. Yung babaeng naglalakad palabas ng lobby. Oo nga!

Magisa nalang sya. Walang kasama. (Malamang, mag-isa nga eh. Engot!) After five
years, eto na siguro yung chance na maka-usap ko sya di ba?

Tumayo na ako, at hinabol ko sya sa may pinto ng lobby. Hahawakan ko na sana sya sa
balikat nang mag-salita sya.
“Kevin alam mo, ang kupad mo! Andito na ‘ko sa lobby. What’s taking you so long
ba?”

Kevin nanaman. =_= Ano nya ba talaga yon?

Sabi ni Gerald, yun daw ang manager nitong Holland Resort. Business partner din ni
Maria dito. Nung tinanong ko kung ano sya ni Maria, sabi nila, hindi din daw nila
alam. Ang weird. Panong hindi nila alam?

“WHAT?” Nagulat naman ako nang biglang sumigaw ‘tong si Maria. “The eff he’s doing
there?!”

O_O

Pareho kaming nagulat. Bigla kasi syang tumalikod, at nakita ako na malapit sa
kanya.

“Hi...?” Awkward kong bati tapos nag-wave pa ako.

“I’ll be there.” Sabi nya sa phone tapos inend nya na yung call. “Get out of my
way.”

Pero natanga na ata ako. Hindi ako tumabi. Instead, tinitigan ko lang sya.
Beautiful.

“I said get out of my—“

“Hey! Let’s talk?” I cut her out.

Mukhang hindi sya makapaniwala sa sinabi ko. Tinitigan lang nya ako, and
eventually, her brows started raising.

“Don’t worry, hindi ako gagawa ng gulo, or what na tulad ng ginawa ni Lance at Jun.
I respe—“

“E ang kapal naman ng mukha mo kung bastusin mo pa ako ng ganun di ba? Binaboy mo
na nga ako noon, iinsultuhin mo pa ako ngayon?” Woa. Harsh.

“Look, Maria—“

“Do you know how disgusting my name is when you say it? It’s like... It’s like the
worst name on Earth. So please, call me Ms Lopez instead.” Rude.
Grabe. Nakaka-pikon ‘to ah. Pero, pigilan mo Vince. Tiis lang. Alam mo lugar mo
dito.

Huminga ako ng malalim. “Fine. Ms Lopez, I know this is very hard. For you, and for
me. But, I really want—“

“Oh please. This isn’t hard for me. I’ve moved on. Don’t worry, talking to you is
an easy thing to do, but it’s too disgusting.” Putangina.

Minsan lang ako mag-mura. At ni hindi ko mamura mura ‘tong babaeng nasa harap ko
pero PUTANGINA talaga. Demonyita lang sya noon, ngayon demonyo na.

Pero wag kang magpadala sa galit mo, Vince. Chill.

“Let’s talk.” Yan nalang ang sinabi ko.

“No.” Mabilis nyang sagot.

Tsk. I smirked.

“Akala ko ba madali nalang ‘to para sayo? Akala ko ba you’ve moved on? San napunta
yon? C’mon, don’t tell me labas sa ilong yang moved on na sinasabi mo? Hah.” Gusto
ko lang talaga ‘tong makausap.

“Talking to you is like having sex with a man with an HIV, and you know it. Alam
mong mali at nakakadiri, pero ginagawa mo pa rin.” She smirked, and she strode pass
me.

Hindi agad ako nakapalag dun ah? Tumalikod ako at tinignan sya habang naglalakad
paalis. Puta pano tumalas bibig non ng ganon? Kanina galit na galit sya kay Lance
at Jun sa pambabastos kela Prei at Zia. E sya naman pala ‘tong akala mo master ng
pangmamaliit.

Sa sobrang inis ko, napasigaw ako. “TANGINA!”

***

AN: Tada! May update na. He-he ^^

Ehrm. First of all, paumanhin po sa mga 13 - below kong readers. Madaming bad words
dito dahil well, ganun talaga mga characters ko. :p Wag nyo nalang gayahin!
Tapos, ayan na! Nag-harap harap na sila isa isa. Kanino pinaka-bet nyo? Ako pinaka
gusto ko yung kay Prei at Lance. Hehe ang napaka nostalgic kasi ni Lance sa 'fix
me' nya. :p

So next update (na bukas - na ewan ko dkelan ang bukas lol) we'll go lighter na.
Ipapakilala ko na rin ng lubusan si Kevin Wu. :)

Abangan...!

Thank you sa pag-basa! :*

Vote and comment.

xoxo THISNIE

(PS. Waaah lagi pala ako may 'xoxo'. Omg if you know what I mean.)

=================

Ch.04: The Wedding.

Chapter 4: The Wedding.

[HENRY’S POV]

Andito ako ngayon sa may beach. Loner mode. -.- Mga busy sila eh, may kanya kanyang
business. I mean, hindi lahat. Si Jin? Vince? Jun? Panigurado mga loner mode din
ang mga gagong ‘yon.

Hindi ko namalayan nakatulog na pala ‘ko dun. Pag gising ko, palubog na yung araw.

“Finally, nagising ka rin.”

EH?!

Napalingon ako sa gilid ko... gising na ba talaga ako? O nananaginip pa rin ako?
Pakibatukan nga ako?

Si... Si...

“Long time no see. Kamusta ka na?” She asked with her lips curled on both sides.
Hindi ako makasagot sa sobrang gulat. Well, I expect she’ll come, but not this
early. Ang alam ko sa araw pa ng kasal sya dadating.

I stared at her sunny face. Nothing changed much. Except for the fact that she’s
become more endearingly beautiful. Bakit... Bakit parang lalo sya gumanda? Yung
mata nya, naka-ngiti rin habang tinititigan ko.

‘Tong babaeng ‘to sa harap ko, sinaktan nya ‘ko noon. Iniwan nya ‘ko. Para rin
syang si Zia kay Jun. Pero bat di ko sya magawang awayin tulad ng ginawa ni Jun
kanina? Is this a proof that I’m still in love with her?

Yes, yes you still do, Henry.

“I know masarap akong titigan pero it’s taking us long here, Henry. Kung hindi ka
pa tatayo dyan, maiiwan ka.” She said in a lazy tone.

Teka? Maiiwan san?

“I bet you still don’t know? Tsk. Magoovernight sa isang island ang barkada. We’re
leaving by 6. And it’s already 5:30, just so you know.” Sabi nya.

Bakit ba walang lumalabas sa bibig ko?! Ni hindi ako makasagot sa kanya ng ‘ahh’.
Na....... naiintimidate ako. Putek!

“Napipi ka na ba, Henry?” Hindi pa din ako makasagot. “Hay. Go up to your room and
bring few clothes and few things. We’ll all be meetingin station 2. Okay?”

And then she left me.

Pag pasok ko ng kwarto namin – well magkakasama kasi kami sa iisang kwarto ng mga
boys, except Ivan and Gerald – lahat sila halos ready na. =_=

Pareho hindi ko sila pinansin. Pre-occupied pa din ako ng nangyari kanina. Tulala
ako. Oo.

“Henry! San ka ba galing? Buong araw kang wala ah.” Salubong ni Jin sakin.

“Ah, wala. Sa beach lang.” Matamlay kong sagot tsaka ako naghalungkat ng luggage
ko.

“Tindi mo pare! Nakapambabae ka na ng lagay na ‘yon? Tsk!” Hirit naman ni Jun.

Napatawa nalang ako ng konti. Nambabae? Tsk, single nga ako pero hindi ko kayang
mambabae. “Gago!”

“Henry, mauna na kami sayo. Station 2 magkikita-kita ha? Bilisan mo anong oras na!”
Sabi ni Vince.

Umalis na nga sila, kaso may biglang nag-bukas ng pinto. Pag tingin ko, si Lance
pala.

“Uhm, dude. Sorry pala kanina. Nabigla lang ako.” Sabi nya.

Yung kanina? Anong—ah! Yung kay Prei.

“Sus. Haha alam ko naman kung bakit eh.” Sagot ko.

“Peace? ^_^v”

By the looks of it, mukhang may nangyaring maganda kay Lance. Usually kasi serious
mode ‘yan, lalo na mula nung nag-break sila ni Prei. Ngayon, the idiot Lance is
back! Naka-peace sign pa. =_=

“Intindihin mo sya, Lance. She sacrificed a lot, now you just have to give her what
she wants from you. Then we’re peace.” I smiled at him.

“I will. Sige, bilisan mo na!” He’s about to close the door when I called him out
again. “O? Baket?”

“Si Georg... uh, never mind.”

“Haha. If you’re gonna ask if she’s coming, well she is. Actually andito na daw
sya. So better be prepared. Haha!” Then he shut the door.

Kung alam mo lang Lance. Nagkita na kami.

xxx

[ODETTE’S POV]

“Kevin, are you really gonna let me go there without any companion?” I used my oh-
so-pleasing-puppy-tone-and-face-to-him.

But it doesn’t seem to matter. He didn’t even bother to glance at me. :( He’s so
busy with his work today. Really.
Yeah, we planned to hangout and stroll around earlier kaso Jun’s sudden appearance
on the girls’ room sabotaged our date. Kaya hindi kami natuloy.

“Keviiiiiin. Let’s go na please?” I begged once again.

Pero naka-glue talaga sa macbook nya yung mata nya. Hmp!

So what I did is, I jumped on his table, beside his laptop, with my hands in
praying position and I tried to catch his eyes. I used my beautiful eyes to look at
him and say. “Please?”

He stared at me for a while. And sighed defeated. Hah! I won. Mehehehe!

“Let’s go?” I smiled mischievously.

He then shut his eyes and closed his fists as if he’s controlling himself. The
question is... from what? I heard him murmur something and I can’t seem to
understand a thing.

One thing is for sure. This is scary.

“Huy Kevin, anong nangyayari sayo?” I muttered.

Ang weird nya! Para syang nagpipigil manuntok or something. Napikon na ba sya
sakin? Waaah nakakatakot. So I picked my bag and stepped back a little. Baka bigla
nalang ako masuntok nito in no time eh.

Yeah, we’re close. Pero hindi naman kami madalas magkasama kasi he’s here in
Philippine while I’m in New York. I did not know may ganito palang side si Kevin.

“K-Kevin... Aali—aalis na ak—“ Err. Waaaah! “I’ll go ahead. Bye!”

Then I stormed out of his office. Waaaah! Ano ba ‘yun? Nakakatakot talaga sya.

I turned my back and ready to go when I heard the door opened and, “ODETTE!”
Nagulat pa sya nung makita nyang nasa harap nya lang ako. Akala nya sigurao ang
layo ko na. =_= “Ay sorry.”

Waaaah! Bipolar. I stepped back again. ANG WEIRD NYA.

Nagulat nalang ako nung bigla nyang hinawakan yung ulo ko tapos... >////< He leaned
forward and bent a little to reach my forhead. He kissed it, and I flushed.
“I’m sorry, I really can’t come. Bye.” Tsaka sya nagmadaling pumasok sa office nya.

>////////////<

xxx

“Huy. Nahiya naman kami sa inyo. Sana inaayos nyo na yung mga pagkain di ba?”
Mataray na sita ni Eunice sa mga boys.

Pano ba naman. Nagpapakahirap kaming mga girls sa pagtatayo ng tent tapos sila
sitting pretty lang. -.-

I know dapat duty nila ‘to kaso gumive up na sila. Ang hirap naman kasi buuin
nitong binili ni Eunice eh. Kaya eto, pinasa nila samin. We should be preparing the
dinner and bonfire now.

“Malay namin mag-luto?” Sagot ni Lance sa kanya.

“E kung kayo kaya dito? Ano? Kami na gagawa nito, kami pa magluluto?” Eunice

“Bat naman ba kasi ang hirap gawin nyang binili mong tent?” Ivan

“EH BAT DI KA NALANG TUMULONG? LECHE KAYO PAG NAGAWA NAMIN ‘TONG TENT NA ‘TO, KAMI
LANG MATUTULOG DITO. BWISET!” Hala ka. Na-highblood nanaman si Eunice. =_=”

Nilapitan naman sya ni Ivan and he started helping us out.

“I have an idea.” We all looked at Gerald. “Maggroup tayo into three. Yung isa, sa
tent. Yung isa sa pagpe-prepare ng pagkain. At yung isa, sa bonfire.”

We all agreed. May point naman sya, pwede naman. Kaso, nung naggugroup na kami,
hindi pa rin kami magkasundo-sundo. Syempre, yung iba may issues. Hay.

“Ako na nga ang maggu-group!” Gerald stood up and motioned Ivan and Henry to stand
up too. “Henry will lead the food team, ako sa tent, si Ivan sa bonfire. For
Henry’s group, Prei, Aly and Georg.”

“Wait!” Protest ko agad. “Wouldn’t it be awkward... for Georg and Henry?”

Napatingin kaming lahat kay Henry. “Okay lang sakin.”

Then kay Georg. “It’s fine with me.”

Wow. Bakit parang walang gap sa kanila? I mean, yeah may gap. Pero hindi kasing
laki ng mala-Pacific Ocean na gap samin ni Vince, kay Jun at Zia, at kay Lance at
Prei—

“Teka! Ako!!! Sa group din ako ni Henry!” Lance ran next to Prei and cling to her
arms.

Blink blink.

We stood frozen at how Lance acted towards Prei. Si Prei naman mukhang nairita lang
na ewan. What in the hell happened?

“Lance, do you do drugs?” Tanong nalang ni Eunice.

“Nope. :p” WH-WHAT THE?! Did he just stick his tongue out?

Kelan pa naging childish ulit si Lance?

“Hay. Sabi na eh. Hayaan nyo na.” Sabi ni Henry.

“Fine. O, Jun, Jin and Odette. Kay Ivan kayo.” Announce ni Gerald—WHAT?!

“WHAT?! No way! Ayoko nga. Pagbubuhatin nyo ako ng kahoy and stuff?” I opposed.

“Okay then, will you work with Vince?” Gerald asked.

Uh oh. -.-

“Bakit?! Edi sa bonfire sya.” Me

“Mas maalam sya sa tent, Od. Wag ka nang kumontra. Dito ka na.” Hinila ako sa leeg
ni Jun. Ugh!

“So, Eunice, Vince, TIffanie and Zia sakin kayo. Everybody cool with it?” Gerald

“YES.” All of them answered, while me, “NO.”

Pero anong magagawa ko? =_= I’d rather stretch my arms picking branched of trees
than being with that good for nothing man.
So we all proceeded to our works. Actually, I’m not working at all. Nagpupulot lang
ako ng maliliit na branches ng tree at nilalagay ko dun sa may logs. I glanced up
at the other teams. Aly went to the tent team to help out since Henry and Georg
were doing good, and Lance and Prei are so fishy!

“HUY! Ano? Pahinga agad? Wala pang nagagawa?” Argh. Epal nitong si Jun. Muntik pa
‘kong mahulog sa log, nanunulak kasi.

“What should I do ba? Namane!” I squirmed.

“Arte mo ha.” Argh! Isa pa ‘tong si Jin. Bigla ba naman ipahid sakin yung mukha
nyang pawis na pawis. Ew!!!

“ARGH! I hate you guys!”

And then the whole group thing is so annoying. Pinagti-tripan lang ako nung tatlo
eh. Nakakainis. But they succeeded. Nakagawa sila ng bonfire. The tent team also
finally built the tents. It’s really huge. Now I know kung bat eto ang binili ni
Eunice. Kasya kami dito eh.

We had our dinner na din at kahit papano, we’re all cheerful na. Despite the fact
that some people here are awkward to another.

In the middle of the night, we sat around the bonfire and started chatting. Para na
ring bachelor’s at bridal shower party ‘to. We tried our best to keep this night
warm. I mean, not literally warm, but warm that we’re here celebrating the
beautiful marriage of Aly and Gerald.

Marriage. Sigh. I think this one’s really for them. And not for me. :(

The idea of marriage suddenly made me feel tireness. Tumayo ako without them
noticing me. Pumunta muna ako sa other side ng tent para hindi nila ako makita. I
sat on the sand and watched the waves of the sea.

How I wish Kevin is here with me. :(

Sya lang yung nakakapag-pagaan ng loob ko whenever I’m haunted by my painful past.

I know you’re curious about our status. Well, Kevin is someone special to my heart.
He calls himself a rebound, but for me, he’s not. Well it’s sort of true too, well
before. Pero it’s been four years since I we’ve met, and I know him a lot now. Alam
kong ‘tong nararamdaman ko for him ay hindi lang para kalimutan si Vince. I feel
this special thing for him because... I know he’s worthy of it.

I just hope I won’t regret giving my heart another chance to play the game of love
again.
Hay. I hope you’re here Kevin.

I turned my head and faced to my right when I felt someone sat beside me. Si Vince.
He’s smiling at me.

Hindi ko talaga maintindihan kung pano nya nagagawang ngumiti sakin ng ganito
despite of the fact that he made a tremendous sin to me in the past. Hindi ba sya
nahihiya manlang sakin?

I rolled my eyes at tatayo n asana ako kaso nanigas ang buong katawan ko from my
hand that he held.

Nagkatinginan kami, yet no one dared to speak a word. I am speechless, and I don’t
know what’s running through his mind.

I told you before; there are time that my body would obey their own will than what
I want. I stayed sitting next to him, but pulled my hand away.

We’re both sitting there, quietly watching the waves and the dark blue sky. Staring
at the sky with those twinkling stars made me throwback to that night, five years
ago. The night when I was so happy and excitement ovesflowed my heart, while my
groom-to-be was also happy sleeping with other woman.

“How’s the kids?” He broke the long cold ice between us.

I glanced at him for a split second and turned my gaze back to the sky. Kinabahan
ako. I’m always anvxious whenever talking about my kids.

“They’re fine. Maze wants to study here, but Venice wants to stay in New York. I’m
having a hard time pleasing them to agree on one decision.” I smiled when a picture
of my two kids popped out of my mind.

“I have to tell you something.” He sounded so serious. Napatingin ako sa kanya,

pero hindi ko yata kayang makipagtitigan. I looked away.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I am secretly seeing the kids. Alam kong mali per—“

“I’m aware of that. Hindi naman ako tanga para hindi mapansin na dinadala ni kuya
Harvey sa ibang bansa yung mga anak ko once a month no.”

“So you knew all along? Aren’t you... mad?”

Mad? I should be. Ayoko nga ng connection sa kanya di ba? Pero he’s still the
father of my kids.

“I am. Pero anong magagawa ko? May karapatan ka parin sa kanila.”

Yes, I’m aware of their secret meeting. Inamin rin kasi sakin ni kuya Harvey. Dati
kasi tinatakas nya yung mga bata. Pero nung nakahalata na ‘ko, cinonfront ko sya.
Inamin nyang dinadala nya kay Vince yung mga bata. I understood his point. Kaya
hinayaan ko nalang. Hindi ko nalang inalam kung san ba nya dinadala yung mga bata
since I really no interest where Vince is.

“Thank you.” He hissed.

“I’m not doing anything for you, so don’t thank me.”

“I’m really sorry for what I did years ago. Alam mo namang hindi kita kayang
ipagpalit di ba? I love you. More than I ever loved my own self.” Vince

“If sleeping with other woman two nights before your wedding is how you define
love, then I’m convinced. But that’s not how I define it.” Me

“It’s been five years, can’t I still explain myself?” Vince

“It’s been five years, yes. But the disgust and betrayal I felt is still fresh as
if it happened yesterday. I thought I moved on, I thought I could face you now.
Yes, I can. But it is still disgusting. It’s really... I’m sorry. Alam ko masyado
na akong mean. But that’s how I terribly feel. Let’s just pass this tonight. It’s
quite a long talk after all.” I stood up and walked away.

Buti naman busy pa rin sila sa may bonfire. I think nobody saw us talking. No one
can tease me tomorrow—

“Bakit hindi mo sya pinagpaliwanag?” OH MY GOD. Halos lumuwa yung puso ko sa gulat.
Pag pasok ko ng tent, andito pala sa loob si Jin.

Naka-higa sya sa pinaka-dulo. He tapped a little space on his side, kaya humiga ako
don.

“I heard you. Ang ganda na ng flow ng paguusap nyo. Bakit hindi mo pa sya hinayaang
magpaliwanag?” He speaks up.

“There’s no point for explaining. It will still end up in one conclusion. He

cheated on me.” Me
“Hindi kaya. Hindi lahat ng explanation yan ang conclusion.” Jin

“You’re just defending him cos you did the same thing he did. The only difference
is, you we’re naked yet when Tif saw you.” Me

“Psh!” Ouch! Batukan ba ‘ko?! “Wag mo nga kaming ikumpara ni Tiffanies a inyo ni
Vince.”

“HOY. Wag kang magmalinis. Parehong pareho ang kagaguhan nyo ni Vince.” Me

“We’re not.” Wow. Now he became serious. Humarap sya sakin ang held my hands on our
middle. “Just listen to him, then that conclusion your thinking will change.”

xxx

“KEVIN! WHERE THE HELL IS MY PUMPS?!” Sigaw ko from the bathroom. Nasa labas si
Kevin, waiting for me.

“It’s not here, Odette. Sigurado ka bang nadala mo ‘yun?” Kevin shouted softly.

Hahahaha! I giggled silently. Natatawa kasi ako. Kanina pa rin sya nagpapanic kasi
pinapahanap ko yung pumps ko wherein andito lang naman, dala ko sa bathroom. Sorry
I’m just trolling Kevin.

“WHAT? Hindi ko nga dala. Argh! Hanapin mo nga. Andyan lang ‘yon. Look under the
bed. Baka nasipa mo underneath. Ang careless mo kasi eh!” Haha nanisi pa ‘ko.

“Tch!” I heard him hissed.

I faced the mirror. I am all ready. I checked myself once again, then I know I’m
ready.

Dahan dahan kong binuksan yung pinto... and... BWAHAHAHAHAH! Ang cute ni Kevin.
Naka-tuwad sya and his butt is so sexy. Haha! Chineck nga nya sa ilalim ng bed.

I made few steps, careful of my pumps not to make any noise. Then I pinched his
butt in a playful way. Hahaha! He was shocked. Nauntog tuloy sya. And then he fell.
Aww. Kawawa naman ang Kevin ko. Hihi.

He rolled with his hands on his head. “Ouch!”

Hindi ko mapigilan matawa eh. Look at him. Ang gulo nan g suit nya tapos
nakalupasay pa sya sa floor. Parang hindi bachelor eh!
I helped him to stand. “San mo nakita?” He asked, referring to my pumps.

“Nadala ko pala. Hihi ^^v” O_O Oh my god! Biglang sumama yung tingin nya sakin.

“WHAT THE HELL ODETTE?! Pinahirapan mo lang ako!” Kevin

“Hahahaha! Sorry, okay? That’s what you get for leaving me the other night. Okay?”
Me

“Brat!” Kevin

“I know. Haha! Let’s go? Baka ma-late pa tayo.”  Me

Pumunta na kami sa venue ng wedding. Naghiwalay na kami ni Kevin. He reached for

kuya Harvey, ako naman hinila nila Eunice to see the bride na nasa make-shift tent
where she’s hiding.

A glint of pain hit my chest when I saw Aly in her wedding gown. Weddings have
still effects on me.

I want to cry, and burst out my pain but it’s not the right time to take the
spotlight from the bride. Pinilit ko nalang pigilan lahat ng nararamdaman ko. And I
smiled as bright as I could... for Aly.

We left her when her parents came to talk to her.

Naghiwa-hiwalay na muna kami. Ewan ko. Ang lakas ng effect ng event na ‘to.
Weddings are traumatic.

I stood on one side, staring at people. Ganito rin ba sila kasaya para samin ni
Vince noon? What were their reaction nung hindi ako sumipot? Ano kaya kami ngayon
ni Vince kung hinayaan ko lang yung nangyari noon, at kinasal pa rin kami?

Will we also have our happy ending?

“Just listen to him, then that conclusion your thinking will change.”

Jin’s words echoed on my mind. Then my eyes caught a man carrying a girl. Vince,
carrying Vennice.

xxx
Until the mass has ended, I’m still spacing out.

The wedding went by so fast. Or am I just not that focused? Yeah. Kasi buong oras
ng kasala, nakatulala lang ako. Kay Vince. Minsan mahuhuli nya akong nakatitig sa
kanya, pero I never bothered to look away.

Everyone’s having fun now. Nagsimula na yung program and reception and all. Pero
ako, hindi pa rin magawang magpakasaya. I’m still spacing out. My kids tried
playing with me pero preoccupied talaga ako sa mga naiisip ko.

It’s the wedding itself that distracts me most.

I can’t take it anymore. Tumayo muna ako to go the powder room. And I met a very
unexpected person. Is this really a sign? Sign na ba ‘to para kausapin ko na talaga
sya and let him explain himself?

He smiled at me. “Kanina ko pa napapansin eh. You might want to talk?”

***

A/N: Yey! Finally naka-update din. Hehe ^^

'Yan ha. Ni-reveal ko na kung ano ang root ng break up ng MaVince. At mas focused
na rin sa MaVince. :) Though hindi pa detailed yung break up. Pero promise, next
update na natin babalikan ang nangyari five years ago.

Antay antay lang. Mas mabilis kesa sa usual update ko yung susunod. Promise!

Btw. Sabi ko pala last update ipapakilala ko na ng lubusan si Kevin Wu. Haha. Sorry
di ko naisingit. And pls. Hindi si Kevin Woo ng UKiss si Kevin. Ang cast na
gumaganap sa Kevin Wu 'ko' ay si Kris/Wu Yi Fan ng EXO. Oki? :)

Okay!

Salamat sa pag-basa! :*

Vote and comment.

xoxo THISNIE

=================
Ch.05: Flashback.

Chapter 5: Flashback.

[ODETTE’S POV]

Tumambad sa’kin ang napaka gulong kwarto na akala mo’y dinaanan ng bagyo.

Naka handusay sa lapag ‘yung mga kumot.

Naka kalat ang mga unan kung san san.

Halos maalis na sa kama ‘yung matress.

May naka sabit na pulang dress sa upuan.

Naka lupasay din sa gilid ng bed-side table ang beige na polo.

Naka sampay sa dulo ng kama ang itim na pants.

 
Napa-hinga ako ng sobrang lalim dahil sa mga nakita ko. May isang kumpol ng bato
ang hindi ko alam kung pa’no nakapasok sa dibdib ko. Gusto kong umiyak pero ayaw
lumabas ng mga luha ko.

Dumako ang tingin ko sa lalaking naka dapa at mahimbing na natutulog sa kama. Wala
syang pantaas. Hindi ko maaninaw kung may pambaba ba sya o wala dahil sa lukot
lukot na kumot na naka takip dito.

Gusto kong ipalo sa ulo ni Vince ‘yung lampshade. Gusto ko syang saktan. Gusto kong
halughugin ang buong suite na ‘yon at hanapin ang babae nya. Gusto ko silang
saktan. Gusto ko silang patayin.

You know me very well. I could kill if I want.

But disgust overpowered my system. Gusto kong suntukin si Vince, gusto kong
sabunutan ang babae nya – but I don’t want to lay a finger on them. Nakakadiri
sila.

“You didn’t hurt them physically because you don’t wanna touch them. Kaya sa ibang
paraan ka gumanti? Hindi mo nga pina-cancel ang kasal nyo, pero hindi mo naman sya
sinipot.” Pag co-conclude ni Jin after ko i-kwento sa kanya ang lahat.

Oo, sa kabila ng nadatnan ko sa hotel n’on, hindi ko pa rin pina-cancel ang kasal.
Bakit ko gagawin ‘yon? E dun ko sa pwedeng gantihan. Hindi ako sumipot sa kasal.

Nung araw ng kasal namin, wala ni isa sa mga kaibigan ko o pamilya ko ang may alam
ng nakita ko. Only kuya Harvey. Kaya ganun nalang ang taranta at gulat nila nang
walang dumating na bride sa Holland Resort.

Nalaman nila ang lahat dahil sa pinadala kong picture kay Vince noon, na natanggap
nya saktong dalawang oras na delay ng kasal.

Picture ‘yon ng itsura ng hotel na naabutan ko: kung san naka-higa syang walang
damit sa kama, nagkalat ang mga kumot at unan, pati ang kung san sang nakasampay na
dress, polo at pantalon. Sa likod non ay nakasulat ang message ko sa kanya.

‘Eto ang sagot sa nag-iisang tanong sa utak mo ngayong oras na ‘to. Best wishes!’

At alam kong habang nagkakagulo noon sa Holland Resort, ay nasa eroplano naman ako
kasama ang dalawa kong anak papuntang New York.

Tinignan ko si Jin. He’s quietly staring at the dark sky. Mukhang malalim ang
iniisip nya. I don’t know if it’s still about me or what. Sya naman ang may gusto
non eh. Hinarang nya ‘ko kanina. He asked me if I wanted to talk, and I answered
yes. Kaya eto kami ngayon. KJ na kung KJ pero umalis kami sa reception ni Aly at
Gerald.

Nagulat nalang ako nang out of the icy silence ay nag-salita na sya.

“You want to talk to him, don’t you?” Nagulat ako sa tanong nya. “Naiintindihan
kong masakit at hindi kapatawad-tawad ang ginawa ni Vince. But I think, he deserves
your forgiveness.”

 
I looked at him impossibly. Ang best friend ko ay kumakampi sa nanloko sa’kin?

How can that man deserve forgiveness? His sin was unforgivable!

“A sinner seeks forgiveness, and God forgave them. Ang kapal naman ng mukha mo kung
ikaw hindi marunong magpatawad!” Tinawanan pa ‘ko?

Excuse me, seryoso ako dito tapos bigla nya akong tatawanan? Nothing’s funny!

Argh! Nakaka-inis. Akala ko pa naman good choice ‘tong makipag usap kay Jin.

“Joke lang, Od. Ang sinasabi ko lang, masyado kang mahal ni Vince para lokohin ng
ganon. Hindi mo ba naisip ‘yung anim na taong pagsasakripisyo nya noon? Hindi mo ba
naisip ‘yung mga ginawa nya para lang maapprove sya ni lolo Anton para sa’yo? Ikaw
na ang nag-sabi sa’kin noon, halos wala kang ginawa para sa kanya, sya ang gumawa
ng lahat para sa’yo. Sa relationship nyo, para ka lang patabaing baboy. Bigay sya
nang bigay, ikaw, tanggap lang nang tanggap—“

“What are you trying to say, Jin? Na wala akong karapatang magalit dahil sya ang
nag-build ng kung anong meron kami? It’s not fair!” I retorted.

Ewan ko ba. Pero ‘yun ang pagkakaintindi ko sa sinasabi ni Jin.

Si Vince ang maraming nagawa para ipaglaban ‘yung sa’ming dalawa. Ako naman, parang
hinintay ko lang syang dumating to do everything. Kaya ba hindi ako pwedeng
magalit? Ano ‘yun? Utang na loob?

“That’s not my point, Od. Ang point ko, sa dinami-dami ng nagawa ni Vince para
sa’yo, sa tingin mo sisirain nya lang ‘yon sa isang gabi?” Tinignan nya ‘ko, he’s
more serious this time.

“Nagawa na nya, Jin.”

“Yeah, yeah. Pero... it was a mistake. Tao lang si Vince, nagkakamali. At alam kong
sa pagkakamaling ‘yon, buong buhay nya ang kaya nyang ibigay mapatunayan lang nya
sa’yo na pinagsisisihan nya ‘yon. Od, alam nating hindi basta bastang magmahal si
Vince. Napatunayan nya na ‘yon sa’yo. Pero kung patuloy kang magpapabulag sa gusto
mong isipin, at kung hindi mo imumulat ‘yang mata mo sa iba pang pwedeng paraan,
hinding hindi mo maaalalang iba si Vince.”

Nagkatitigan kami ni Jin.

Parang wala na akong panlaban kay Jin. Para bang lahat ng sinabi nya may point.

Nabulag na nga ba ako ng mga bagay na gusto ko lang isipin? Kelan ko nga ba mare-
realize na may iba pang pwedeng mangyari? Until when will I imprison myself to the
things I just want to believe?

Nginitian ako ni Jin as he patted my head.

“Iba kami ni Vince, Od. Kaya kumpara sa inyo ni Tif, mas may pag asa kayong dalawa
kesa sa’min.”
 

***

A/N: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Ang igsi ng update 'no? HAHAHAHAHAHAH! E 'Flashback' nga

'di ba? Lol jk.

Comment kayo dito! Please (nagmamakaawa eh 'no?)! Gusto ko lang malaman (violent)
reactions nyo dahil sa nangyari. 'Yan na. Haha. Mababaw ba? Leche kayo kaya sa
pwesto ni Odette? Haha jk! :*

Dahil maigsi ito, pramis mahaba 'yung next chapter. Tsaka kasi... next chapter
'yung parang totoong simula ng istorya. Next chapter naka-focus na sa love triangle
ang istorya. Basta. Para bang hello book 3 na talaga tayo sa susunod. :) Abang
abang din.

Sorry MAS matatagal ang update dahil.... jusko official Tam na 'ko. Nag-aaral na
ako ng totoo! Haha. K. Pake nyo sa pag aaral ko? :p

Salamat sa pagbabasa (hanggang sa walang kwentang author's note).

Vote and comment! :)

xoxo THISNIE

PS. May EXO stans ba 'kong readers? You might want to read my EXO fan fic? "Baekki"
ang title nya. Look for it on My Works. Kamsahamnida! :)

=================

Ch.06 (Part 1): Torn

Chapter 6 (Part 1): Torn

[ODETTE’S POV]

“WHAT? Bakit daw nandito si lolo?” Tanong ko agad kay Lance nang ibalita nya sa’kin
na nandito daw sa Pilipinas si lolo.

Kinabahan lang ako. To tell you the truth, almost 2 years na rin akong hindi
nagpapakita kay lolo.After the unsuccessful marriage kasi, naging awkward na ako
kay lolo. Galit kasi sya sa’kin, and me likewise to him. Like really? Niloko ako ni
Vince, tapos nagalit pa rin sya dahil iniwan ko sa altar si Vince?

Sabi nya sa’kin, I should’ve let him explain. FOR WHAT? To be fooled for the rest
of my life?

“May importante daw syang aasikasuhin dito eh.” Lance shrugged, “Hindi ko alam kung
anong ‘importante’ ‘yon pero may idea na ako.”

Ok? So what’s with the smirk, Lance? Grr!

Iniwan ko nalang sya don.

Actually nandito pa kami sa Holland Resort. Pauwi palang, and I just feel like
staying now that I knew that lolo’s in Manila. ‘Til now hindi pa ako ready harapin
si lolo. Lalo pa’t nasa iisang bansa lang kami ni Vince. I know he’s still
persistent to put us back together.

Sabay sabay na kaming barkada umuwi ng Manila, iba ibang car lang. Sumabay na si
Zia at Tiffanie kela Ivan at Eunice. Si Jin naman sumabay kay Henry. While Prei is
forced to ride with Lance. Kami naman ni Kevin ang mag-kasama syempre.

And the kids? Dun sila sumabay kay Vince at Jun. The kids wanted to spend more time
with their father.

Hinatid lang ako ni Kevin sa bahay. Kailangan nya rin kasing pumuntang China ngayon
for some family errands. Pag dating ko, andun na sila Lance, Prei and the kids.
Yes, the kids are already here so I assume nandito na rin si Vince.

Sumilip muna ako sa pinto, and napaka-playful nga naman ng fate no? Pasilip palang
ako nung biglang lumabas si Vince. Kaya na-untog ako sa phone na hawak nya.

“OUCH.”

“AY SORRY!”

Shocks. Feeling ko unti unti akong natutunaw mula sa dalawang braso ko na hawak
nya... Hawak nyaa..

“Ba’t ka ba kasi nandyan?” O_O Nag-tindigan lahat ng balahibo ko nung... nung bigla
nyang hinawakan yung baba ko at tinaas yung mukha ko. Chineck nya yung noo ko.
Naputol ata dila ko ha? Anyare?! Argggh! Ba’t ang init?

Naka-titig lang ako sa mata nya habang chine-check nya yung noo ko. Hanggang sa
bumaba yung tingin ko sa *gulp* labi nya. Ahhhh! Ano ba ‘to? Biglang nag-flashback
sa utak ko ‘yung... ‘yung last time na gawin namin ‘yung ‘S’ thing. Uggggh!!!

“I-I’m fine!” Bigla ko nalang syang naitulak.

“Nandito na pala ang apo ko. Haha, what a wonderful view.” Napa-ayos ako ng tayo
and we both looked at his back, si lolo. “Hindi manlang ba ako babatiin ng paborito
kong apo?”

Grabe! Ang pangit ng atmosphere. Kung kanina ang awkward na, mas lalo pang naging
awkward ngayon. Imagine? My lolo is being sarcastic to me! Sa harap pa ni Vince—
wait! So what? =_=

“Lo, please? Wala akong panahon sa mga kalokohan nyo.” Sabi ko and I strode pass
them.

I know may kung ano nanamang naglalaro sa isip nya ngayon. At malakas ang kutob ko
na may kinalaman samin ‘to ni Vince—

“Before you turn your back to me, I would just like to inform you that your kids
are now enrolled to Suzzane University.” Said lolo like—what?!

“Pardon... me?!”

“I said your kids are already enrolled in SU. Do I have to repeat myself?”

“Lolo, bakit nyo po ginawa ‘yon? Sa New York gustong mag-aral ni Venice—“ Sabat ni
Vince.

“No, daddy. I changed my mind. I want to study here, in Suzzane University.” Sagot
ni Venice before Vince could finish his sentence.

Okay? How the hell did that happen? Parang last week lang nag-ttug of war pa kami
maisama lang si Venice dito sa Philippines tapos... WTH is happening?!

“What’s the game this time?” I cooly asked.

“A game?” Err. I hate it when he’s being too sarcastic that I’m giving up and
“Hahaha! What game?”
“Stop fooling around—“

“I am not fooling around here, Maria Odette! I want the kids to study here in the
Philippines.” Curse it. Bigla nalang syang naging seryoso.

I’m cold and mad at him but geez! Sino ako para hindi matakot kay Anton Lopez?

“You stopped listening to me two years ago and what happened? Nothing. It’s about
time na makinig ka na ulit sa’kin nang magka-silbi ‘yang buhay mo.”

“What?” This is impossible. Iniinsulto ba ako ni lolo? Whoa whoa there. “What are
you trying to tell me then?”

“I don’t want to let you take care of Venice and Maze alone. So I’m putting the
three of you here in Manila, at least nandito si Harvey to guide you. And...”
Tumingin sya kay Vince. “Vince is here. He can help you—“

I smirked and cut him off. “ I knew it.”

Sinasabi ko na nga ba eh. This has something to do with Vince and me.

Kelan ba nya maiintindihan na hinding hindi ko na mapapatawad si Vince? Nakakainis

na yung ginagawa nya. Nakakainis lalo na ngayong... naguguluhan ako sa mga
nararamdaman ko.

Umakyat agad ako sa kwarto ko. Umupo ako sa kama but later on nag-collapse rin ako
at napa-higa.

Naiinis ako sa sarili ko. Naiinis ako kay Jin. Naiinis ako!

I’m fixed and done. Okay na ako at naipangako ko na sa sarili ko na I won’t be

affected anymore. Tinaga ko na sa bato na I will never forgive him. Pero ngayon,
naguguluhan ako. Gusto kong pangatawanan yung sinabi kong hindi ko sya patatawarin
but there’s still a part of me na nag-aagree kay Jin na dapat ko syang pakinggan.

Ayoko. Ayokong magpaloko.

Pero... gusto ng puso kong pakinggan sya.

I abruptly stopped running thoughts on my head when my door opened. It was Lance.
Bumalik ako sa pagkaka-higa, and he just stood in front of me.

“Don’t stress yourself too much, sis. Hayaan mo na si lolo, tumatanda eh.” I heard
him say.

Nasasabi mo lang ‘yan dahil hindi ka pa nya pinapakealaman. Once na makisawsaw sya
sa buhay mo, you too will feel the same.

“Hmm... Pupunta kaming mga boys sa condo nila Eunice. Magiinuman. Baka gusto mong
sumama?”

Tsk.

Tumayo ako at tinignan sya ng masama. Bakit ba kasi ako binigyan ng bobong
kapatid?! Argh! Kainis!!! >.< Inirapan ko nalang si Lance then I went to my walk in
closet.

Sinundan pala nya ‘ko.

“Look, I’m just trying to cheer you up, okay? Hindi mo ako kelangan pagbuhusan ng
sama ng loob!” Then he marched out of my closet. Pero bumalik rin agad na parang
may nakalimutan. May hinagis syang thing sa may round couch sa loob ng walk in
closet ko. Keys. “Pinaayos rin ni kuya Harvey ‘yung bahay mo sa L Mansion. There’s
the key if you wanna get away from our controlling grandpa.”

L Mansion?

RIGHT!

Binabawi ko na ‘yung sinabi ko. Minsan may silbi rin pala ‘tong si Lance. :bd

xxx

I stepped on the break and parked in front of my house.

Whoa. The view is so nostalgic. Sobrang tagal ko na nga palang hindi naka-punta
dito sa sarili kong bahay. Do you remember this place? Etong ‘L Mansion’ ay yung
isang malaking subdivision na may tatlong mansion lang. Tatlong mansion para sa’min
nila kuya Harvey at Lance. After kong manganak non, dito kami tumira ni Vince. Yep,
we were together even before marriage—that wasn’t held.

Napatingin ako sa balcony dun sa second floor. Bigla nalang may nag-fade in na
picture. Kami ni Vince, naka-tayo dun. Buhat buhat nya si Venice, ako naman ang may
buhat kay Maze.

I smiled at the beautiful picture. Ang saya. Gusto kong mangyari ‘yon. I know it’s
not yet late, pero, it’s impossible.
*Kring Kring!*

Kinuha ko ‘yung phone ko sa shotgun seat, t’was Lance.

“Arrived?”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“Alright. I’ll see you tonight?”

“For?”

“Everyone’s coming over to my house tonight. Prei’s gonna cook for us.”

“Okay, count me in.”

“Alright. Bye, sis.”

“Bye, bastard.”

Bumaba na rin ako ng car and I went inside my house. Tahimik pag pasok ko. Maybe
the maids are in the quarters? Oh yeah, believe it or not, kahit walang naka-tira
dito, may maids pa rin. Binilin ko kasi kay kuya Harvey ‘yon. I want to keep my
house clean. But they don’t stay here. Lahat ng maids from my house, kuya’s house
and Lance’s house have their own quarters inside the village too.

Pero bakit naman nila iniwan na bukas ‘tong ilaw? As in super liwanag ng buong
bahay. Or aware na sila na dadating ako... *sniff sniff* Hmm... Siguro nga alam
nila. May nagluluto eh.

“Yaya? Yaya! What are you cooking?” Pinuntahan ko sya sa kitchen.

“Ay, good afternoon po, ma’am. Ahm, baked tahong po itong hinahanda ko.”

Baked Tahong...

“Ah, okay.” I turned at umakyat na muna sa kwarto ko... Bakit naka-bukas?

Lumapit pa ako sa door at sumilip sa loob. Weird, I’m sneaking in my own room? Tch.
Para kang baliw, Odette. Pumasok na ako sa kwarto ko. Bukas ang ilaw, pati aircon.
AT BUKAS RIN ANG WALK IN CLOSET KO.
On the other hand, parang kinabahan ako. What if may burglar?! Waaah!!! >,<

Dahan dahan kong nilapag yung bag ko sa kama... na medyo gusot gusto rin yung
blanket. Parang may natulog or humiga eh. Tapos lumapit ako sa dun sa pinto ng walk
in closet ko.

“Sniff sniff”Wow. May sipon pa yung burglar? Pero waaaaah! May tao nga!!!

Wait, hindi ako pwedeng sumugod nang walang weapon. Lumingon ako at naghanap ng
pwedeng gamiting and then I saw this—

“Maria—“

“AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

OH MY GOSH!

“Araaaaaay! Shit, aray!” Sigaw nya... Blink blink.

OH MY.

“V-Vince?”

“Aray, putangina.” Hinawakan nya yung ilong nya na mukhang napuruhan. Tapos... hala
may dugo! Nung nakita nya yung dugo sa kamay nya, sinamaan nya ako ng tingin. “Nag-
training ka ba?! Lalong bumigat kamay mo ha!”

Shit! Hindi ko naman sinasadya eh. Nagulat ako eh. Nag-hahanap palang ako ng weapon
tapos bigla syang nag-appear. Sa gulat ko, nasuntok ko sya.

“Takte, ang sakit.” Iika-ika syang tumayo habang hawak pa rin ‘yung ilong nya.

“Oh my. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Nagulat ako eh.” Tapos tumakbo ako sa may bag ko to
get some tissue. “Eto tissue. Wait, hihingi ako ng first aid kit—“

“Wag na.” Kinuha nya yung tissue tapos pumasok sya sa CR.

>,<

I feel guilty. Pero... I also feel pain. Tinignan ko ‘yung kamao ko. Shit, ang
sakit din non ha.
TEKA TEKA NGA! May mali eh. May mali sa nangyayari... Bakit ba hindi ko agad na-
realize ‘yon?! Bakit nandito sya sa BAHAY KO, at specifically sa KWARTO KO--? Well,
kwarto namin ‘to before but we’re over kaya akin nalang ulit ‘to—TEKA!

Sinugod ko sya sa CR. Without knocking, I opened the door... and found him still
bleeding. Nag-panic ako agad. This is the first time I saw him bleed kaya
kinakabahan ako. Nilapitan ko sya, grabbed some tissue at hinarap ko ‘yung mukha
nya sa’kin and lifted it up para tumingala sya.

“Dalhin na kaya kita sa ospital?” Sabi ko habang pinupunasan ko ‘yung blood sa may
nguso nya. “Nahihilo ka ba?”

“N-No.” Nag-stammer sya? Tinignan ko sya, naka-titig lang sya sa’kin.

“What?! What are you feeling then?”

“Uh...” Ano ba?! Bakit ayaw nyang mag-salita ng maayos?! Kinakabahan na ako baka
bigla syang mag-collapse or what— “Kinikilig ako”

. . .

. . .

 . . .

Loading—SHIT!

Tsaka ko lang na-realize ang pwesto namin. Yung kamay kong naka-hawak sa mukha nya,
yung lapit ng katawan namin at... yung labi nyang ang lapit na rin pala sa mukha
ko.

Unti unting nanlaki yung mata ko habang unti unting nagfo-form ng smile yung lips
nya. At bago pa nya mapa-abot sa tenga ang ngiti nya, nasapak ko ulit sya.

“AAHHHHHHH!” Sabay namin tili.

*Bogsh Tugsh ARGH*

Shit naman! Pag sapak ko sa kanya, na-out of balance sya kasi bathtub na pala yung
nasa likod nya. Kung yun lang, okay sana eh. Kaso... yung bigla nya akong hinila
kaya...

“Vince? Odette? Kelangan talaga sa bathtub?”

Sabay kaming napa-lingon ni Vince sa nag-salita. Si... kuya Harvey!! >/////<

Pinilit kong tumayo agad, kumapit ako sa may wall but... instead of pulling myself,
lalo pa akong bumagsak. And the worse part is knob pala ng shower yung nakapitan
ko. And the worst part is... naligo kami ni Vince dahil sa katangahan ko.

xxx

Pag labas ko ng bathroom, naabutan ko si Vince na ginagamot ni manang na maid ni

kuya Harvey. Nilagyan ni manang ng bandage yung bridge ng nose ni Vince.

“Ipaghahanda kita ng ice pack, hijo.” Sabi ni manang. Nginitian nya kami ni Vince
bago sya lumabas ng kwarto.

Ang awkward lang... We’re exes, yet we’re here inside our room, with our bodies
only covered with bathrobes.

Nasa kabilang side  sya ng bed, dahan dahan akong umupo sa other side naman. Magka-
talikod kami ngayon.

“Bakit ka ba kasi nandito?!” Sigaw ko sa kanya.

Nagulat tuloy sya. Kung normal lang ang sitwasyon ngayon, malamang tumawa na ‘ko.
Kaso hindi, we’re not okay.

“Uh, Maria, pwede ba tayong mag-usap—“

*Kriiing! Kriiing!*

Naputol ang sasabihin nya dahil sa ring ng phone ko. Kinuha ko sa side table yung
phone ko. It was Kevin. I excused myself from Vince at lumabas muna ako ng room.

“How’s my future wife?”

Ouch. Bigla nalang akong na-guilty, lalo na dahil sa sinabi ni Kevin.

To tell you honestly, Kevin and I are officially dating since last night. Pa’nong
hindi? Ikaw ba naman ang dalhin sa gitna ng dagat, sa isang floating dinner set up,
at sunset time – ikaw ba ang dalhin don at romantically kneeled in front of you and
officially asked for your yes, hindi ka ba sasagot ng ‘oo’?

The scenario is very romantic that even you to yourself would be hurt to answer
‘no’.

So yeah, kami na nga ni Kevin. Pero wala pa ni isa sa barkada ang nakakaalam.
Natatakot daw sya dahil mukhang hanggang ngayon ay boto pa rin sila Vince. Oo,
tinuturing na rin nilang kaibigan si Kevin. Pero alam nyang mas gusto nila si Vince
para sa’kin kesa sa kanya.

But my point is, so what? Hindi sila ang pinag uusapan dito kundi ako.

“Your future wife definitely needs her future husband. Really.”

“Don’t say that. I’m in the midst of an important meeting, and if you keep sounding
like you freaking miss me, I might leave this thing right at this moment and be
with you.”

Why do you have to be so sweet to the point that instead of blushing, I’m hurting?

Napa-tingin ako sa pinto sa likod ko. Si Vince... Bakit mas kinikilig pa ako sa
nangyari samin kanina ni Vince kesa sa mga sinasabi ni Kevin ngayon?

“So cheer up, my lady. I’ll be home on the day after tomorrow. I’ll call you on
skype later tonight. Okay?”

“I know you’ll be tired. Mag-pahinga ka nalang. However, I’ll be having dinner with
the group on Lance’s house.”

“Oh, alright.”

“Kevin, you know that I love you, right? You know that, right?”

***

A/N: Sa wakas nakapag update din! :D

READERS: Simula na daw ng love triangle sabi sa last a/n. Nasan? Yung phone call?
Yun na yon?

THISNIE: Wait lang. Part 1 nga di ba? May part 2 pa. Antay antay din. Pinapakilig
ko lang kayo sa MaVince. Miss nyo na eh. Hindi kayo kinilig? Sorry fail ako eh.

ANYWAY. Tinatamad ako mag-note. Kbye.

Thanks for reading!

Vote and comment.

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.06 (Part 2): Living under the same roof

Chapter 6 (Part 2): Living under the same roof

[ODETTE’S POV]

Maria,

How are you? You look good—no, you still look beautiful. You’re still the most
beautiful woman to me. Gusto kong maniwala na okay ka na, na naka-move on ka na.
Pero sa tuwing nakikita mo ‘ko, ‘yang kunot sa noo mo, ‘yang pag-tataray mo, ‘yang
matatalim mong salita – lahat ng ‘yan ay ebidensya na walang nagbago sa
nararamdaman mo para sa’kin. Kasi naniniwala akong kung naka-move on ka na talaga,
balewala nalang lahat ng nangyari.

Matagal na ‘kong sumuko sa’tin. Alam ko kasing wala nang pag-asa. Kaya katulad mo,
pinilit kong mag-move on. At katulad mo rin, akala ko naka-move on na ‘ko. Pero
hindi pa pala. Kasi nung nakita kita sa Holland Resort, naramdaman ko nanaman ‘yung
bilis ng tibok ng puso ko na nararamdaman ko noon nung tayo pa. Sa madaling sabi,
wala palang silbi ‘yung pagmu-move on na ginawa ko. Mahal pa rin kita. At
napatunayan kong hindi basta bastang mawawala ‘yon.

Alam mo bang nandito si mommy sa Pilipinas? Hindi mo sya napansin nung kasal ni Aly
at Gerald kasi... parang lutang ka? She tried talking to you pero parang hindi ka
daw makausap ng maayos. I agree with her. Napansin ko rin kasing parang wala ka sa
wisyo. But anyway, alam mo bang ‘yun ang unang beses na sinampal ako ni mommy?
Bakit?

“Mom, mahal ko pa rin sya. Hindi ko pala kayang hindi mahalin si Maria. But—“

She slapped me before I could finish my sentence. Nakalimutan ko kasing ayaw nya sa
word na ‘but’. Sabi nya, if there’s something I want to do or have, then do
everything for it. No buts, no what ifs.

That slap woke me up. Nagising ako mula sa apat na taon na pagka-comatose ko.

Hindi ko masabi sa’yo ‘to ng personal kasi nahihiya pa rin ako sa nangyari noon.
But don’t worry, unti unti kong ibabalik ang dati. Hindi ko masabi sa’yo ngayon,
pero eventually, sasabihin ko rin sa’yo ng personal.

Maria, mula ngayon, mag-sisimula tayo katulad ng pag-sisimula natin nung college.
Naalala mo ba? Kinalimutan mo ako nung grade 6 dahil sa ginawa ko di ba? Pero
nagawa kong ibalik ang ‘tayo’ nung college. Ngayon, kinalumutan mo ako 4 years ago.
Kung nagawa ko noon, alam kong magagawa ko rin ngayong ibalik ang kung anong meron
tayo dati.

Allow me to enter your heart again, Maria. Allow me to love you, and prove that I
am still the one for you.

Maria, I’m still yours. And I know, you’re still mine.

Love,

Vince

PS.

Labas ka sa balcony natin. Tapos pikit ka.

Ang lamig di ba? Ang dilim pa.

Ganyan ang buhay ko nung nakaraan na apat na taon.

--

Hindi ko alam kung ngingiti ba ako or maiiyak eh.

Nakakainis! Nakakainis ka, Vince! Bakit kailangan mo ‘tong gawin?! Pero mas
nakakainis ‘tong sarili ko. ‘Tong puso ko. My mind keeps on reminding me EVERYTHING
he did, but my heart keeps on erasing it. Ayoko na. :--(

Napa-tingin ako sa langit. Ang ganda ng sky. Very peaceful, at ang dami ng stars.

May naka-kuha ng attention ko. It’s just an ordinary star, parang yung ibang star
lang din, pero ewan ko kung pano nya nakuha yung attention ko. ‘Til may nag-pop out
na image sa mind ko. Si Marco.

Maybe that star si Marco.

“It’s been so long, Marco. I miss you, really. Naaalala mo ba nung bago ka mamatay?
You made me promise na kahit anong mangyari, dapat hindi ko hayaang sirain ng isang
problema ang meron kami ni Vince. But look what I did. Sorry ha? Naka-limutan ko
‘yun eh.”

Crazy me. Talking to a star? Tsk.

“Marco, hindi ko maitago sa’yo ‘to. Marco, alam mo naman kung sino ang tunay kong
mahal ‘di ba?”

*Kriiing! Kriiing!*

I looked at my phone. Si Lance.

“Tara na! Malapit nang matapos si Prei.”

“Aight! I’m coming.”

Tumingin ulit ako sa ulap, and funny it is. Dun sa star na ‘yon nanaman ako
napatingin. I smiled.

“Sige, Marco. I have to go. Hey, I have a little favor. Pwede bang bigyan mo ako ng
sign kung sino ang dapat kong piliin? Be here beside me when I’m finally decided.
Be with me. Please?”

I turned my back at papasok na ulit sa kwarto. Para rin kasi akong timang. Sinunod
ko ‘yung pinagawa ni Vince dun sa PS.

Papasok na sana ako sa kwarto when I saw this red one-stem rose na naka-dikit sa
glass door. Then I looked at the sticky note na nagdidikit dun sa rose sa glass
door. May naka-sulat na: “I missed you a lot, babe”

xxx

“Aminin mo na, kinikilig ka di ba?” Fucker Jin!!! >,< Bwiset. Sa dinami-dami ng tao
dito, bakit kasi kay Jin ko pa naisipang i-kwento ‘yung sa letter? Fucking
fuckering asshole.

“Tiff’s here! Dinner time.” Announce ni Prei who answered the door, which is
Tiffanie.

Haha! Payback time. Binigyan ko agad si Jin ng mapang-inis na tingin. Hindi pa man
din ako nakaka pangasar, napikon na agad sya. Tinakpan nya yung oh-so-meaningful
smile ko tapos inakbaya, or should I say sinakal, then hinila nya na ako sa dining
hall.
“Ano? Mangaasar ka pa, ha?” Pang-aasar ko kay Jin.

“Hmm...” Aba? Dinedma ako?! Umupo sya sa tabi ko tapos humarap sya sa barkada. Nasa
dulo kasi kami. “Guys! Dito tayo matutulog tonight di ba? And I assume kulang tayo
sa rooms. So, I suggest, dun nalang kami ni Odette sa bahay nila, tabi nalang kami
sa kwarto nya.”

WHAT THE F?!

Magre-react palang ako kaso napigil na nung mga kubyertos na nahulog, which are
hawak ni Vince.

“HOY! Hindi pwede.” Protest ni Vince.

“Maka-hindi pwede? Girlfriend mo? Girlfriend mo?” Pang-asar na sagot ni Jin kay
Vince.

Shit! What is this asshole saying?! Fucking shit!!!

Napa-atras naman si Vince dahil sa sinabi ni Jin. Wow, ano ‘yon? Sabi nya sa letter
magsisimula ulit kami tulad ng pagsisimula namin dati? Parang hindi namin kami
ganito dati? Di ba feeler sya? Di ba kahit ayoko sa kanya noon pinipilit pa rin nya
yung sarili nya sa’kin?

Eh ba’t ganto? Bakit parang...

EH BAKIT KA BA PURO REKLAMO, ODETTE? Hindi ba dapat mas okay kasi, less guilt?
Ugh!!!

Never mind.

Dinedma ko nalang sila, as in silang LAHAT. At nag-focus sa pagkain. WOOT. Natuon

agad yung attention ko dun sa Sweet and Sour. Yummm...

EH?! Kukuha na sana ako ng serving nang may bigla namang kumuha ng plate ko. Pag
tingin ko, si Vince. Nilagay nya sa tabi yung plate ko then may pinalit syang
malaking plate na may... “What’s this?”

“Mussels pasta.” He smiled brightly.

WTH? Tinignan ko yung pasta dish na nasa harap ko. Basically it’s a creamy pasta
and may mussels nga na parang baked pa. Then may cheese. Well it’s like a
carbonara. Anyway, medyo na-weirdohan ako parang tahimik at nagulat nalang ako nang
makita kong lahat sila ay nakatingin sakin. -_-
I snapped kaya naman napabalik sila sa kani-kanilang business. -_-

“Are you gonna watch me ‘til I finish?” I sarcastically asked Vince. Parang timang
kasi maka-titig.

Umiling sya then he started serving himself from the foods na naka-handa sa table
which I assume ay luto lahat ni Prei. WAIT. Bakit parang...

“Isang serving lang talaga ‘to?” I whispered... enough for them to hear me. -_-

“Stupid. Hindi ba obvious na ikaw lang ang pinag luto ni Vince?” At si Jin lang ang
nag-tangkang sumagot sa’kin.

BAKIT BA PARANG ANG AWKWARD AWKWARD? I mean, hindi ako sanay na sobrang tahimik ng
barkada. Well not really SOBRAng tahimik, basta medyo awkward? Si Lance and Prei
ang stiff, tapos sila Jin, Jun, Tiffanie at Zia as usual awkward, si Georg at
Eunice lang ang medyo jolly pero si Henry obvious ring ilang kay Georg. Si Ivan
normal naman.

“A he he” Awkward nalang akong tumawa.

=_____________=

xxx

“ARAY! ARAY VINCE PUTA!” Jin

“DITO KA KASI” Vince

“EH INAANTOK NA NGA AKO!”

“KAYA NGA IINOM TAYO EH”

“AYOKO UMINOM. HEALTHY LIVING”

“ULOL. TARA NA SA CLUB HOUSE!”

Tas biglang hinila ni Vince si Jin sa leeg. You know, parang sinakal using his arms
at kinaladkad. Pero kahit pa sabihing lumaki na ang katawan ni Vince, mas malakas
pa rin at mas muscular si Jin kaya naman nagawa pa rin nyang makawala kay Vince at
tumakbo sa likod ko.
Naturingang mga bachelors pero parang bata pa rin mga ugali. Tsk.

“AH! Ouch Jin!” Reklamo ko, kahit hindi naman nasaktan. “Sige na guys, una na kami
ni Jin.”

“HOY. Anong una?” Singit naman ni Vince na lumapit pa samin at pinaglayo kami.

“You. Don’t. Care.” I raised a brow before turning my back to him, at hinila ko na
si Jin papunta sa way ng bahay ko.

Pero napahinto ako sa sinagot ni Vince.

“Bahay natin ‘yon. Kwarto natin ‘yon. At kama natin ‘yon. Kaya may pakealam ako.”

Ow-kay? Did I... Did I just hear a dreamy boy? Tsk. Hopeless.

SHEESH WHY AM I BLUSHING

***

A/N: O di ba? Ang bilis ko mag-update ngayon. Yun nga lang fail.

Hahahah! Gusto ko talaga isingit ang love triangle kaso gusto ko na ring mai-post
'to kaya sa next update nalang. Siguro next weekend na. Busy na ulit eh.

So kamusta naman? Nagustuhan nyo ba? Okay, sorry hindi maganda :(

ANYWAY. Maraming salamat pa rin sa pagbabasa. :) 

Vote and comment.

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.07: Dump

Chapter 7: Dump

[ODETTE’S POV]
“Pwede ba, Jin? Tantanan mo na!”

“What? Wala na akong sinasabi dito. Alam mo ikaw, napaka-defensive mo kasi eh!”

“Of course, not! Eh kung hindi ka nangaasar dyan?”

“HOY!” He stood up from the bed at lumapit sakin. “Kanina pa ako tumigil sa
pangaasar. And besides, hindi ka naman maaasar kung hindi totoo eh. Di ba di ba?”

W-What?! Aaargggh! Bwisettt.

Nakakainis ‘to. Pa’no, kanina pa nya ako inaasar mula nung umalis kami sa bahay ni
Lance. Kinikilig daw ako sa sinabi ni Vince. Like, wtf. Bakit naman ako kikiligin?
Ahhh! Ka-stress. Bat pa kasi ako pumayag na dito matulog ‘tong hinayupak na ‘to
eh?!!?

“What?” Maka-tingin kasi ‘tong si Jin parang nanghuhusga ng buong pagkatao eh.
Seriously!!!

“Tara dito.” Tinapik nya yung sa may tabi nya. Sumunod naman ako. Harmless naman
‘yan. Loyal kay Tif ‘yan eh. “Seryosong usapan, Od. Anong plano mo?”

“Huh? Anong plano?” I wrinkled my brows.

“Kay Vince.”

Okay. Napaka-straightforward nya ngayon. -_-

“Well,” Umayos ako ng upo. “I don’t know.”

Sandali nya akong tinitigan before he sighed defeat. Para bang suko na sya sakin.
Why? What’s wrong with my answer? Hindi ko pa naman talaga alam eh. Or wala akong
balak alamin?

“Odette, hindi pwedeng hindi mo alam—“

“E anong gagawin ko? Hindi ko talaga alam. And besides, there’s no need to know.
Wala na akong pake sa kanya.”

“Od. Listen. It’s not that simple anymore. Una sa lahat, may anak na kayo kaya
kahit anong gawin mo, konektado ka talaga sa kanya. Second, inamin nya na sayo di
ba? He’ll puruse you. Ano? Paaasahin mo sya sa wala? And in connection to that, the
third. You’re officially dating Kevin. Can’t you at least be fair to the both of
them?” Seryosong sabi ni Jin.

And I was like, everything he said is plainly true. Especially dun sa... I should
be fair to Vince and Kevin.

Tama si Jin. Hindi pwedeng go with the flow ngayon. May mga taong masasak—May mga
taong kailangan masaktan. Parang hindi maiiwasan yun ah?

“As for my suggestion, better dump one person now before your feelings grow until
it would be hard for you to choose.”

WHAT? Dump one person?

Bakit parang ang hirap naman ata ng solution na ‘yon? How can I dump—Wait, isn’t
that supposed to be an easy one? Madali lang ‘yon. Syempre, dapat palayain ko
yung... hindi ko mahal.

Should I dump Vince then?

xxx

[VINCE’S POV]

Fuck! Bakit ba late akong nagising ngayon? Hindi ko na tuloy alam kung anong
uunahin ko. Pag gising ko pa kanina wala si Maria sa tabi ko. Hindi ko sya mahanap
dahil 30 minutes nalang male-late na ‘ko sa meeting ko. Fuck!

Pag labas ko ng kwarto, naabutan ko pa yung kambal na naghahabulan. Hindi lang

sila. Pati yung isang maid at... si Maria.

“Maze! Stop it!!! Vance Maze, itigil mo na ‘yan. Male-late na kayo eh!” Saway ni
Maria.

Have I already tell you? It’s June already. Magi-isang buwan na rin kaming naka-
tira ni Maria dito sa iisang bahay. Kamusta? Ayon, para akong hangin dito kung
dedmahin nya. It all started after that night. Nung nag-dinner kami kela Lance at
dito natulog si Jin.

She has been so cold to me. Pinapansin nya naman ako pero napaka-cold nga.

“Hi Maria.” I greeted nung napadaan sya sa harap ko. As usual, hindi nya nanaman
ako pinansin. Tuloy lang sya sa paghabol kay Maze.

“Hijo! Aba’t alas nuebe na. Late ka na sa meeting mo.” Shit! Oo nga pala. Buti
pinaalala ni manang.

“Ah shit! Oo nga pala!!!” Fuck! Nataranta nanaman tuloy ako.

Tapos nagtitili pa si Venice kasi nahuli na sya ni Maze. Ah puta ang gulo.

“Sige na hijo, ako na ang bahala dito. Baka mapagalitan ka pa ni sir Anton.” Sabi
ni manang.

Tinignan ko ulit si Maria na hirap na hirap na paghiwalayin yung kambal. Ahhh. Okay
lang. Andun na si manang. Dali dali na akong umalis at bago ako makasakay sa kotse
ko, narinig ko pa si Maria na sumigaw.

She’s usually like that. Mapapasigaw nalang sa sobrang inis sa kambal.

“Oy pare.” Tumatakbo na ako papuntang elevator nang makasalubong ko si Ivan. “Don’t
tell me haharap ka kay Sir Anton ng ganyan? Ayusin mo nga yang necktie mo.”

Ayusin ko daw pero sya na rin nag-ayos. =_=

“Andyan na ba sya?” Tanong ko kay Ivan.

“Ah, yeah. Pero don’t worry. Kararating lang nya. Good mood naman, hindi ka pa
yari. Haha!” Nanloko pa ang gago.

“Wow. Ang sweet nyo naman.” Napatingin kami sa nag-salita. Si Prei. “Ngayon ko lang
na-realize, bagay pala kayo. Kaso, incest ‘ya—OUCH!” Yan, nahampas tuloy ni Ivan ng
folder.

Natawa nalang ako eh.

“San punta mo?” Tanong ko kay Prei.

Napatingin kami ni Ivan sa dala nya. Breakfast from Starbucks............ ahhhh!

Nagtinginan kami ni Ivan at tumango-tango. Alam na.

“Ho ho ho! Buti pa si Lance, may breakfast. Ma-text nga si Maria. Makapagpadala din
—“

“Feeler. Ni hindi ka nga kinakausap ni Odette eh, dalhan ka pa kaya ng pagkain?”

Aba’t! Ang talas ng dila nitong si Prei ha! “And kesa binubwisit mo ako, bat hindi
ka nalang humabol don sa elevator nang hindi ka ma-late sa meeting mo?”
And that struck me.

SHIT! I’m late!!!

Tumakbo agad ako dun sa elevator but it’s too late. Nag-sara na ‘to. Pag tingin ko
kela Prei, nagtatawanan pa ang dalawa. Mga bwisit kong pinsan nga naman oo.

Then my phone suddenly rings.

Chellu calling...

xxx

[ODETTE’S POV]

After kong ihatid sa school si Maze at Venice, pumunta na ako dito sa YouNice. I
need relaxation. Dios mio ang sakit sa ulo ng kambal. Sa lahat ng araw, kaninang
umaga pa nila napiling mag-away. Kung kelan first day of school. Kaimbyerna ng
sobra!

“Here’s your choco-strawberry.” Eunice served my drink.

Magkasama na rin kasi kami kanina, hinatid nya rin si Irish and Izzy. Buti pa yung
dalawang ‘yon, kalma. I mean, Irish is a good boy. Si Izzy medyo maldita pero buti
nalang magkasundo sila ni Venice.

“So what’s the plan? Gusto mong mag-spa tayo?” Eunice asked.

“Nah. Kelangan ko pang pumunta ng Holland Resort mamaya to check things.”

“Alone? Want me to accompany you?”

“I know you’re busy too. I’m fine.”

At kung ano ano pa ang napagusapan namin. To tell you honestly, I feel so old. I
can’t believe I’m talking about kids with Eunice. You know, first time ‘to kasi
hindi naman kami nagkakaron ng ganitong time dati. ‘Time’ = motherhood bonding.

Ahhh. Really. I never seen this before. Yung tatambay kami sa coffee shop talking
about our kids and how we do as parents. Di ba? This is really a new chapter in our
lives. The only difference is, she got to talk about herself being a wife. Ako?
Nope, never.
Zia texted us that she’ll treat us for lunch in a restaurant. But the main thing
is, she’s gonna introduce Gian to us. Remember? Her boss? Her boyfriend? The one
who ruined the JunZi thing.

Andon na sya when we arrived there. Pero wala pa yung Gian. Tsk. In times like
this, di ba dapat nandito na si guy? Oh my. Turn off. Err. Or am I just being
biased to Jun? Whatever.

“Oh, ang aga nyo naman, girls?” Salubong samin ni Zia.

“What maaga? Hindi kami maaga, sadyang late lang ang boyfriend mo.” Sabi ko. Nasiko
naman ako ni Eunice dahil sa sinabi ko. Like what? Totoo naman yung sinabi ko.

“No he’s not.” Defensive little brat! >< “May kinuha lang sya sa car. Anyway, nasan
sila Ivan at Vince?”

“WHAT? Dadating si Vince?” Me

“Uhh, yeah?” Zia

“Actually, he’s already here.” Eunice

AGGH! Bwiset. I want this day to be as relaxing as possible pero pano ko naman
magagawa yon kung nandito rin yung root ng stress ko everyday?

As much as possible ay iniiwasan ko sya. I just want to conclude my feelings

properly. Hindi ko kasi alam kung sino ang iiwan ko. Or kung may dapat bang iwan.
Ahhhhh! Ang hirap. Gusto ko nalang bumalik sa New York eh.

How the hell can a four-letter word spin my head like this?

Guess what. Zia’s boyfriend is such a dickhead. Imagine? Fifteen minutes na kaming
buo then he’s gonna text her na may emergency meeting sya and he can’t meet us? Wow
naman. Your girlfriend here is trying to make her friends like you tapos... ugh!
Turn off.

***

A/N: Hindi naman ganun katagal di ba? Pero bitin. Hahaha.

Actually hindi pa talaga tapos 'tong chapter na 'to kaso tinamad na 'ko. Hahaha! So
kamusta naman? Nagustuhan nyo ba? Sorry sa mga nadi-disappoint. Pumupurol na talaga
ang utak ko. But don't worry, I'm doing my best para bumalik sa dating ako. Haha
whut.
Anyway. I dedicate this chapter to @ImUrCupid na sobrang nakaka-touch ang comment-
slash-message sakin sa last chapter. Nagulat talaga ako, kinilig ako! Hihihi <3
'Ultimate idol' nya daw ako. O di ba? Sinong hindi kikiligin. And about sa
pagbabalance ng time, jusko wag mo akong tularan. Ang laking problema ko nyan.
Haha! Anyway, message mo ko. Ha? Ily and thanks!

Guize. Vote and comment ha?

Thanks yous! :*

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.08: Engaged? Yes!

Chapter 8: Engaged? Yes!

[ODETTE’S POV]

“Alam mo para ka ring eng eng eh. Pineperwisyo mo pa ‘ko.” Sabi ni Jin pagka-park
na pagka-park sa harap ng bahay namin. As usual, imbyerna nanaman sya sakin. Ayaw
ko kasing sumabay umuwi kay Vince kaya eto, he has to drive me home.

“Pake mo ba? This is all your idea kaya wag kang mag-inarte.” I answered.

“Ang sabi ko, maging fair ka. Hindi ko sinabing iwasan mo si Vince.” Jin

“That’s what I’m doing right now, okay? Wala si Kevin, kaya dapat, wala rin si
Vince. Isn’t that being fair? Huh?!” I eyed him. Grabe, hindi ba nya nagets yon?
Ang slowpoke forever!!!

He looked at me impossibly. What now? Mali nanaman ako? Sinunod ko na sya for
crissakes ha!

Bumaba na kami ng kotse at bago pa man ako makahakbang, nagsalita na ulit sya na
talaga namang mapapatigil ka kung sayo sabihin.

“Tanga ka pa rin no?”

WHAT. THE. FREAKING. HELL.

Nilapitan ko sya at sinapok sa ulo. Grabe. Kung maka-tanga akala mo perpekto.

“What did you—“

Before I could finish my words, narinig ko na ang papalapit na sigawan ng kambal

ko. Pag tingin ko sa may door, nagtatakbuhan sila, naguunahan makalapit sakin. And
they’re not freakin’ enjoying the thing. Mukha silang worried and nervous.

“MOMMYYY!” Venice frowned as she hugs my hips.

“MOM! You need to go inside!” Maze then pulled my hand.

“Why? What’s going on?” Pero hindi nila ako sinagot. Instead, hinila pa nila ako.

Tsaka ko lang napansin yung dalawa pang kotse na naka-park. And I guess I already
know what’s going on. I confirmed it pag pasok ko ng bahay. Feeling ko anytime
sasabog ‘tong bahay ko dahil sa tindi ng electricity na nagsasabong sa pagitan ng
mga mata nila Vince at... KEVIN?!

“Kevin?!” And that cut off their electric glares. “Oh my gosh!”

Sa sobrang excitement ko, nabalewala ko na yung intense glare nila ni Vince. And I
ran and hugged him. Sorry! Namiss ko lang sya.

“Ehrm.” Dahan dahan akong lumayo kay Kevin.

Napatingin ako kay Jin, only to see him eyeing me. And hindi naman ako slow para
hindi magets kung para san yung ‘ehrm’ na ‘yon. Whoo! Paypay please? Ngayon ko lang
na-feel yung awkwardness.

“Uhh, Kev, you met Vince na right? Vince, si Kevin..” WTH am I doing? Aggh!

Pareho naman silang nagtanguan sa isa’t isa. Ang awkward lang talaga, please.
Somebody get me outta here.

“Hey, Od.” My attention was shifted to Kevin. “Can I talk to you in private?”

Of course I cannot say ‘no’. We excused ourselves from them at pumunta muna kami sa
may garden. Geez, I’m nervous. Boyfriend ko ‘to for crissakes. And by the looks of
it, mukhang obvious naman ang nangyayari. I mean, I know what’s running through his
mind. Why the hell is my ex-fiance here in my house? Right?

Anyway, we sat there on opposite sides. We’re facing each other.

He crossed his legs as he gave a lazy look. Looks like he’s waiting for an
explanation.

“Don’t look at me like that. Parang may malaki akong kasalanan sayo eh!” I
exclaimed.

Wanna know what he did? Nilakihan nya lang ako ng mata as if he don’t care to what
I said and he needs to hear what he wants. Ugh!

“Pwede ba, Kevin—“ Bigla syang tumayo. Grabe! Ano ako dito? Empleyado na
napapagalitan? Ugh! “Hey! Where are you going?”

“Uhh, wala kasi akong makuhang explanation mula sa GIRLFRIEND ko. Edi dun ako sa EX
FIANCE nya magtatanong.” Parang wala lang nyang sabi. Tapos shinoot pa nya yung
dalawa nyang kamay sa pocket nya at cool lang na nagpatuloy sa paglalakad. Like
really?!

“Kevin, no! Okay. I’ll explain everything.” Wow. Ang bilis kausap. In an instant ay
nakabalik na sya sa harap ko. But instead of sitting on his seat, dun na sya umupo
sa may table, closer to me.

“So, why is your EX FIANCE here?” He asked authoritily.

I sighed before answering. “I also don’t know. No, actually, he was living here
before I even came back. Dito sya nag-stay nung kakauwi nya lang from Spain. I want
to kick him out but... it was lolo’s order to let him stay here. Wala naman akong
laban kay lolo, right?”

[VINCE’S POV]

“... I want to kick him out but... it was lolo’s order to let him stay here. Wala
naman akong laban kay lolo, right?”

WHAT? San... kelan pa naging utos ni lolo na patirahin...? Fuck. Did she lie to
him?

“Now, are you convinced?” Rinig kong sabi ni Jin na nasa likod ko lang.

“Hell yeah!” Smile is undeniably seen on my face right now.

Palaging sinasabi sakin ni Jin na lahat ng nangyayari ay may kakahinatnan. Lagi

nyang sinasabi na kahit anong mangyari, kahit gano ka-cold si Maria sakin, kahit
gano sya maging masama sakin, wag na wag akong susuko. Kasi lahat daw ng yon ay may
dahilan.
I never trusted him at first. Sino ba naman kasing maniniwala di ba? I mean, nagawa
akong iwasan ni Maria for 4 years. Tapos sasabihin nyang kaya cold si Maria sakin
ngayon ay dahil nalilito sya? What the fuck is that?

Pero ngayon, dahil sa narinig ko, unti unti na akong naniniwala kay Jin. Isang
tanong nalang talaga ang nasa utak ko ngayon. Bakit?

“Anyways, he’s being a good help with the kids naman. He’s helping me out. And...
the kids love it having a ‘dad’ in their home...” Maria continued.

“A home... Yeah, a home.” Kevin repeated with a hint of jealousy on his voice.

Am I winning this so called game? Hah.

“Kevin. Stop it. It’s not helping. It’s non sense.” Maria told him.

Kevin heaved a deep sigh, “What’s non sense is you keeping our relationship secret
from your friends because you think they would reject me. If you want it, you can
fight for it. Aren’t you the spoiled bratinella princess? What you want, is what
you get.”

That made her shut up. You have a point, Kevin.

“We’re eavesdropping too much. Tara na.” Wala na akong nagawa. Hinila na ako ni Jin
papasok ng bahay eh.

“Tingin mo, pare? May chance pa kayang... mapatawad ako ni Maria?” Tanong ko kay
Jin.

Tinawanan lang ako ng gago. -_-

“Don’t worry, pare. May chance. Nakita mo ‘tong mata ko? Ganito kaliit ang chance
na mapatawad ka nya. Hahahaha!” Ay puta! Seryoso kasi ako eh. “You might think I’m
kidding here. But no. Kasi alam mo, lalaki lang ang chance na mapatawad ka ni
Odette pag dumating yung time na natuto syang unawain kung ano ang pagkakaiba ng
gusto ng puso sa gusto ng utak. Don’t worry, she’s getting there. O? Nasa Drake’s
ang mga gago. Tara? Minsan lang tumakas si Ivan kay Eunice.”

xxx

“PUTANG INA DUDE. Sinong nagdala kay Tiffanie dito?”

Takte. Sobrang galing ng shifting ng emotions nitong si Jin. Kanina lang sa kotse
nung papunta kami dito sa bar tawa pa sya ng tawa. Tapos pag dating namin dito
akala mo leon na galit nag alit. Hahahaha!

Pag dating kasi namin, nakita namin si Tiffanie na nasa dance floor.

“Calm down, Hapon. Andun naman si Jun.” Sabi ni Ivan sa kanya as he hands us
drinks.

“Why is she here anyway?” Jin

“You should thank us, though! Kung hindi namin sinama ‘yan, mawawalan ka na talaga
ng asawa.” Henry

“What?!” Jin

“We saw her waiting for someone in Foxtrot. Nakikipag blind date si Tiffanie. Naka-
chamba lang kami ngayon kaya sumama samin ‘yan. Dude, better fix things between you
guys.” Ivan

“You helped me with Maria. Now, I’ll help you with Tif.” I said.

xxx

[ODETTE’S POV]

“WHAT? Are you serious?!” I scowled after hearing his next question. Like really?

“I said, did you two do it together? You know, the ‘S’ thing.” Hah. He dare repeat
it huh?

I stood up and walked back and forth. Isn’t this supposed to be awkward? My
boyfriend is asking me if I had sex with my ex boyfriend. Wow. Just... wow.

Ang ayos na ng paguusap namin kanina eh. He’s asking how are things going here.
Then he suddenly asked about the ‘s’ thing and now we’re fighting. Alam nyo yung...
namiss ko sya eh. And I’m glad he’s back here. Tapos ganito kami? Wtf.

“Ano? Why can’t you answer me?” Nilapitan nya ako

“Do you really freaking think I would do that behind my boyfriend’s back? And with
my freaking ex asshole fiancé? Really, Kevin?! Really?!” Ugh! This is losing my
sanity. I really can’t believe he’s making delusional stories out of his perky
little mind.
How the hell did this dumb guy become a manager of a prestigious company? Haaah!
Agghh!!!

“Why are you so defensive about this, Odette? Maybe you reall—“

“FUCK IT, KEVIN! This is going non sense. Okay, for the peace of your freaking
green mind, I’m telling you, nothing happened between me and Vince. Yeah, we often
sleep together in one bed, and I don’t care, believe it or not, I never laid a
finger on him. I was ignoring him like he’s some kind of a ghost in this house
because I don’t wanna—“

“Wear this ring and this fight is over.”

I was stopped from talking and was really astonished to what he did next. He stood
very close to me and showed this diamond ring in front of me.

Nung una, ayaw pang i-process ng utak ko. But sooner, it hit the shit out of me.

I stared at the ring, then to him, then to the ring, then to him.

The victory on his face is undeniable. It’s like, it’s like sinadya nyang asarin
ako. Maybe this is his plan. Gagalitin muna ako at tsaka magpopro—is this a
freaking proposal?

“What?” He said in lazy tone. “You want this fight over, don’t you? Then just wear
this.”

A smiled slowly painted on my lips. I couldn’t hide my happiness right this very
moment.

“I love you, Odette. And I missed you.” He smiled, and slowly touched his lips on
my forehead.

“Are you... Kevin, is this a proposal?”

Tears came streaming through my cheeks as he smiles and nods to my question.

***

A/N: Huwaw naman. Ber-month na pero chapter 8 palang ako. Wala pa sa kalahati.

Sorry kung ngayon lang update. Sobrang busy sa school e. Tapos ang igsi pa nito.
Tapos hindi ko alam kung kelan next update. :(
Ah basta! Sa next update, I guarantee you. Simula na talaga ng MaVince! :)

O sya, wait for it nalang. :)

Dedicated to: DENIsaurrr

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.09: This is the end

Chapter 9: This is the end

Vince’s POV:

Bwisit. Kabilin-bilinan ko, ‘wag akong iistorbohin sa bakasyon ko. Kaya nga tinawag
na “leave” ‘di ba? Leave from the work. Gusto ko munang iwan ang trabaho ko. Tapos
tatawag tawag for a special meeting? Tss!

Pero anong magagawa ko? Kasama si Lolo Anton at Lolo ko sa meeting na ‘yun. Takot
ko lang sa dalawang ‘yun.

“Bakit parang ang bilis naman?”

“Anong mabilis? Ang tagal na nilang magkakilala, at ang tagal na ding sinusuyo ni
Kevin si Od. Ano ka ba?”

“Yun na nga e. ‘Sinusuyo’ palang.”

“Ni hindi nga natin nabalitaang naging sila na e. Tapos ngayon ibabalita nyang
IKAKASAL NA SILA?”

Nagpantig ang tenga ko sa narinig ko. Binuksan ko agad ‘yung pinto at halata namang
nagulat sila sa pagpasok ko.

Para silang mga batang nahuli ng principal na nagaaway-away.

“Sinong ikakasal?”

Nagsi-iwasan agad sila ng tingin sakin. Bwiset. Narinig ko na e, hindi pa aminin.

“Sagutin nyo ‘ko. Sinong ikakasal?!”

“VM..” Napatingin ako kay Prei. Pati sila tinignan si Prei, at para bang gusto
nilang pigilan magsalita ang pinsan ko. “VM, Od’s getting married to Kevin.”

WHAT?

Parang biglang humiwalay yung kaluluwa ko sa katawan ko dahil sa narinig ko e.

Sakit, pre. Ang sakit.

Wala na talaga no? Wala na siguro talaga akong pagasa kay Maria.

Tsk! Ang tanga mo kasi, Vince, e! Bobo! Ba’t ‘di ka kasi magpaliwanag? Malay mo
naman pagbigyan ka nya? Malay mo maintindihan ka nya? Malay mo maawa sya sa’yo?
Tsk. Tanga!

“Vince, huy. Okay ka lang?” Tumingin ako kay Zia. Lahat pala sila nakatingin na
sa’kin.

Puta. Mukha akong tanga dito.

“H-Ha? Oo naman. Sige, una na ‘ko. May pinapagawa pa si Lolo Anton sa’kin.” Paalam
ko sa kanila tsaka ako lumabas ng private room na ‘yun.

Dumiretso ako sa parking lot nitong Foxtrot. ‘Di ko na napigilan ‘yung galit ko.
Pinagsisipa ko ‘yung gulong ng kotse ko.

Bwisit! Bwisit!!!

Parang gusto ko tuloy tumakbo kay Maria ngayon, tapos ipapaliwanag ko sa kanya yung
totoong nangyari. Magmamakaawa ako sa kanya.

Pero kahit ano atang paliwanag ang gawin ko hindi sya makikinig e. Wala. Nabato na
sa’kin ‘yun. Ang gago ko kasi e.

“Yes, Lara. I’m flying back next week. I’m gonna handle the anniversary issue so
don’t bother Kristof anymore.”

Ka-videochat ko ngayon si Lara, secretary ko sa LM (Luminary Magazine). Anyway,

nasabi ko na ba sa inyong EIC ako ng LM sa Spain? At ngayong darating na July nga
ang 15th anniversary nito.

Hindi dapat ako magha-handle nito kasi nag-leave nga ako pero dahil wala na rin
naman akong aasikasuhin dito sa Pilipinas, edi babalik nalang ulit ako sa Spain at
magta-trabaho.

“Noted, sir.”

“Good. I need to meet the whole team as soon as I arrive.”

Napatingin ako sa may pinto ng kwarto. May kumatok kasi, tapos maya maya ay pumasok
na rin si........ manang.

Hay nako, Vince. ‘Wag kang umasang kakatok si Maria sa’yo at hahanapin ka.

Pinasok ni manang yung mga gamit ko na galing sa kwarto namin ni Maria. Lumipat na
kasi ako dito sa guest room. Ayoko nang ipagsiksikan yung sarili ko dun.

“Thank you po, manang.”

“Hijo, gusto mo na bang ipaghanda na kita ng hapunan?”

“Ah, no need, manang. Aalis din ako maya maya.”

“Osige. Tawagin mo lang ako kung kailangan ka ha?” Tumango ako kay manang at
lumabas na rin sya ng kwarto.

Humarap ulit ako kay Lara, dito sa laptop ko.

“I have to go, Lara. I’ll call you again on Thursday, before I leave.”

“Alright, sir.”

And we ended the call.

Nag-bihis na ‘ko at nag-ayos. Inaya ako ni Tiffanie mag-dinner e. Alam kong

nagaalala na sya sa’kin. Pagbibigyan ko na. Gusto ko rin ng taong makakausap
ngayon.

Lumabas na ‘ko ng kwarto ko. Gabi na ha? Bakit parang wala pa yung mga bata?

“Yaya, nasan yung kambal?” Tanong ko dun sa isang katulong.

“Ay sir, kadadating lang po ni ma’am Odette. Nagpaiwan daw po ang mgabata sa lolo
nila.”

“Ah, okay.”

Bumaba na ‘ko, at saktong pagdaan ko sa may dining area, andun si Maria.

Ngayon palang namimiss ko na sya.

“Sir, kakain din ho ba kayo?” Tanong ni manang na pinaghahanda na si Maria ng

dinner.

“I think mamaya nalang pala ako kak—“ Hindi ko na pinatapos si Maria sa sasabihin
nya. Sus. Alam ko namang ayaw nya akong kasabay e.

“Hindi na, manang. Sa labas nalang ako kakain.” Sabi ko at tsaka umalis na.

Ivan’s POV:

“Ano, Ivan? Anong balita kay Vince?” Tanong agad ni Jun pag pasok ko ng office ko.
Tibay ‘di ba? Ginawang tambayan ang opisina ko.

“Ayon. Tuloy na tuloy na ang alis sa Biyernes. Ayaw papigil e.”

Lahat kami, napa-buntong hininga nalang. Sa totoo lang, gustong gusto na namin
mangealam sa dalawang ‘yan e. Hindi lang namin mapangunahan si Vince.

Oo, okay naman si Kevin. Pero alam naming hindi mahal ni Od ‘yun. Siguro infatuated
or something pero hindi love. Ayaw lang namin pagsisihan nila pareho yung mga
desisyon nila.

Lunes na ngayon. Sa Biyernes aalis na si Vince. Pero wala pa din kaming naiisip na
paraan para mapigilan ‘yon. Hay.

May biglang pumasok sa office ko. Secretary ko lang pala.

“Sir, pinapatawag po kayong lahat ni Mr. Lopez.”

~
Odette’s POV:

“Alam mo, ang kulit kulit mo!! Bakit kasi ‘di mo nalang ako isama sa China?” Sabi
ko kay Kevin.

Nandito kami ngayon sa airport. Hinatid ko sya. Ngayon kasi ang flight nya
papuntang China e. Kainis nga e. Ang bilis ng araw!!

But there’s a good news! Before going here, galing kami sa mansion. And we formally
told lolo about our recent engagement. Medyo nakakagulat nga e, kasi hindi sya
nagalit or what. He even congratulated us.

 “Tsaka na. ‘Pag engegment na talaga ang agenda natin. ‘Wag mo ‘kong masyaong
mamimiss ha? Kawawa ka naman.” Tss. Yabang!

“Ikaw. Ikaw ang mag-sabi nyan sa sarili mo. Baka mabaliw ka ‘pag namiss mo ‘ko.”

“Haha. O sige na. Aalis na ‘ko.” Sinukbit nya na sa balikat nya yung bag nya. “Hey,
lady. Tandaan mong may gwapong babalik sa’yo ha? I’ll miss you.” Tapos hinalikan
nya ‘ko sa noo.

Napangiti ako. Sabi sa inyo e. Hindi naman mahirap mahalin si Kevin e.

Nagpaalam na kami sa isa’t isa. At pumasok na rin sya sa loob.

“Déjà vu.” Eh? Napatingin ako kay Jin. Yep, kasama namin sya.

“Huh? Anong déjà vu?”

“Bobo ka talaga. Tsk.” What the?? Tawagin ba akong bobo??! “Déjà vu. Mga
pangyayaring akala mo nangyari na dati.”

“I know that. Hindi ako stupid. Bahala ka nga dyan.”

Tumalikod na ‘ko sa kanya pero napahinto ako sa sinabi nya.

“Eto. Hindi ba parang déjà vu rin ‘to? Ang kaibahan lang, noon ako ang ginagamit
mo. Ngayon, si Kevin na.”

Napaharap talaga agad ako sa kanya. Anong...?

Hindi ako naka-react agad sa pinagsasasabi nitong si Jin dahil nag-ring ang phone
ko. I looked at the screen at si Kikay pala ang tumatawag. Yaya ni Venice.

“Why Ki—“

“Ma’am? Ma’am!! Ma’am Odette!!! Si Venice po, ma’am! Si Venice po sinugod namin sa
ospital.”

Nag-blackout na ako dahil sa narinig ko. Inend ko agad yung call at hinila si Jin.
Sinabi ko na rin sa kanya yung nangyari kaya naman nagmadali na din sya.

“My god, what the eff happened to my daughter?!” Mababaliw na ‘ko. Siguro nga hindi
ako ganun ka-mother material pero anak ko pa rin ‘yon!

“Calm down, Od. Bakit kasi hindi mo tinanong kay Kikay kung anong nangyari?!” Sigaw
ni Jin na natataranta na din.

Argh! Ang tanga ko talaga! Bakit nga ba kasi hindi ko tinanong?

“Twagan mo si Vince. Baka hindi pa nya alam.” Sabi ni Jin.

Tawagan si Vince?

“Huy! Ang sabi ko tawagn mo si Vince. Ipaalam mong may nangyari sa anak nyo!” Argh!
Ano ba? Bakit kelangan sumigaw??!

Arrgh! Bahala na nga. I was about to tap the call icon on my phone nang may biglang
incoming call naman. No need to call him na pala e. Si Vince na ang tumawag.

I tapped the answer icon.

“Okay na si Venice. Sumemplang lang sa bike kanina. Nagasgasan lang, pero nagamot
na. You don’t have to rush here, alam kong busy ka. Akon a muna ang bahala kay
Ven.”

“Huh?” Is all I can answer cos seriously, what is up on him?

Nung isang araw ko pa napapansin e. He’s being so cold to me! ‘Di ba ako ang
nandededma dito? But no, bigla nalang parang sya din nandededma na.

It started the other night. Nung umalis sya at sa labas nalang kumain. It’s very
unusual kasi madalas e hinihintay pa nya akong umuwi just to eat together.
And at the same night, he moved to the guest room. That is so weird!

“Bye.” What the? Tapos sya pa ‘tong unang nagbaba ng phone? Something’s really
wrong! Ugh!

“O? Anong sabi?” Nabalik ako sa wisyo dahil sa tanong ni Jin.

“Huh? Ano.. Sumemplang lang sa bike si Ven.”

 “WHAT? Sumemplang lang pero kung mag-panic ka akala mo nabundol na ‘yang anak mo?
Haist!” And then he slows down the speed of the car.

“Kasalanan ko ba? E ang OA din ni Kikay e.”

“Mayayari sa’kin ‘yang katulong nyo.”

I’m worried about Ven. But I must admit I’m mmore worried about Vince. I think I
have the right to know what’s wrong ‘di ba?

Nakarating na rin kami ni Jin sa hospital. Yep, sinugod talaga sa hospital ang anak
ko. Ang OA talaga nitong si Kikay. But she did great. Mas okay na ‘yung ganitong
yaya kesa ‘yung tatanga-tanga.

“Dios mio naman, Kikay. Sa susunod ‘wag kang magpapanic ng ganon. Akala namin kung
ano nang nangyari sa bata e.” At ngayon nga ay pinagsasabihan ni Jin si Kikay.

Lumapit ako sa bed ni Ven. She’s sleeping. At katabi nya si Maze na nakatulog na
din kakabantay sa kapatid nya.

“E sir naman. Pa’nong hindi ako magpapanic e kaya sumemplang ang alaga ko kasi
muntik nang masagasaan ng kotse. Ay nako, sir. Buti na nga lang nakapagpreno agad
yung driver e. ‘Yun lang po, masyadong nagulat si Ven, nawala yung focus sa pagba-
bike kaya nahulog.”

Napalingon agad ako kay Kikay nang marinig ko yung kwento nya. Nagulat nga rin si
Jin e.

Pero nanaig yung init ng ulo ko at galit. The freaking hell! Muntik nang masagasaan
ang anak ko pero ang sinabi sa’kin ng magaling na ama nya ay sumemplang lang?

Ginagawa akong tanga ni Vince. Sino sya para lokohin ako tungkol sa nangyari sa
anak ko?
“Ulitin mo nga ‘yang sinabi mo, Kikay. Anong nangyari, bakit nahulog si Venice?”
Lumapit ako ng konti sa kanila ni Jin.

Pero napatakip lang sya ng bibig na parang gusto pang bawiin ang sinabi ny.

Mukhang walangbalak ulitin ni Kikay ang sinabi ny kaya naman hindi na ako
nagdalawang isip umalis. Narinig ko naman ng maayos e.

***

A/N: AWWWWWWW! Give up na si Vince TT.TT Pa'no na 'yan? lol Thank goodness nakapag
update din! Maraming salamat sa study area sa FEU, na-motivate akong mag-update.
lol

Huhubells, give up na si fafabells. Wala na tayong MaVince. lol

Kung inaakala nyong nasa climax na tayo, mali kayo. Hello! Chapter 9 palang o.
Nagsisimula palang tayo. Binabaliktad ko lang ang nakagawian nating story format.
Inuuna ko lang ang sa tingin nyo'y matagal kong ilalabas. :)

At may good news ako. Mabilis lang ang interval sa next update. I'm halfway through
sa draft.

Anyway! Another good news. Abangan nyo ang next update. Because everything will be
answered there.

NAKS MEGANON?!

O sya, school works na! Annyeong!

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.10: The true story

Chapter 10: The true story

Odette’s POV:

I kicked the door and everyone turned their gaze to me. But who cares about their
stares? Board lang sila ng Lopez GOC. At wala akong pake sa kanila.

“Sorry po, sir. Hindi po kasi mapigilan si Ms. Odette.” The secretary behind me
apologized.

“We need to talk.” I said, giving him a sharp eye contact.

“Odette, Vince is obviously in the middle of the meeting.” I heard my lolo said.

“I don’t care. We. Will. Talk. NOW.” I stormed out at dumiretso ako sa office nya.

Hindi na ‘to makakapaghintay. Nakakainis! How dare that guy keep the truth from me?
I am the mother, for crissakes!!!

*PAK*

Sinalubong ko agad ng sampal si Vince. I’m not sorry!

“So ginagawa mo talaga akong tanga?!” I started. “Una, bigla bigla ka nalang umalis
ng bahay without any word. Second, unti unti mong nilalayo sakin ang anak ko. And
now what? You’re lying to me about my daughter’s condition? What the fuck is that,
Vince?!”

What? Tutungo nalang sya dyan? Hindi magsasalita? I deserve an explanation, okay?!

“Ano?! Hindi ka ba mageexplain?!” I shouted. Nakakainis!!!

“I’m sorry. Ayoko lang istorbohin ka. Alam kong hinatid mo si Kevin kanina, kaya
hindi ko na sinabi sa’yo.”

“WHAT? Are you crazy or something? Anak ko ‘yun—“

“And I’m not taking Ven, nor Maze away from you. You’re just busy with Kevin. And
I’m just doing my responsibility as their father.” He said and then he left me.

O-kay.

I was really left speechless. Parang tinamaan ako or what. I don’t know kung nahurt
ba ako kasi pinapamukha nyang wala akong kwentang mother, o nahurt ako dahil totoo?

Pero dude. Ang sakit. He’s telling me that he’s not taking away the kids from me,
instead, I’m just busy clinging to Kevin. Ang sakit naman nun.
~

And then it’s been two days. Binubulabog ako ng konsensya ko. I don’t know what to
feel! Hindi ko alam kung magagalit ba ako or what. Parang... okay fine. Tinamaan
ako sa sinabi nya. He may be right. Nawalan ako ng time sa mga anak ko dahil kay
Kevin. Pero... parang wala din naman syang karapatan ipamukha sa’kin ‘yon.

AGH! I don’t know!!!

“Mommy!!!” The kids? The kids are back?!

Two familiar kids showed up in front of me! Wow. My kids are back. Since my lolo
knew about the recent issue I made, he decided to take the kids muna. Kaya halos 2
days din sila sa mansion.

I hugged them tightly. Namiss ko sila.

“Mom missed you, babies.” I said as I kissed them in their heads.

“We missed you too, mom.” Maze said.

“Mom, I have a question. Why is dad staying in Tita Prei’s condo? I thought you’re
already okay that’s why you decided to live in one house na? But why did he leave
again?” I stood speechless dahil sa question ni Ven ha.
O, anong isasagot mo, Odette?

“Mommy, are we gonna fly back and forth again to Spain every month?” What? Bakit
natanong ni Maze ‘yon?

“Wha.. What are you talking about, Maze?” I asked him.

“Mom, dad’s going back to Spain on Friday.” Venice answered.

WHAT? Bakit... Bakit biglaan naman yata?

Kinuha ko agad yung phone ko and I dialed Jin’s number. In two rings, he answered
it.

“Oh? What’s up, bab—“

“Jin! Is it true that Vince’s leaving on Friday?”

“Hah. Haha. So, does it concern you, Miss I Don’t Care Anymore?”
What the fuck?

“Fuck it, Jin. Just answer me—“

Ouch! Shit what’s that? Nahulog ata yung phone? Ang sakit sa tenga ha!!!

“Yes, Odette! VM’s leaving on Friday.” Si Prei...? “And you need to know something.
We have to talk.”

Bigla akong kinabahan. Nakakainis naman ‘tong si Prei! Can’t she just tell it over
the phone?

“We... We’re talking right now—“

“I’ll see you tomorrow, in YouNice, 10:30am sharp.”

And she hung up.

AAAHHHHHH! Kainis!!! Bakit hindi pa sinabi?! She’s prolonging my hardships.

But first... should I see Vince and confirm the news? Pero... para san naman? Di ba
yun naman yung gusto ko? Para maging peaceful na rin ako.
Yes, gusto kong mawala na si Vince. But that’s not what my heart wants.

“Good morning po, Ms. Odette. Nasa 2nd floor po sila. Yung mga bata po nasa
kitchen, kasama ni Mr. Henry.” Sabi nung isang staff pag pasok namin ng YouNice.

“Kids, you go with ate ha? Wag kayong masyadong magulo sa kitchen. Okay?” I told
the kids and let them be guided by that staff to the kitchen.

Pumunta na ‘ko sa balcony sa 2nd floor. Okay? What’s with their faces? And... why
are they all here? Akala ko kami lang ni Prei ang maguusap.

Yung itsura nila, hindi mo alam kung sadyang wala sa mood or mawawala palang sa
mood e. What’s their problem? Tsk.

And their faces worsen when they saw me.

“Ang ganda ng umaga, ba’t naka-busangot kayong lahat?”

Paupo palang ako when Jun stood up and spoke. “We’re sorry.”
Huh? Sorry? Sorry for what?

“For... what?” Medyo kinakabahan na rin ako.

Apologizing for what? It’s weird... Why are they apologizing all of a sudden? And
at the same time, it’s scary. Parang... pakiramdam ko masasaktan ako?

“We’re sorry for not telling you the whole story.” Lance suddenly kneeled in front
of me and he held my hands. Hindi ko na alam kung anong nangyayari ha.

“Ano... Ano bang pinagsasasabi nyo?” I asked.

“Odette... it’s about time para malaman mo na ang totoong nangyari kay Vince. We
know we’re not in the position to tell you this, pero nahihirapan na rin kasi kami
para sa inyo. You’re both hurting each other e pwede namang i-save ang relasyon nyo
ni Vince.” Lance said.

Tinignan ko sila. Their eyes are all apologizing.

“Bago ka umalis, binilin mo saming lahat, lalo na kay Vince, na walang bachelor’s
party na magaganap. Kilala mo naman si Vince. Masyado kang mahal nun, kaya ni hindi
sumagi sa isip nyang magpa-party ng ganun.” Ivan spoke.
“Kami lang ang pumilit sa kanya kaya nagkaron ng party. Sobrang ayaw ni Vince, pero
sobra rin namin syang pinilit. So partly, kami ang may kasalanan dito.” Jun next
spoke.

“So you don’t have to apologize. It’s still his choice, okay? Nagpapilit sya. He
partied, and bedded a cheap slut. Done! Ugh! I don’t get this. Bakit kailangan nyo
pang iopen ‘to? Everybody has moved—“

“Od, ssh. Let... Let us speak and explain first. Please? Para din sa’yo ‘to.” Jin
hushed me.

Okay fine. For the peace of everyone, I’ll lend them my ears.

“Odette, listen to us. After the party, the boys got wasted. Hindi nila na-control
yung alcohol. They were all drunk and they all passed out. Kung hindi pa tumawag
yung staffs ng Drake’s kay Eunice, hindi pa namin malalaman yung mga nangyari sa
kanila. When we got there, wala na si Vince.” Prei explained.

Hilarious. How the hell can they create such a story just to defend Vince?

“Kinabukasan, nalaman nalang namin kay Vince na, may nagdala sa kanya sa isang
hotel. He admitted it, may nangyari sa kanila nung babaeng nagdala sa kanya sa
hotel. But... it was beyond his will. He was forced.” Ivan explained.

Okay... What now?

Hindi ko kinakaya ‘tong mga sinasabi nila Ivan. Unti unti na akong naaapektuhan.
Walang bakas ng pagbibiro sa mukha nila. All these things must be... true.

“Yes, Odette. Vince was technically raped.” Eunice concluded.

WHAT? No!!! That can’t happen. No!!!

Naramdaman ko nalang na may tumulo sa cheeks ko. Napaiyak na pala ako.

Hindi ko na alam. Pa’nong...

“No way. This is not a good joke, guys. It’s not!” I exclaimed. Ayoko na.

“This is not a joke, Od. It’s true.” Gerald then said.

Rape? Crazy!!!

Sige. I got their point. They want me and Vince back together. Pero... aabot talaga
sila sa ganitong point?

Rape? It is impossible!!! If I know, ginusto nya ‘yon.

“Pwede ba? ‘Wag nyo nang pagtakpan yung ginawa ni Vince. Matagal ko nang natanggap.
And nothing can change the fact that he cheate—“

“Odette, please. Makinig ka naman samin. Matagal na namin dapat sinabi sa’yo ‘to,
pero pinipigilan lang kami ni VM. Ayaw nyang malaman mo kasi nahihiya sya. Walang
ibang sinisisi si VM dito kundi ang sarili nya. He was sexually abused pero ayaw pa
rin nyang ipaalam sa’yo to save your relationship. Sabi nya, it was his fault dahil
kung hindi naman daw sya uminom, hindi mangyayari ‘yon. Pero Od, don’t you think
VM’s being unfair to himself? To you?” Ewan ko. Bigla nalang akong naiyak nung si
Prei na ang nagsalita.

And she’s right. Vince is so unfair.

Nakakainis. Bigla akong nagsisi. No. Ewan. Magulo.

Pero... bakit wala manlang nagsabi sakin? Bakit walang nagexplain?

“Bakit ngayon nyo lang sinasabi sakin ‘to?” I asked them.

Lumapit si Aly sakin. “Gustong gusto naming sabihin sayo. Pero sabi ni Vince, ‘wag
na. Kasi nga naman, lumayo ka na nga para matahimik, hahabulin ka pa ba namin para
bigyan pa ng problema? Alam mo namang ayaw kang nasasaktan ni Vince, di ba?”

“Baby girl, we’re all very sorry for keeping this from you.” Lance said, bowing his
head.
“This is all.... True? Vince... didn’t cheat to me?” I said, nearly sobbing.

Jin’s POV:

Tinabihan ko si Odette, and I made her cry on my shoulder.

Salamat naman at nakumbinsi ko na silang sabihin kay Odette ang lahat. Noon ko pa
sila pinipilit e. Pero puro sila ‘e pano si Vince’. Puro sila pano si Vince, e pano
naman si Odette? Di ba?

Nung hindi ko sila mapilit, si Vince na ang kinausap ko. Sabi ko, sya na ang
magsabi ng totoo kay Odette. Pero ayaw pa rin nya e. Lalo syang nawalan ng pagasa
nung bumalik pa si Kevin.

Hay...

“Odette, sinabi namin sayo ‘to ngayon para hindi mahuli ang lahat. Bukas ng hapon
ang alis ni VM. You still have more than 24 hours to go to him and talk to him and
clarify everything. Do it, before it’s too late again.” Prei said.

“Baby girl, aminin mo na sa sarili mo. Hindi mo mahal si Kevin, at may nararamdaman
ka pa rin kay Vince. Wag mong lokohin ang sarili mo.” Lance said.
Pumasok na muna sila sa shop. Naiwan kami ni Odette dito sa labas. Iyak pa rin sya
nang iyak.

“Sabi naman sayo di ba? Hindi lang iisa ang conclusion. Pwede pang mabago.” Sabi ko
sa kanya habang hinahagod ko yung likod nya.

“Naaawa ako kay Vince, Jin. Bakit hindi nya sinabi sakin?!”

“Gusto mo ba talagang malaman?”

I felt she nodded.

“Tara.”

Hinila ko si Odette dito sa condo nila Prei. Walang ibang makakapagpagaan ng loob
nya, at makakasagot sa mga tanong nya, kundi si Vince.

“Anong ginagawa natin dito?” Tsk. Slowpoke.

“You should talk to him.” I said.

“No. Ayoko!” She tried walking away pero nahagip ko agad yung braso nya.

And sakto, bumukas ang pinto ng unit ni Prei. It revealed two persons. Bullshit.
Pati ako nagulat. Standing there on the doorway is Vince and... Tiffanie.

“Jin... Odette... Anong ginagawa nyo dito?” Vince asked.

The next thing we knew, eto na kami sa living room ng unit. Magkatabi kami ni Od,
tapos sa harap namin sila Tif at Vince.

Bwisit. Gusto ko na rin makausap ‘tong si Tiffanie e. Kung magkakaayos na sila

Vince at Od, dapat kami ni din ni Tiffanie.

Nakatitig lang ako sa kanya, sya naman iwas nang iwas ang tingin. Dapat talaga ma-
sample-an na ‘to e.

“Ehrm. So, ano bang itatanong nyo?” Vince broke down the ice.

“Actually, si Odette ang may gustong itanong sayo.” I stood up and looked at
Tiffanie. It’s your chance, Od. And it’s my chance too. “And I’d like to talk to
Tiffanie in private.”
“What?! No!” Od protested.

Pero binigyan ko na ng makahulugang tingin si Tiffanie para tumayo na sya. And good
thing she got it.

“Yeah, we have to talk too. I’ll be back later, Vince.” Tif said and made her way
to the door. Tsk. Di manlang ako hinila.

Odette’s POV:

Ilang beses ko na bang sinubukan mag-salita? Bakit wala pa ring lumalabas sa bibig
ko?? Argh! I hate this!!! I know he’s staring at me, nililikot ko lang yung mata ko
para hindi nya ako mahuling tumingin sa kanya. Bakit ba kasi ako inuunahan ng hiya?

YOU NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH FROM HIM, OD.

“Uh, Maria, y’know, hindi naman ako manghuhula. Sana sinasabi mo kung bakit ka
talaga nandito.”

Tama nga naman, Odette. Pano nya malalaman yung pakay mo kung hindi ka magsasalita
di ba?

“And... I still have a lot of things to do—“

“Vince, gusto ko lang malaman yung totoong nangyari... nung... nung bago tayo
ikasal.”

Binilisan ko nalang magsalita. May bigla nalang bumatok sakin e, tapos hinila yung
dila ko. I have no idea where the hell did I get the gut to ask that. But thank God
nasabi ko rin.

And I really did kill the atmosphere. Am I crazy or what? Bigla nalang kasing
nalanta yung flower dito sa cente table e.

I heard him heave a sigh and there, we caught each other’s gaze. I want to look
away but his eyes are too magnetic!

Then he smiled, a faint one, a sarcastic one, I don’t know! All I know is that
it’s... painful to see them.

“Tell me, what suddenly made you want to know the past? Di ba, it will never change
a thing?”

That caught me off guard.

It hit me. Yung it will never change a thing. Right. What if I knew the truth? Will
it change a thing? Of course, it will. Mapapatawad ko sya.

“It will, Vince. You might get the forgiveness you’ve been yearning. I might
forgive you, Vince.”

“Then?”

Then?

Then... then what?

“Alam kong alam mong hindi lang kapatawaran ko ang gusto kong makuha di ba? You
know that. I wanted more, more than forgiveness.”

What? I looked at him impossibly.

“Chill, Maria.” He smiled a reassuring smile. Jerk. “Okay. So, hindi na napigilan
ng barkada no? Akala nila, may mababago pa porket nalaman mo yung totoo.”

What if meron? What if may magbago, Vince?

“Well, yes. Yes, Maria. Everything you heard from them... is true. There was this
girl who took advantage of my unconsciousness and drags me to a hotel. The next
thing I knew, I’m thrusting myself to her. The next thing I knew, I’m already
killing myself. Because cheating on you is like dragging myself on my own grave.”

The moment he spoke seriously, my tears can’t help from falling. How the hell did I
judge this man in front of me?

Etong nasa harap ko, he’s Vince. He is Vince Marcelo Alvarez. The man I loved, and
I think I still love. He’s still the same Vince I left.

“You know what? I still can’t believe that I’m still here, alive and kicking,
living in this sinful world. Hindi ko alam kung pano ko naaatim mabuhay sa kabila
ng kasalana—“

No. I can’t bear to hear him blame himself in a sin he never wanted to do.

Without any word, I pulled myself to stand and leave that unit. Umalis ako, pumara
agad ako ng cab and dumiretso sa bahay ko.

Bakit ba napaka selfish mo, Vince??

Bakit ba masyado kang nagmamagaling??

Bakit ba kasi masyado mo akong mahal?

***

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.11: Separate lives

Chapter 11: Separate lives

Prei’s POV:

“Tita, why is mommy like that these past few days? Does she have a problem?” Ven

“Isn’t it obvious, Ven? Mommy’s sad because daddy already left for Spain.” Maze

“Are you stupid? Didn’t dad already tell us that he and mom are not lovers anymore?
They’re just friends now! Because mom’s marrying tito Kevin na. Duh!!!” Ven

“Duh your face, big head ugly duckling! Mommy’s not marrying Tito Kevin because
it’s pretty obvious she can’t just simply be friends with daddy. And you are the
stupid one here, Venice. It’s not proper for two people who have kids to be just
friends. A man and a woman who have kids should be a married couple, not
friends!!!” Maze

Ven scratched her head, ignoring her brother’s insults and seemed to be thinking
everything he said.

“Just like...” she looked at Ivan and Eunice. “Oh, just like Tito Ivan and Tita
Eunice?”

Maze just rolled his eyes, giving up to his little sister’s innocent mind.

“Pati mga bata naaapektuhan sa kapatid mo at sa pinsan ko e.” Bulong ko kay Vince.

We’re actually here in Odette’s place. Kakagaling lang naming airport, hinatid si
VM. Sumama kasi yung mga bata, kaya eto, hinahatid lang namin pauwi. At eto nga ang
nadatnan namin.
Odette, sitting on the high stool on her kitchen, looking like a zombie while
holding a slice of bread. Para syang wasted! Naka robe lang sya then nighties
inside, tapos hindi pa nagsusuklay.

Ano ba kasing napagusapan nila ni VM? Walang nakakaalam samin! E iniwan pala kasi
ni Jin kahapon. Tapos ayaw naman sabihin ni VM samin yung napagusapan nila.
Pangiti-ngiti lang ang loko.

“Aba syempre, anak nila ‘yan e. Pero alam mo, sa tingin ko dapat ilayo muna sila
Ven at Maze dyan kay Odette e. Naguguluhan yung mga bata. Lalo na ngayon, wala ang
daddy nila, tapos ang alam nila, ikakasal ang mommy nila kay Kevin. Malilito yung
mga bata.”

“Tama ka dyan, Lance. Bakit kaya hindi muna sa mansion patirahin ‘yang kambal? At
least don maaalagaan sila ni Kuya Harvey, o kaya ni Lolo Anton. Kesa naman ganyan,
sila pa namomroblema sa nanay nila.” Zia

“Ano nang mangyayari dyan kay Odette? Sorry ha, pero I don’t think pwede pa nating
hayaan ‘to. Odette needs to be stable dahil may pamilya na sya. Pero look at her,
buhay dalaga pa rin sya. I’m not being rude or what, I’m just being realistic here
—“ Eunice

“Hon, let’s understand her first. Malaking revelation sa kanya yung nalaman nya.
I’m sure—“ Ivan

“Ivan, even before she knew the truth, ganyan na sya. She’s living like she has no
responsibility at all. She’s... she’s still dependent to us. She needs to be
independent because the kids will start to depend on her.” Eunice

“Tama si Eunice, guys. Let’s face it. We all grew up, and Odette still did not.”
Aly

Silence.

“Jun and Lance did not too.” Napatingin naman kami kay Ivan. And then he...
“Hahahahahahahahahahaha!”

Then the fun never ended.

Bwisit na bwisit lang si Jun at Lance kay Ivan. Porke daw ‘family man’ na,
nagmature na? LOL. Totoo naman e. Napaka-immature pa din ng dalawang ‘to. Well, I
can see Lance is exerting effort. May improvement naman.

~
Zia’s POV:

Hahaha. I can’t stop laughing at these guys. WE ALL GREW UP NA PALA, but look at
them! Playing like kids. In fact, the legit kids are just watching them. Ang
kukulit ng mga boys. Parang nadaanan ng bagyo ‘tong living room ni Od!

“Hahahaha—AGH!”

Falling... falling... falling... NOT FALLING >///<

I slowly opened my eyes and... “Falling.”

“Masyado ka yatang natutuwa sa ex mo... or should I say... kinikilig.” Jun said

without taking off that goddamn sexy smirk!!!

Tumayo agad ako ng ayos and I pushed him away.

“Feeler ka ha!!!”

“Haha. Joke lang. Masyado kang defensive.” He said then ginulo nya ang buhok ko.

“Ikakasal na ‘yan, dude. Haha!” Bigla nalang syang nawala, hinila sya ni Henry sa
leeg.

Okay na e. Nakaka-ngiti na kami sa isa’t isa e. Pero dahil sa sinabi ni Henry, nag-
iba nanaman yung ngiti nya. Hay, kelan kaya kami magiging okay. I miss Jun... I
miss him as a friend.

“What the heck???”

Ay pitong kabayo! Ano ba ‘yan? Bigla bigla nalang sumusulpot ‘tong si Odette!

Automatic naman na tumigil yung barkada sa paghaharutan.

“UGH! LEAVE!!!!!!!!!”

Vince’s POV:

“Wow. Bakit napa-aga yata ang balik ng aking pinsan?” I looked at the guy who
entered my office. I’d like you to meet Jacko, second cousin ko, and EIC ng
Luminary Magazine.

“Can’t you just thank me for coming back? Your art director is back before the
anniversary issue hell month starts.”

“Okay fine. Well then, maraming salamat at bumalik ka na.” I laughed. Gago talaga.
“So, pwede na ba akong maki-chismis? Kamusta naman ang ‘take my wife back’ mo?”

“Sige na, para tigilan mo na ‘ko, oo na. Palpak. Wala, hindi pa rin nya ako
mapatawad.”

“Oh. I’m sorry, cous.”

“Psh. ‘Wag na nga nating pagusapan. So, hindi pa ba tayo magmimeeting?”

“Just in time, let’s start the meeting.”

Then we proceed to the meeting room. It’s late June and we’re actually kind of
cramming here dahil sa September na irerelease ang anniversary issue ng magazine at
eto kami, conceptualizing.

Since it’s the 10th year anniversary, this would be a special issue. Luminary
magazine is actually a men’s magazine. If you could remember, ito ang dahilan kung
ba’t muntik nang maghiwalay sila Ivan at Eunice.

Haha! Naalala ko pa ‘yun. Binugbog ako ni Ivan before they go back to Manila. Pero
hindi nya naman ako napuruhan kahit pa ang laki ng kasalanan ko. Madrama yun e. Mas
malaki pa din daw yung kasalanan nya samin ni Maria.

Psh. Maria nanaman. -_-

“So guys, my concept theme is ‘sex’.” Jacko started off his presentation by showing
a huge sized text of ‘SEX’ on the screen.

“Are you kidding me, Jacko? Sex has always been our concept.” One of the editors
commented.

Jacko smirked and clicked for the next thing...

“SEX outside of a marriage or relationship”

Bullshit.
“In this issue, we will break all the rules. We’ll all be badass, mean, vulgar,
bitch, whore, slut, jerk, bastard, illegal, wrong, criminal, unlawful! We will be
working on an indecent concept.” Jacko

“I like the idea.” Krystal

“What? Look, Mr. Lopez might not approve this—“ Kiara

“He already did.” Jacko, throwing a document on the center. And yeah, we already
have lolo’s approval.

“Jacko, remember, this issue will be released in Asia. For Asians, men’s magazines
are already indecent. This would leave a bad impression if we get worse and worst!”
Kiara

“Kiara, babe, chill. I’m also an Asian. Don’t worry, the only indecent thing we’ll
be doing is the concept. The whole thing is still decent and acceptable. Okay?
Pablo, spread the concept to the contributors. Here’s a copy of the whole thing.”
Jacko, Pablo nodded; “Krystal, we’ll be working together in the feature story.
Johnson, I need you to find me a story about an unsuccessful gay marriage. I advise
you to find overseas, maybe European couple?”

“I already have a story. I just need to contact him if he’s good with it.” Johnson

“Very good! By the way, Krystal, can I ask you to fix the schedule of our lead in
our feature story?” Jacko

“No problem, Jacko.” Krystal

“Of course, Vince, I need to see the 3 layout proposals by the end of the week.
Okay?” Jacko

I nodded.

“You need to finish the layout of the whole magazine by the end of June.” Jacko

“And why is that?” Vince

“You’ll be working with us in the feature story. Photographer.” Jacko

Odette’s POV:
“Miss Odette, may overseas call po kayo. Si Sir Kevin po.”

Blank.

“Miss, hindi nyo po ba sasagutin ‘to?”

Blank.

“Sige po, Miss Odette.”

One week... One week na akong ganito. One week na akong walang buhay.

Every morning, babangon ako, magbe-breakfast, babalik sa kwarto, maliligo, tutulala

sa garden, kakain ng lunch, babalik sa garden hanggang hapon, kakain ng dinner,
matutulog. That’s my everyday routine.

I don’t know what happened to me. Masyado akong affected sa mga nalaman ko. Well, I
should be, right? Pero sobrang apektado naman ‘to.

My lolo even decided to get Ven and Maze from me pa. But it’s better. Hindi ko rin
sila maaasikaso dito. Kasi busy ako, busy akong tumulala.

*Knock Knock*

Nandito ako ngayon sa room ko, watching TV. Actually, I’m not watching. Palipat
lipat lang ako ng channel. Nakaka-ilang ulit na ata ako sa lahat ng channels e,
pero puro mukha pa rin ni Vince ang nakikita ko.

*Knock Knock*

Agh! Isn’t it obvious?! Ayokong kumausap ng tao.

Yep, I’ve been ignoring Kevin’s calls for a week. Magulo ang isip ko! I might hurt
him kung kausapin ko sya. I need to fix my mind first.

*Knock Knock*

“The hell!!! ANO B—“

“Shut the fuck up! Open this or I’m gonna tell Kevin you’re not answering him
because of Vince?” Eunice?
I hurriedly opened the door. Pag open ko, isang masamang tingin from Eunice ang
bumalandra sakin. If only looks could kill!

She strode pass me at umupo sa bed ko, then she turned off the TV. Sumunod naman
ako and sat on my bed too.

“How immature.” She rolled her eyes.

“What do you want? I’m not in the mood for your tactlessness—“

“Fix yourself.”

“Huh?”

“Fix yourself. We’re going somewhere.”

“Ayoko. If you want to go shopping, then go with Zia or Aly. Wala ako sa mood—“

“Ano ba Odette? Umayos ka nga. Para kang bata e. Bumangon ka na dyan, pag hindi ka
bumaba in 20 minutes, I swear, wala ka nang maaasahan saming mga kaibigan mo. We’re
already doing you a favor, so please.” Then she left me in my room.

Okay? What’s up on that girl?

I was about to lay my body back again to the bed when my phone beeped.

From: Jin

‘Sumunod ka nalang kay Eunice ha? Alam mo na nangyayari pag di ka sumusunod samin.’

TSSSSS!

Wala akong nagawa! Andito ako ngayon sa... YouNice. San pa ba?? Kaming girls lang
andito. Minus Prei and Tif.

At kanina pa nila ako kinukulit na ikwento sa kanila yung napagusapan namin ni

Vince before he left. So hindi pala sya nagkwento sa kanila?
Tsk! His actions, even if it hurts me, still makes me fall for him again.

“Kung wala ka talagang balak sabihin samin, then ikaw nalang ang makinig samin.
Okay?!” Kelangan sumisigaw, Eunice??

“Kanina ka pa ha! Bakit ba ang init init ng ulo mo sakin?!”

“E ikaw kasi! Para kang timang!” Eunice

“Hala? Ano bang ginawa ko sayo? E ikaw nga ‘tong nambubulabog e!”

“Wow. ‘Nambubulabog’. Ano bang ginagawa mo kanina at nabulabog kita?” Eunice

AAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!! Kainis ha!

“Para kang bata! Ewan ko sayo!” Sigaw ko sa kanya.

“WOW! Look who’s talking!” Eunice

“Ssshhhh! Tumigil na nga kayong dalawa. Eunice, stop it.” Zia

She rolled her eyes, giving up. Tapos umupo na sya. As usual, we’re here in the
veranda of YouNice.

“Ano nanaman bang paguusapa—“

“Od, I think you need to find a job.” Aly interrupted me. REALLY INTERRUPTED ME.

Job??? Work??? I’m working na ha?

“Are you for real, Aly? I’m managing Holland Resort, remember?”

“Gaga! You’re the owner, si Kevin ang manager.” Eunice said.

Huh? Napaisip ako dun ha? Tama nga naman. Kevin is the one who’s managing the
resort, and yeah, owner lang ako. -_-

“It’s still the same! Kumikita pa rin ako dun.”

“Gosh, Od! Of course you are.” Zia

“Alam naman naming kahit hindi ka magtrabaho hindi ka maghihirap e. What we’re
pointing out here is... you need something that’ll keep you busy. Yung... something
that’ll help you...—“

“That will help you grow up.” Eunice

The girls never stopped from pushing me to get a job. -_-

Sumunod nalang ako sa kanila. They’re somehow right. This will keep me busy. At
least makakalimot din ako sa recent happenings pag naging busy ako. At napagalitan
kasi ako ni Aly. Imagine? Sinampal nya sa mukha ko na I’m getting more immature
than before.

Is it true?

Pag ba naguluhan hindi na nagmature?

Aaaaahhhhhh!

“Hi Od!” Finally! Napaka tagal nitong si Zia lumabas ng office ha! Ang tagal ko
dito sa lobby.

I rolled my eyes. “Ha ha. Girl, sweep off that frown or else you won’t get any job
here.”

Yes, you thought it right. I’m applying for a job here in Zia’s boyfriend’s
company. Hindi ko nga alam kung pano ako makakapasok dito e. This company is quite
huge. Bakit naman sila magha-hire ng walang experience sa business or office works?
Not to mention, Basic Business Administration lang ang educational background ko sa
trabahong pinapasukan ko.

“You’re gonna treat me in Francillo’s if I don’t get hire.” I warned her. Then we
entered the elevator and went to her boyfriend’s office.

And guess what. Hahahahahaha! It’s funny how the board looked when they saw me.
Kasi kakatapos lang ng meeting ng mga boss dito, then they saw us.

“You’re Miss Maria Odette Lopez, right? The granddaughter of Lopez GOC’s
president.” One of them asked.

Umepal naman ‘tong boyfriend ni Zi. “Yes, sir. She’s my girlfriend’s bestfriend.
And she’ll be working here.”
Wow. Hindi pa man din ako naiinterview or what pero tanggap na ‘ko?? Business men
are business men. Tsk!

“How is that? Why won’t you work in your family’s company instead?” Another asked.

“Just like my bestfriend, it’s pretty good too to start off from other companies.
No bias.” I answered with a smile on my face.

Impress naman ang mga loko. Marunong pala akong mambola! Ew.

“Anyway, we have to go. I’m looking forward to working with you, Miss Lopez.”

Pweh. Nung makaalis sila, pumunta na kami sa office ni Gian. Ewan ko ha, pero for
me, mukhang player ‘tong si Gian. Tsk. Mahilig talaga sa playboy ‘tong babaitang
‘to.

“Gian, what was that? Bakit mo sinabing dito na nagta-trabaho si Od?” Zi asked
agad.

“Because she’s in. Zi, just give her resume in the HR department. And Od, you can
start any day this week.” Gian said.

Noooo. Wala akong Francillo’s!!!!!!! >_<

“Are you sure, Gian? Hindi mo pa nache-check ang credentials nya.” Zi

“I trust her. Just like you, I never checked your credentials, right? But you made
it here.” Gian

“Ehrm. I’m sorry but... I don’t like to work here, Zi. This place is full of
idiots.” Hah. Beat that.

Sabay walkout! Ayoko sa ganitong lugar. I know he only accepted me because the
boards are impressed that I’m here. And I know he wants me here to attract more
investors. Tsk.

Zi followed me and we talked when we’re in the lobby na.

“Od, what was that?”

“What? I don’t wanna work here.” Sakto may cab. Why didn’t I bring my car nga ba??
“Hey, Odette! Kinakausap pa kita ha!!!”

“Let’s talk later, Zi. Toodles! Let’s go, kuya. Sa Lopez Tower tayo.”

Geez. Hinding hindi na ‘ko tatapak sa building na ‘yon. How I hate users!!! No
doubt, hindi lumalago ang business na ‘yon. Puro sila material strategy, hindi nila
gamitin ang utak nila. Tsk.

Hindi na ako magugulat kung one day malaman nalang namin na ginagamit lang ni Gian
si Zia para maka-attract ng investors. Zerena Cruz is no ordinary in the business
industry.

The drive is not that long. Dumiretso ako sa office ni Ivan. Oh well, kaninong
office pa ba ang pwedeng tambayan dito bukod sa office non?

“Good afternoon, Miss Lopez. Wala po si Sir Ivan, nasa meeting po. Pero pabalik na
po sya. You can wait for him inside his office.” Sabi nung secretary ni Ivan. See?

“Thanks, Mel. Hmm... Would you mind buying me a coffee? Thanks!” Then I entered the
office.

Uy! Buti nalang nandito yung Macbook ni Ivan. =))) I borrowed it... using mental
telepathy. LOL.

Nag-scan ako ng Photos and... shizz and all. Bakit ang daming college pictures
namin dito? Ano? Magto-throwback lang si Ivan? Anong trip netong lalaking ‘to???—

“Give me your resume, Od.”

SHIT! Bigla bigla nalang pumapasok ‘tong si Ivan. Bwisit.

“Hindi ka ba pwedeng magparamdam na andyan ka na bago ka magsalita ng mabilis at

malakas??”

He sat on his swivel chair.

“Sorry, the last time I check, this is my office.”

Tsk. Jerk.

“Bakit nandito ka? Di ba dapat nandun ka sa company nila Zia?” Ivan

“Ayoko dun. Puro user mga tao dun.”

“So, dito ka magaapply? Give me your resume, I’ll see what I can do.” Ivan

And someone entered the office again, si Mel.

“Uhm, here’s your coffee, Miss Odette. And, Sir Harvey is looking for you.” Mel

Booooorriiiiiiiiiiiing!

“Good morning po, Miss Odette. Welcome back to Holland Resort!”

“Good morning.”

So yeah, I just arrived here in Holland Resort. Why am I here? Pinapunta ako ni
Kuya Harvey dito para imanage daw ‘to habang wala si Kevin. Since wala naman daw
akong mahanap na work, eto nalang daw pagkaabalahan ko.

Bakit ba kasi pinagtatrabaho nila ako???

Pumunta nalang ako sa office ko dito sa resort. I was checking on the documents
left and... ano namang gagawin ko dito?! E natapos na lahat ni Kevin!!!

*Knock Knock*

A woman came in with another pile of documents. And... if I’m not mistaken, I think
she’s—

“Good morning ma’am, I’m Kate, Sir Kevin’s secretary.”

“Come in.” She sat on the visitor’s seat. “Ano pang gagawin ko? Mukhang natapos na
ni Kevin lahat ng dapat ayusin dito.”

“Ah, yes ma’am. Tinapos na po ni sir lahat ng kailangang tapusin.”

Shizz. So wala rin akong gagawin dito! See? Work na mismo ang lumalayo sakin e.

“So anong gagawin ko dito? Panunuorin ang staffs kung tama ang ginagawa? Geez!”
“No ma’am, don’t worry. Another project just came. Mr. Harvey Lopez just emailed
me, he’ll be throwing a seminar here in the resort and she wants you to fix
everything for him.”

And then, I did what I was told. I kept myself busy dun sa pinaasikaso sakin ni
Kuya Harvey. I’m failing, in fact. Buti nalang tinutulungan ako ni Mel. Ewan ko
nalang talaga kung anong kalalabasan nito kung wala ang secretary ni Kevin.

And I must say, she’s very good. Perhaps, I’ll hire her as my secretary? Kaya kong
doblehin ang salary na nakukuha nya kay Kevin. Hahaha!

Anyway, I’ve been working here for a week or so? Yep, I’m having fun here! At today
nga ang dating ni Kuya Harvey for the seminar.

Talking about Kuya Harvey, he’s not in the company anymore. Ayaw kasi nyang papigil
sa business di ba? Kaya si Lolo na ang nag-fire sa kanya. Yep, lolo fired him. But
he’s still always in Lopez Tower, pakeelamero pa rin sa mga tao dun.

And now, the seminar he’ll hold is about young entrepreneurship.

Alam nyo ang pinupush pa ni lolo kay kuya? MARRIAGE. Which I guess is impossible to
happen anymore. Ehrm. Last year, Rica broke up with him. Ang tagal na rin kasing
hinihintay ni Rica ng marriage proposal e. Nainip, ayun, naghanap ng iba.

That’s why Kuya Harvey’s left alone again.

After a month...

Hay! Ang sarap ng 12 hours of sleep ha. After 2 weeks, ngayon lang ulit ako
nakatulog ng ganun kahaba at kahimbing. I’ve been very very very busy these past
weeks. And it’s good to know na I can rest today.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

Eh? I woke up and looked at the guy who entered my room with a tray of breakfast.

“Kevin?”

“I expected a cheer, not a frown.” He wrinkled his brows.

Yeah, I expected a smile too. But why do I wear a sad expression? Disappointed?
I fixed my face and smiled. “Sorry. Nagulat lang ako. I wasn’t expecting you here.”

Nagbago na talaga yung expression nya. Para bang nawala sya sa mood, or what. I
think I disappointed him too.

“Wow. Breakfast in bed.” I smiled, as I tried to light up the mood again.

Good thing he smiled. “Yup. Oh, I forgot your milk.”

He said as he left the room. Bakit ganun?

***

=================

Ch.12: About to happen

Chapter 12: About to happen

Odette’s POV:

“I have an idea, Od. Let’s have a vacation in Europe. Napagod ka rin dito, and I’ve
been really stressed out in China. I think we both deserve a vacation. What do you
think?” Kevin suggested.

“Hmm... that’s a good idea.”

“So you’re cool with it? I’ll book a flight now. Where d’you wanna go? Paris?
London?—“ Kevin was interrupted by the person who knocked and came in.

It was Kate.

“Miss Odette, ire-remind ko lang po sa inyo since mukhang nawala na po sa isip nyo,
kailangan nyo na pong bumalik ng Manila tonight. Bukas na ang flight nyo papuntang
Spain.”

Wha—What? Spain?

“Pupunta kang Spain, Odette?”

“I-I don’t... Kate, why am I flying to Sp....”

“Good afternoon, Miss Lopez.”

“Good afternoon, you are?”

“I’m Krystal Chua from Luminary Spain.”

“Ah, yes. So, what can I do for you?”

“I’ll be straight to you, Miss Lopez. The team wants you to be the cover girl of
the anniversary issue, and the lead to the feature story.”

“So, you went all the way here from Spain just to ask that? You could’ve just
emailed me. Anyway, I’m good at it.”

“Really?! Thank you so much, Miss Lopez! I’m sure this will be a perfect issue
since you’re the granddaughter of the big boss.”

“Haha. Thanks. So, just email me the details, or, are you gonna start the interview
and the shoot now?”

“Oh no. Another reason why I’m here is because I need to fix the schedule. The
photoshoot will happen in Spain, together with the interview.”

“Uh, I have to go to Spain?”

“Yes, Miss Lopez. It’s part of the art director’s concept.”

“Alright.”

“So, are you good by... August?”

“I’m not sure. Okay, just talk to my secretary for the schedule. I have to go, Miss
Chua. Anyway, I’m looking forward to the project. Anyway, I have to go. See you in
Spain, then?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Yes ma’am, ngayong August na nga po ang schedule nyo sa Spain.” Pagcclear ni Kate.

Oh my g! Bakit... Agh! Hindi manlang ako informed?! Kung kelan naman nandito si
Kevin. -_-
“I’m sorry, Kevin. Hindi ko talaga alam.” Me

“It’s fine. Wala, nandyan na ‘yan e. Maybe I can just go with you?” Kevin

“Ehrm. Sorry to break in your plans, but you’ll have to stay here, sir. Mr. and Ms.
Lopez wants to see you and tackle about a new project.” Kate

9pm, Spain

MISS MARIA ODETTE LOPEZ

I saw a girl holding that banner. Ah! Right. Sya yung nakausap ko noon. What’s her
name again?

“Good evening, Miss Lopez. I’m Krystal Chua from Luminary Magazine, remember?” Ah,
yun. Krystal.

“Hi Miss Lopez, I’m Pablo.” The guy with him introduced himself. Then he brought my
luggage at lumabas na rin kami ng airport.

Papasok na ako dun sa car nung mapatingin ako sa may kaliwa ko. Weird. Feeling ko
may nakatingin sakin. Well, what’s new? Sa ganda kong ‘to?

Hinatid ako nila Krystal at Pablo sa hotel. This hotel is actually the Alpha Hotel,
pagaari ‘to ng family ni Gerald. Dapat nga kay Gerald na ‘to e, kaso mas pinili nya
yung Foxtrot para daw nasa Philippines lang sya.

“Do you wanna know your itinerary or should you rest first, Miss Lopez?” Tanong ni
Krystal pag pasok namin ng presidential suite. Ooooh. Mas maganda ang presidential
suite dito sa Alpha kesa sa Foxtrot ha?

I looked at the window. Wow. Ang ganda dito. I actually felt lonely nung nasa plane
ako. Feeling ko gugustuhin kong pabilisin yung errands ko dito, pero ngayon, I feel
like living here. There’s something about Spain that—

“Miss Lopez?” Oh. Andito pa pala si Krystal.

“I’m sorry, what’s that?”

“Oh, I think you’re tired. Take your rest now, Miss Lopez. I’ll be here around
10:30 tomorrow morning to discuss with you your itinerary. Good night.” Then she
left first.

Naiwan yung isang guy. What’s his name again?

“I just wanna say that you are really beautiful in person, Miss Lopez. Now I know
why Marcelo got really miserable years ago.” That guy said before leaving me.

Nag-echo sakin yung sinabi nya. Ano daw yun?

Now I know why Mareclo got really miserable years ago...

Now I know why Mareclo got really miserable years ago...

Now I know why Mareclo got really miserable years ago...

Now I know why Mareclo got really miserable years ago...

Now I know why Mareclo got really miserable years ago...

Marcelo...? Could it be...

Vince’s POV:

“Vince, ano ba?! San ka ba galing? Kanina pa ‘ko dito!” Salubong sakin ni Jacko
pagdating na pagdating ko dito sa coffee shop.

May usapan kasi kaming paguusapan namin yung concept ng photoshoot para sa feature
article. E nalaman kong ngayon ang dating ni Maria, kaya naisipan kong sundan si
Pablo at Krystal. Oo, alam ko na na si Maria ang model sa feature article. Parang
gago nga si Jacko e. Nananadya talaga.

Pero... naalala ko yung kanina...

Nasa labas lang ako ng airport. Hinihintay ko talagang lumabas si Maria. Ewan ko
nga e, para akong tanga. Mukha akong stalker.

Nung nakita ko sya, syempre, naghabulan nanaman yung tibok ng puso ko.

‘Di na ata mababago yun e.

Napangiti nalang ako nung bigla syang mapalingon sa gawi ako.

Wala, inisip ko lang na... siguro nararamdaman nya yung tibok ng puso ko, kaya
napalingon sya.

“Oo na, pinapaasa ko na sarili ko.” Sabi ko kay Jacko. Kinwento ko kasi sa kanya
yung ginawa ko kanina. -_-

“Hahaha. Stop being melodramatic, bro. Anyway, we’re here to finish the concept.
Reminder lang, nandito na ang MODEL natin. At alam ko ring alam mong may attitude
ang MODEL natin.” Jacko

“Whatever, Jacko.”

Then all of a sudden, may umupo pa sa 2 vacant seats sa table namin. Si Krystal at
Pablo.

“O? Naihatid nyo na yung MODEL natin?” Jacko asked the two.

“Yes, dude. And bro,” Pablo hit my shoulders. Putek. Nagssketch ako dito e. “Ang
hot pala talaga ng ex-fiance mo. Kung ako din ang iniwan nun sa altar, man, I’ll be
miserable too.”

“Hay, Pablo. You and your cassanova traits. Pwede? ‘Wag mong idamay si Maria ha?
Subukan mo lang—“

“O ano? Anong gagawin mo kung ligawan sya ni Pablo? Marcelo, akala ko ba magmu-move
on ka na?” Krystal

Bwisit. ‘Di ko nalang pinansin si Krystal at tinapos ko nalang yung layout ko for
the cover of the magazine.

Odette’s POV:

Now I know why Mareclo got really miserable years ago...

Now I know why Mareclo got really miserable years ago...

Now I know why Mareclo got really miserable years ago...

*Kring Kring!*

I was back to reality when my phone rang. It was Krystal.

“Good morning Miss Lopez. Uhm, due to some errands, our discussion about your
itinerary and schedules will be moved in the afternoon. I’m sorry ma’am for the—“

“Hey, Krystal. Okay, I understand. Let’s meet by 4pm, then?”

“Alright, Miss.”

“One more thing. ‘Wag mo na ‘kong tawaging ‘Miss Lopez’. And stop being too formal.
Just call me ‘Odette’. Okay? See ‘ya!”

Now I know why Mareclo got really miserable years ago...

Shit! Aaahhhh! Ayaw talagang mawala sa isip ko. Posible kayang yung Marcelo na
sinasabi nya ay si... Vince?

Wait...? Spain... WHAT THE HECK? Bat ngayon mo lang naalala?! How stupid of you?!
Dito nga pala nagsstay si Vince. Tsk. Sana lang hindi magtagpo landas namin di ba?
Sa laki ba naman ng Spain. Tadhana nalang talaga ang magiging posibleng dahilan if
ever magkita kami.

HAY!

Maka-alis na nga lang. So nagikotikot muna ako. Hindi ako ganun ka-familiar dito
pero I’ve been here few times before kaya medyo may knowledge naman ako. Shopping
here, shopping there.

Pero super paranoid ko! Feeling ko palagi nasa paligid lang si Vince. May times pa
na mapapatitig talaga ako sa certain place kasi feeling ko I saw him there.

Tsk tsk!

*BAM!*

Ouch shit! Napahawak ako sa noo ko ha! Ang sakit nun. Tumama yung pinto sa ulo ko.
May palabas kasi, tapos ako papasok naman dun sa shop.

“I’m sorry!” The girl said. Bitch.

“I’m sorry your face.” I mocked then I strode pass her.

War freak na kung war freak! Bad vibes ako ngayon so I have no patience to anybody
or anything! Shizz!!!

Vince’s POV:

“My god, Vince Marcelo Alvarez!!! Pang ilang sketch mo na ‘to ha? Hindi mo pa rin
makuha yung point ko? I said, I want a seducing, nude, illegal, and controversial
cover concept! Ano ba?!” Jacko screamed after I presented him my latest study.
“Look, Vince. You are MARCELO A, Spain’s lens of sex. Do you want me to explain
that again to you? In your simple shot, in your simple concept, in your simple
design, you turn on every reader who reads our magazine. LENS OF SEX!”

E anong magagawa ko hindi ko kayang ibenta sa market natin ang babaeng mahal ko?

“Vince, we’re running out of time, okay? Yung model natin, nandito na sa Spain.
Ayusin mo na, please? If you’re taking care of her image, then quit the job. You
know what, Vince? Hindi naman sya matutuwa kung malalaman nya ‘yang ginagawa mo e.
Kasi sayo na nanggaling, kahit anong gawin mo, ayaw ka nyang patawarin. So please?
Just do your job.”

Foul dude. Foul.

“I’m sorry Vince, I’m just waking you up to the reality that this is business.
And... trust me, I’m just trying to help you.”

Help? The fuck? What kind of help is he trying to give me?

Pero... sa totoo lang, may point naman sya e. I’ve been slapped with the fact that
she can’t forgive me anymore, then why the hell am I trying to protect her? And
this is my work, my career.

“Fine, Jacko. I’ll get back to you.”

“Good. I’ll wait until 3pm. I’m meeting her by 4pm so I need the concept by then.”
Jacko

Odette’s POV:
And it’s 4pm. I’m already on my way to BCL (Barasso Coffee Lounge), kung san kami
magmi-meet ni Krystal.

Idk. Bigla akong kinabahan when I stepped out of the cab. (Yeah, I took the cab. My
dad’s car is still in Portugal. Geez!) Anyway, ayun, kinabahan nga ako. Feeling ko
may mangyayaring masama.

Or is this the sign na magkikita kami ni Vince ngayon? Possible, right?

“Oh, Odette.” I turned to my right. Si Pablo. “Hello. So how are you doing?”

“Hi. Well, I strolled around. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here. Anyway,
let’s get inside?”

“Sure. The art director’s with us, he’ll explain the concept to you.” He said as we
enter the coffee shop.

I saw Krystal at the far end of the place. May kasama syang dalawang lalaki and
shit. Could it possibly be...

“Let’s go.” Pablo said as we walk to their place.

“Hi, Od.” Krystal greeted. “Oh, by the way, this is Luminary Mag’s EIC, Jacko.”

“Hi Jacko.”

“Hello, Miss Lopez. It’s great to finally meet you.” Wow. He even kissed the back
of my palm.

“And, Od, this is our art director, Marcelo.” Krystal

***

A/N: OMG! OMG! OMG! Magkikita na kaya sila??? Yaaaaay!

Hahaha. Kinikilig ako bigla. Eto na kasi e. Sige, sasabihin ko na. Eto na! Simula
na 'to ng pagbabalik ng MaVince! I'm telling you, Spain will be a very special
place to our MaVince. Mark my words.

Hopefully makapag update ako before we go to our province. :)

Anyway, I just wanna say THANK YOU SO MUCH sa mga nagbabasa pa rin nito. I know
hindi ako sikat pero nakakatuwa na may naghihintay pa rin ng update. May
nagmemessage pa rin sakin na gusto nilang makipag friends. Meron ding nageexpect ng
update. Nakakataba ng puso promise! :) Salamat po. :*

Speaking of messages, dedicated 'to kay @spongedude na nagmessage nga sakin kahapon
pero ngayong hapon ko lang nabasa. Eto na! As promised. :)

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.13: B is back

Chapter 13: B is back

Odette’s POV:

“And, Od, this is our art director, Marcelo.”

SHIT SHIT SHIT. Marcelo. OH MY GOSH. Hindi naman siguro sya si Vince di ba? Ano
ba?! Kagabi ko pa ‘to iniisip e.

Tumayo yung guy pero imbis na humarap sya sakin, nagbadya syang tumakbo paalis but
Pablo caught him. Tapos tinignan pa sya ng ‘meaningful’ smile nung Jacko.

He slowly turned around and...

“Shit.” Is all I can say.

“Yeah, shit.” He agreed.

Okay, calm down. Odette, calm down. CALM THE FUCK DOWN! I smiled, yeah, I tried to
smile. Umupo ako sa tabi ni Krystal.

“It’s nice to see you again, Vince. So, should we start the discussion?”

And there, nag-move on naman na din kami sa meeting. I was really trying my best to
focus on the discussion of the concept but shit! Si Vince yung nageexplain e. I
can’t focus.

Naalala ko nalang yung sinabi ko kanina...

“Tadhana nalang talaga ang magiging posibleng dahilan if ever magkita kami.”
Aaminin ko na. Oo na. There’s a part of me na natuwa nung nakita ko sya. Yeah, I
was shocked. Pero...

OKAY FINE! I feel like a teenager who got her freedom to be with the guy she loves.
Yes, I feel so happy. It’s like... It’s like I met my prince charming in a far away
kingdom, where no one could judge me, us.

Masaya ako. Pero... mukhang hindi sya masaya.

Is this already a one-sided love?

Ako nalang ba ang nagmamahal?

Shocks! What did I say?!—

“Uhh, Miss Lopez? Are you still with us?” Okay I was back to reality.

“I’m sorry, what’s that again?”

“Marcelo is actually asking for your opinion. He’s asking you if the concept is
okay with you.” Jacko

Yung concept... ang naintindihan ko lang is... sa bedroom ang set up. Yung concept
is sex on the bedroom. Yung wardrobe is mostly lingerie. The whole thing is so...
SEXY.

“You know, I can scratch everything if you see it a lot—“ Vince

“No, no, no. You’re gonna be the photographer, right?”

“Ye—es.” Vince

“Well everything’s fine with me. I trust you.”

Yes, Vince. I know I’ve been hurt, but I’m risking again. I’m trusting you again.
This will be hard because you seemed to already give up, but who cares? I know,
deep in my heart, I still love you.

“Ehrm. So, let’s discuss the schedule then?” Krystal interrupted us.

I nodded and she started breaking down my schedule for my whole stay here in Spain.
May interview pa since I’m gonna be the subject to their feature article, then may
shoot din for the special poster giveaway for the said issue, which will take place
in a forest. Wow. Then the shoot of the feature article na medyo undecided pa ang
location.

Anyway, I think this is gonna be a long month for me. And... I have to use this
month to make every mistake correct.

Yes, dapat itama ko na yung mga mali. Dapat iayos ko na ang mga nasira. Dapat
maibalik na lahat ng nawala.

At higit sa lahat... ngayong buwan, dito sa Spain, dapat masabi ko na ulit kay

Vince na mahal ko pa rin sya.

Nandito pa rin kami sa BCL, I’m actually having fun chatting with their team. Close
kasi silang tatlo e. And I find Vince comfortable with them.

“Oops! 6pm na pala. Pablo, may appointment pa tayo.” Krystal stood up so as Pablo.
“I’m sorry but we have to go. I’ll see you... this Friday?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you on your party.” I answered. Yep, Krystal throwing a party on
Thursday, so I think I should come, right?

Ayun, umalis na din sila.

Jacko suddenly stood up, “As much as I wanted to hang out with you, but I can’t. I
need to go back to the office to finish my editorial. Anyway, nice meeting you
again, Miss Lopez.”

“Sakto. Babalik rin ako ng office. Sabay na tayo.” Vince stood up too.

“So you’re gonna leave me alone here?”

“Uhh... Of—Of course not, Od.” Jacko pushed Vince to sit down again. “Vince’s gonna
stay here with you, and... and... he’ll bring you to the hotel. Yes, yes. Right,
Vince?”

I like that. But I hate Vince’s reaction. OBVIOUSLY, HE’S GETTING RID OF ME. I can
sense it.

“Pero dude, yung camera—“

Bigla nalang akong tumayo then I walked out. Flips hair. History repeats itself.
Kunware ayaw mo sakin? Kunware hindi na ‘ko importante sa’yo? Tch. Nabasa ko na
‘yan. And it only led us to one ending. You still chased me.

Ehrm. Hi. I’m Odette Lopez, and the bitch in love is finally back.

Papasok na dapat ako dun sa cab when suddenly, someone opened it for me and guess
what. He entered first! Napaka gentleman talaga nitong lalaking ‘to.

“Alpha Hotel.” He said to the driver before glancing at me. “Aren’t you gonna get
in?”

Well-mannered, huh?

Pag pasok ko ng cab, dumikit agad ako sa kanya. As in tabi kung tabi! Dikit kung
dikit! Then I whispered on his ears, “I like it when you’re being ungentleman.”
Then I winked at him.

The whole ride was so fun! If you could only see his face habang sobrang titig ako
sa kanya? Oh my gosh! I bet you’re gonna laugh your heart out.

Nauna na akong lumabas when we arrived at the hotel. I hopped like a kid. Wala e,
tinamaan nanaman ang bitchesa e.

“Ma—MARIA!” Eh? I looked back at him, nasa cab pa sya. “It’s... I’m glad to see you
again.”

Then the cab drove away as if on cue.

And shit beats everything out of me! Nagtatalon na ‘ko sa kilig. And I think I’m
literally back to my teenage years.

Jin’s POV:

“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Shit. Takte naman ‘tong si Maria Odette. Wala manlang ‘hello’ or ‘good morning’?!
Tili agad amputa.
“HOY! Ano ba?! Anong akala mo sa’kin? Soundproof?!”

“Hahahah. I’m sorry, Jin. Hindi ko lang mapigilan. Shiiiiiit.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”

“Tanginang ‘yan, Maria Odette Lopez!”

“Okay, I’m sorry. Serious na. So, I’m already here in Spain. I already met the
team. And... I met their art director.”

Alam ko na ‘to. Hindi naman ako tanga, alam kong si Vince ang art director ni
Luminary Magazine sa Spain. At medyo nakukutuban ko na rin kung anong kinagagalak
nitong best friend ko.

“Apparently, their art director is... Marcelo A. Or also known as... Vince Marcelo
Alvarez.”

“So you’re happy because you got to work with your ex fiancé? Tell me, anong masaya
dun? E di ba galit na galit ka sa kanya?”

“Nah uh uh! Not anymore. Alam mo, Jin, narealize kong... tama kayo. Vince has been
so unfair to himself, and to me. And I’ll also be unfair to him and to myself kung
hahayaan ko nalang syang maging unfair habang buhay. So... naisip kong, it’s not
yet late to put everything back to where it should be. Na it’s not yet late to
bring myself back to Vince... to where I truly belong.”

THANK GRACIOUS LORD YOU HEARD ALL OF US.

I can’t help smiling. I looked at the girl wrapped inside my arms, Tiffanie. Hindi
pwedeng ako lang ang masaya. Dapat lahat masaya. I kissed her forehead.

“That was the best thing you ever said, Od. I’m so proud of you.”

Vince’s POV:

Alam kong mali, alam kong walang kasiguraduhan, at alam ko ring hindi ko ‘to
mapipigilan. Wala e, mahal ko talaga yung babaeng yun. Hindi ko naman pwedeng
ideny.

“Something good happened, right?” Shit! Nagulat ako kay Jacko. Bigla nalang lumabas
mula dun sa cubicle ni Pablo. “Tell me. Did you kiss her?”
“What the heck, Jacko? We’re over.”

“Oh dude, fuck that shit. That’s why she’s here! Because she wants you fucking
back.”

“Shut up! She’s... she’s engaged, okay?” Oo nga pala. Naman o! Ako rin naka-realize
ng mali sa mga nangyari.

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Bro, reminder lang. Engaged na din kayo noon, pero nagawa ka nyang iwan. So
there’s a huge possibility na magawa nyang iwan kung sino mang pontio pilato yun.
Okay?”

Palabas na sya ng office pero nagsalita ulit sya.

“Partida pa bro. Noon, nakaya nyang iwan ang taong MAHAL nya. E ngayon pa kayang,
HINDI naman nya mahal yon? Tsk. Tiwala lang, bro.”

Then he left.

Napaisip nalang ako sa mga sinabi ni Jacko. Siguro, oo nga. Malaki din yung
posibilidad na iwan ni Odette si Kevin. Pero... para sakin? Gagawin ba nya yun para
sakin? Para sa taong minsan na syang niloko?

No, Vince. Hindi mo sya niloko, di ba?

Hindi ko man sya niloko, may kasalanan pa rin ako kung bat nangyari yon. Hay. :(

***

A/N: Oha! Ang bili ng update. Short update. Pang-warm up lang ng kilig vibes! Haha.

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.14: Never gonna leave this bed

 Chapter 14: Never gonna leave this bed

Zia’s POV:
“I’m sorry Zia but I have to go. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at your unit, okay?”
Gian said before he rushed and left me alone here.

Wow naman di ba? Anniversary namin ngayon pero inuna pa rin nya yung ‘meeting’ nya.
Ang saya. Nakakawala ng gana.

Lahat napatingin sakin nung padabog kong tinapon yung fork ko sa table. Who
cares?!??! I’m pissed!

Until someone sat on Gian’s seat a while ago.

“Tsk tsk tsk! Mas mabuti pang maging single kesa magkaron ng two timer na
boyfriend.” What the heck is this guy talking about?

Please lang ha. Wala ako sa mood makipag bangayan sa kanya. At kung inaakala nyang
magpapaapi ako at iiyakan lang ang panlalait nya ngayon, well nagkakamali sya.

Mainit ang ulo ko okay?!?!? Super stress na nga ako sa work, iniwan pa ‘ko ng
boyfriend ko sa anniversary dinner namin!

“Jun pwede wag ngayon?” I rolled my eyes.

“Haha! Chill. I’m here to comfort you as a friend. Drake’s?” Bakit parang mas
nabadtrip ako dun sa ‘friend’?! Shizz. He stood up and gestured me to follow him.
“C’mon... dude.” Then he started walking away.

Dude... Dude...

He called me dude. Is this... is this already our end? I know matagal ko nang
tinapos yung samin, pero... argh!

--

So, we’re here at Drake’s. And OMG. I can’t believe it. Nagkabalikan na sila Jin
and Tiffanie! Naabutan namin sila dito sa bar, partying with Ivan and Eunice. And
it sucks to be mistaken na nagkabalikan na rin kami ni Jun.

Akala ko naman mageenjoy ako sa pagpunta dito sa bar but no. Medyo naging okay na
kami ni Jun these past few weeks but I don’t get it. Bakit bigla kaming naging
awkward ulit? Is Jun thinking the same thing I’m thinking right now? About the
“DUDE” thing?

I really wanna know what he’s thinking. Minsan kasi, magkakasalubong yung tingin
namin as if on cue. And it hurts to be mute every time I wanted to speak out
myself.

“Girl, are you okay?”

Shit! I can’t take this anymore.

I stood up with my purse. “I need to go.” And I left.

And another thing shitted me. I went here with Jun’s car. Wala akong kotse!

--

Jun’s POV:

Ano pa bang problema nya? Ang hirap naman ispelengin nyang si Zia. I mean, ako na
nga yung nagmagandang loob para icomfort sya mula sa pangiiwan sa kanya ng
boyfriend nyang hilaw, pero ako pa ‘tong dinededma nya.

What the hell is wrong with her?

Okay fine, I’ll admit it. Sinundan ko sila ng boyfriend nya dahil wala akong
magawa. Okay, dahil gusto ko. Oo na, palagi akong nakasunod sa kanila.

At kanina, nakakita ako ng opportunity. Iniwan sya ni Gian, then sinalo ko sya. YES
TINE-TAKE ADVANTAGE KO ‘TO. YES I AM TRYING TO STEAL ZIA AWAY FROM HIM. YES I WANT
HER BACK.

But fuck it. Pano naman ako gagalaw kung sya mismo parang ayaw?

Hay. Tanga mo naman, Jun. Di ba ayaw naman talaga nung tao sayo? Dapat tanggap mo
na yun. AY EWAN.

Pumunta nalang ako dun sa bar counter at nakipag kwentuhan dun sa mga babae dun.

“Is she your girlfriend or what?” Huh? I looked at where this chic points her pout.
Nakatingin si Zia sakin.

I smiled. “Nope. She’s my—“

Hindi ko na natapos yung sinasabi ko kasi bigla nya nalang akong hinalikan. I was
quite savouring the moment and shit she’s turning me on, but she parted.
“I’ll just get my purse.” She whispered before wiping the side of my lips and
leaving me.

Well, I think I need some comfort too.

Inubos ko nalang yung mojito ko and I waited for that chic. Nang lumapit si Ivan
sakin.

“Dude, may naaamoy ako sa inyo ni Zi.” Ivan

“May sipon ako e.”

“Gago!” Ivan

“Hoy!” Fuck. Maka-batok naman ‘tong si Eunice! “Ano bang nangyari sa inyo ni Zi?”

“Guys! Ano ba? Daig nyo pa may third eye! Tsaka, bakit ba ako tinatanong nyo kung
anong nangyari dun? Sya tanungin nyo. Pero sige, bigyan ko kayong hint.
Brokenhearted yun.”

The chic came back. Yes baby. I didn’t know she’s hot.

“Let’s go, babe.” She whispered as she clings to my arms.

“Jun, san ka pupunta?” Eunice

“Sa langit.”

“Tarantado! Hoy ihatid mo muna si Zia.” Ivan

“Guys, I have my angel with me. I’m sure hindi nyo naman hahayaan umuwi magisa yon.
Adios!”

Kaso pag labas namin, parang kinain ko lahat ng sinabi ko.

Nakita ko si Zia na nagsusuka dun sa isang gilid. Ano bang ginawa ng babaeng yon?
Tapos pumara sya ng taxi.

Hay! Bakit ba palagi ka nalang kailangan saluhin ng ibang lalaki? Tsk!

Hinila ko agad yung chic at bago pa makapasok si Zia sa taxi, pinauna ko na agad
yung kasama ko.

“Hey! Ano ba—Jun?!”

Nung makaalis yung taxi, hinila ko na si Zia sa kotse ko.

Ah ah ah! Bwisit. Pinaghahahampas pa ‘ko. Binitbit ko nga sa balikat ko, tapos

shinoot ko sa shotgun seat.

“What’s your proble—Oomph!”

Hinalikan ko agad sya nang manahimik. And yes, I’m being wild here. I was turned
on, remember? Hah. I bit her lower lip so hard. And then I started driving.

--

Zia’s POV:

“Jerk!” I squirmed after what he did.

Bullshit. Kagatin ba yung labi ko?!

Hinampas ko sya habang nagdadrive. Nakakainis! Nakakainis kasi... naiinis ako

kasi... AAHHH! Basta nakakainis!

At nakuha pa nyang ngumiti ha? Bwisit. Tinatawanan pa nya ‘ko.

“Hoy, Zerena. Tigilan mo ha! Nagmamaneho ako!”

“Ano ba kasing ginagawa mo?” *SLAP SLAP SLAP*

“Nagmamaneho nga!”

“SHIIIIT!” I stopped slapping him.

Naramdaman ko yung tingin nya sakin... and no, pag tingin ko sa kanya sa... sa
dibdib ko sya nakatingin! And he’s grinning!

“Perv!” I screamed.

“No, I’m not.” He said na para bang confident na confident sya. Not not nya mukha
nya. He’s the most pervert man I ever know! “You’re just slutty...”

WHA—

“The sluttiest woman that can make go this crazy. The sluttiest woman I still
love.”

What?

The car stopped. Red light.

He slowly looked at me.

“Stop me, Zi. Stop me.” He begged as he slowly moves himself closer to me. “Stop
me!”

“From what?!”

“Just say stop!”

“Why?!”

“I’m begging you... stop me...” Now he became soft.

Our faces are only inches apart. One more move, our lips will touch.

“Zi—“

“STOP!”

The next thing I knew, overspeeding na kami. Just when I shouted stop, the green
light lit and Jun started driving dangerously.

And we fastly reached the building where I’m staying.

Hinila nya agad ako sa elevator. May papasok pa sana pero sobrang sama ng tingin ni
laman ng elevator.

Bigla nya nalang akong tinulak sa corner. I can see lust on his face. And his eyes
were begging for permission.
“Now, say go.” He whispered in low voice.

Tinitigan ko lang sya.

“I said say go!”

No. Hindi pa rin ako nagsalita. Instead, ako na ang humalik sa kanya. At first he
was a bit shocked. But this is what he wanted. So he kisses me back.

Nabitawan ko na yung purse ko, I put my hands around his neck, slowly pulling his
hair. While his hands are on my neck. I missed that. My favorite.

*TING!*

The door opened. We’re on our floor. But do you wanna know what’s funny? There’s a
woman in mid 40s who saw us, but we did not bother to stop.

We’re still doing our thing as we walk to my unit.

Hindi na napigilan ni Jun. The moment we shut the door closed, he started pulling
off my blouse. Bumaba na rin ang mga halik nya sa leeg ko.

Tinanggal ko na rin yung butones ng polo nya.

“I didn’t miss fucking you, Zi. I fucking missed you.” He managed to whisper as we
lay on the couch.

I can’t answer you right now, Jun. Not now. I’m drunk, and I’m depressed. Now’s not
the right time.

But one thing’s for sure. I know what I’m doing, and I will never regret this.

Hinila ko sya patayo and sa kwarto namin pinagpatuloy ang ginagawa namin.

Pumatong sya sakin and he started kissing my neck down to my breast. But not any
longer, he went back kissing my face.

“Zi, just tell me you still love me. I’ll steal you away from him.”

I’m sorry, Jun. I can’t.

I pushed him on the side and I placed myself on top of him.

Again, hindi ako sumagot. Hinalikan ko nalang ulit sya.

Natanaw ko sa peripheral vision ko yung picture namin ni Gian.

I’m sorry, Gian.

Binaba ko yung frame, but it ended up breaking itself on the floor.

I tried to look at it pero hinila ako ni Jun. And we did our thing.

We had sex.

I just had sex with my ex. And shit, I loved it.

--

Jun’s POV:

This is the best morning I woke up to after 4 years—waking up with the girl you
love. I smiled as I kiss her forehead.

Last night... last night would be my last alas.

I’ll leave everything to last night.

Pag tayo ko ng kama, nakita ko yung basag na picture frame sa lapag. Eto siguro
yung nahulog kagabi?

W-What’s...

Hay. Sabi naman sayo, Jun e. Hindi ka tuluyang nawala sa puso nya.

Nakakatawa. Sa likod ng picture nila ni Gian, ay yung picture naming dalawa nung
naging kami.

Haha. You’re still the winner, Mr. Jun Fuentes.

--
Eunice’s POV:

“Ma’am, I’m sorry. Again, we can’t entertain your report unless Mr. Sorriano is
already here. Hindi po natin pwedeng basta bastang ipatawag dito si Ms. Cruz. She’s
a VIP here.”

“But she is acting very indecent! Porket VIP ba pwede nang basta basta makipag
halikan kung san san dito sa condo?”

“Again, I’m sorry for that incident. And again, we have to wait for Mr. Sorriano’s
signal.”

“E napaka bias naman pala ng condo na ‘to e!”

“Ma’am, that’s why she’s called VIP. She needs to be treated as a VERY IMPORTANT
PERSON.”

Wow. Taray ng receptionist na ‘to ha? Marunong.

Pero... I hear “MS. CRUZ”. Kaya nakiepal na ‘ko.

“Ehrm. Excuse me, any problem here?”

“Good morning, Ms. Alvarez. Well, this is Ms. Lim, a resident of a unit here.
Nirereport nya po si Ms. Cruz kasi po—“ Receptionist

“Because she is a very indecent woman! Makipag halikan bas a elevator?! And not
just halikan! Halos maghubaran na sila nung lalaki dun sa hallway e! So, tell me,
isn’t that being indecent?” Miss Lim

“I’m sorry, what?”

Bago pa makasagot si Miss Lim, nahagip na ng paningin ko ang super pa-cool pang
si... JUN FUENTES.

Shit.

“Ms. Lim, I’m Eunice Fajardo, I’m also a VIP here. I promise you I’m gonna tell Mr.
Sorriano personally your report. And I’ll make sure he’ll make an action to this
incident.” Then I left.

Hinabol ko si Jun at buti nalang naabutan ko yung kotse nya bago umalis. Sumakay
agad ako dun.
“Eunice?” Hindi ba dapat ako ang magulat?

“OH. MY. GOSH.” Buti nalang umalis na si Jun. Look who’s coming! Si Gian.

--

Odette’s POV:

“WHAT?! Oh my gosh, are you serious, Eunice?!”

“Oo nga! Kung kaharap mo lang si Jun, I swear masasapak mo sya. His move was so
jerk! But... I have to admit it was sweet.”

“Shut up! It’s one hell of a sweet move!”

“You’re saying that because Jun did the same thing Vince did before, right?”

“Whatever. Haha.” Uy, finally andito na si Vince. “Anyway, hafto go, Eunice. I’ll
call you tomorrow. Toodles!”

Winelcome ko agad si Vince. Finally after 4 days nagkita na ulit kami. E tinataguan
yata ako nito e.

Believe it or not, hindi sya nagpakita sakin right after nung first meeting namin
dito sa Spain. Palagi akong bumibisita dito sa office ng Luminary Mag pero lagi
syang wala. Gusto ko lang naman makasama sya e. :( Ayaw na ba nya sakin?

Anyway, why am I being so dramatic here? Andito na sya!

“HI MARCELO!” I greeted.

“Yo Vince.” Pablo

“Hi Vince!” Krystal

“Oh, you’re here, Vince.” Kiara

“Vince.” Johnson

Lumabas si Jacko sa office nya. “Oh, andito ka na pala, Vince. Kamusta shoot mo sa
Argentina?”
Hihihihihi! Obvious sa reaction nya yung pagkagulat!

I jumped on his side and clung my arms to his.

“How are you, my Marcelo?”

***

A/N: Ang lame ano po? Haha nagpapractice kasi akong mag-BS. Lol pagpracticean daw
ba ang JunZi??? Hahahaha! And it proves that I'm not yet ready for BS. Hahaha!

Pero sino naka-gets nung MaVince part? Haha.

Anyway! Thanks for reading! :)

Get ready for some MaVince next update. Yung lang... kakilig ba... o kaurat?
Haaaaaay.

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.15: The way you look tonight

Chapter 15: The way you look tonight

Odette’s POV:

“Let’s go on a date!”

Hihihi! Lahat ng officemates ni Vince napatingin samin. What’s wrong? Haha. Then
napabalik din agad sila sa work nila. Don’t worry guys, it’s not awkward.

“Ano bang sinasabi mo?” Vince

“Come on. Stop playing hard to get, Marcelo. Let’s go—“

*Kring Kring!*
Jerk. Ang epal naman ng tumatawag na ‘to.

Oops. Si mama?!

“Just a sec.” Lumabas muna ako ng office. “Ma?”

“I’m here in Spain, sweetie.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Meet me in BCL. NOW!”

Then she hung up.

Ugh! Bakit nandito si Mama? Hindi pwedeng may kahit isang tao ang nandito sa Spain
ngayon. Pano ko magagawa yung plano ko? Lalo na si Mama pa ang nandito? NO!

Bahala na. I hurriedly went to BCL. I saw her sitting at the same table where I met
the Luminary team.

“Ma, anong ginagawa mo dito?”

“Ikaw? Anong ginagawa mo dito?” What? Okay, sa tingin ko mahaba-habang usapan ‘to,
so I sit down.

“I’m here for a proje—“

“And?” Mama

“And...?”

“Come one, sweetheart. Alam kong may ibang motive ka pa dito. Tell me.” Mama

This is what I hate about mothers. They know you more than you know yourself.

Wait... parang hindi naman ako ganun kay Ven or Maze? Ugh! Whatever.

“Okay fine, I’m also here to talk to Vince—“

“To be honest, galing si Vince sa Chicago. She personally talked to me and to your
dad. Sounds stupid, but yes, nagsumbong si Vince sa inaasta mo sa kanya dito. And
he hates it.” What?! Say what?! “He hates it because he knows it’s wrong. Baby
girl, please? Think before you act. You’re already engaged to Kevin and it’s not
proper to be flirting with your ex behind your fiance’s back. Do you understand
me?”

Okay. I was caught off guard. Somehow, Mama’s right.

Para bang bigla akong nagising sa reality. Oo nga pala. I’m engaged.

“Kaya andito ako. Nandito ako to guide you.” Mama

“Ma, I want everything back. I want my life with Vince before back. I just want to
forget everything that happened! Ma, help me get my life back.”

“It’s not that easy, baby. Sa’yo na rin nanggaling noon. You threw them all away.
You once called them a waste. And wastes don’t come back to your house.” Mama

No. Pwede pa! Pwede pang ibalik. And I will do everything to put everything back to
normal. I will do anything to bring my life back.

“But if you really want to bring them back, I know you can and I know you will.
Just remember these 2 things. First, make sure you’ll be happy to what you’re
fighting for. Second, make sure no one will be hurt behind your backs.” Mama

--

“Make suren you’ll be happy to what you’re fighting for.”

Yes, I’m sure, eto yung makakapagpasaya sakin. Eto yung tanging bagay na
makakapagpasaya sakin, nakapagpasaya sakin. Si Vince.

Aaminin ko, nagkamali ako noon. I judged him before knowing the real story. I never
trusted his love for me.

Pero ngayon gusto ko nang bumawi sa kanya. Gusto ko nang ibalik sa kanya yung
pinagkait ko noon.

But the problem is...

“Make sure no one will be hurt behind your backs.”

Si Kevin... Pano si Kevin?

Napaka stupid ko kasing isipin na in love na ako kay Kevin e. Wherein... yes, gusto
ko sya. Pero alam ko sa sarili kong, hindi ko pa sya mahal.

Ano ba ‘to?! Nababaliw na ‘ko!!!

“I’m sure you’re aware that I’m a busy person, right?” Tinignan ko si Vince. He
came.

Oo nga pala, he still loves me. And don’t be pissed, Od. You know why he’s like
that.

“One more thing. Wag kang magalala kung rude or off ang pakikitungo sayo ni Vince.
Natatakot lang syang masanay na nandito ka, pero pag lipas ng isang buwan, wala ka
na ulit.”

“Ano? Magtititigan lang ba tayo dito? Ano ba yung ‘a matter of life and death’ na
paguusapan natin?—“ Vince

“Answer me honestly, do you still love me? Even after everything I did? Even after
all my false thoughts? Even after pushing you away? Do you still love me?”

Mukhang nagulat sya sa pinagsasasabi ko. Pero, I need to know. Let’s say, ito yung
makakasiguradong okay na yung first thing na sinasabi ni Mama.

“Ano bang pinagsasasabi mo, Maria?”

“Maria. You called me Maria. Does this mean you still love me?”

“What?”

“Vince, I need to know! I want to know kung may mapapala pa ba ako dito sa gagawin
ko. Ano? Mahal mo pa ba ako?”

“Anong gagawin?”

“Just answer me!”

“Pwede ba, Maria? You’re just here to work, you’re just here for the project. Hindi
natin kelangan pagdiskusyunan yung mga bagay na ganyan. At isa pa...” His face went
gloomy. “Isa pa... you’re getting married, right? So, does my love for you still
matter?”

Fuck it! I can ditch that fucking engagement if you just tell me how much you still
love me!
“Kevin and our engagement have nothing to do with this so just answer the damn
question!”

“Are you crazy?”

“Ano ba!!! Sagutin mo nalang. Do you still love me--?”

“What if I say I still do?” I was caught off guard by his answer... or question...
or answer?

“So is that a yes?”

I know it’s also a ‘yes’, but I still need a very strong confirmation, an evidence!

“Before I answer you, let me know it from you first. Are you still in love with
me?” What the heck? This smart bastard!!!

I looked away. Ang daya neto. Sya una kong tinanong e.

“See? You’re asking me if I’m still in love you, pero ikaw hindi mo masagot.” Vince

“Yes, I still love you! Happy? So may I know your ans—“

“Yes, I still love you, too. I did, I do, and I forever will.”

OH MY GOD.

Alam nyo yung pakiramdam ko? Parang nung 17th birthday ko. Nung inamin ko sa
kanyang mahal ko na sya, at sinabi nyang papakasalan nya ako. Yung sobrang saya
kasi finally, wala na akong tinatago kahit kanino, kahit sa sarili ko.

I pressed the stop button on my phone. Everything was recorded. I stood up and
kissed him on his cheeks. “Thank you, Vince. Time will come we’ll both say our I
love yous in front of everyone. Soon.”

Paalis na ako when I remembered something.

“Hey, minove ko na lahat ng schedule mo for tomorrow. Let’s go out on a date,

okay?”

“You did what?”

“Bye!”

Then I left. Hihi. It’s payback time!

--

“Make sure everything’s settled, okay? Yung mga lights, dapat alam nyo ang cue.
Then yung sa music. Make sure alam nila yung choice of songs ko ha? Then the food!
Hindi pwedeng mawala yung Baked Mussels. Hm... What else?”

“Don’t worry, Odette. Kami na ang bahala dito.”

“Okay. Thanks a lot, Jacko.”

“No problem. Oh, it’s already 10. I’m sure Vince is already on his way. You better
go to the office now.”

“Right. Okay, I’m leaving. I’ll text you when we’re on our way there.”

I hung up.

I faced my mom.

“I know what you want. Yes, baby. You are beautiful.”

“Aw. Thanks, Ma.”

“Basta tandaan mo, after this, hindi ka na gagawa ng move. Kailangan mo muna ayusin
yung sa inyo ni Kevin before you pursue getting back to Vince. Okay?”

“Yes, Ma. I understand. Anyway, I have to go. Baka maunahan pa ‘ko ni Vince sa
office.”

Then left the hotel. Nag-cab agad ako to reach the building. And thank goodness
wala pa si Vince.

--

Vince’s POV:
From Krystal:

Rest day today! No work. Okay? Enjoy your day.

What the??? Walang work? E bakit ngayon lang sinabi sakin? Bwisit e andito na ‘ko
sa building.

*Ting!*

Sakto pang pag-open ng elevator. -_-

Bahala na nga. Tumuloy nalang ako. Gagawin ko nalang yung layout for the issue.

“Good morning!” Hala ka? Pa’no nakapasok ‘to dito?

“Anong ginagawa mo dito? Wala kaming pasok—“

“E ikaw? Bat nandito ka?”

“Magtatrabah—“

“Sabi mo, wala kayong pasok. So... walang magtatrabaho.” Ngumiti pa ng sobrang
nangaasar. -_- “Okay, let’s go.”

“Saan?”

“Di ba sabi ko sa’yo we’re going on a date?”

“Pumayag ba ‘ko?”

“Inaya ba kita? Sabi ko, WE ARE GOING ON A DATE. Whether you like it... or you like
it. Haha! Tara na! Ang arte pa e!”

Wala na ‘kong nagawa, hindi na ‘ko sa kwelyo e. Oo nga pala, master ko sya. Brr!
Ano ‘to? Throwback??!

Kinaladkad ako ni Maria hanggang sa mall. Ang akala kong ‘date’ ay shopping pala.
Bat ba hindi pa ‘ko nasanay?

Pasok sa isang store, labas, pasok ulit sa isa, labas. Nakailang store na ba kami?
Di ko na mabilang sa dami e! At ang dami ko nang bitbit. -_-
“Maria, akala ko ba date ‘to? Ganito ba kayo mag-date ni Kevin?” I asked.

Dun, napahinto sya at hinarap nya ‘ko. Tinapat nya sa katawan ko yung pink polo na
hawak nya. Tsk.

“Actually, we never had been on a date. Ew ‘no? Haha.” She then checks out the polo
again, then looks at me. “Pink really suits you well!”

WHAT? Never pa silang nag-date ni Kevin? Bwahahahahahaha! Weak!

Binili nya yung pink na polo then umalis na kami sa store na yun.

Next stop?

“CR?”

“Yep. Here, wear this. Okay?” Sabi nya sabay hagis nung isang paper bag. Tinulak pa
‘ko sa loob ng CR. -________-

Ginawa ko nalang yung sinabi nya. Sinuot ko yung polo. Pina-steam naman nya kanina
kaya okay na ‘to.

Pag labas ko ng cubicle, may lalaking nagabot sakin ng isa pang paper bag. May
laman na off pink pants yun.

Tapos may note.

Wear this. I’m sure it suits your top.

I’m at the salon. I’ll wait for you, okay?

Od xx

Ano bang pinaplano nitong babaeng ‘to?

Honestly, I feel like a lady being surprised by her boyfriend—No way. Haha. Don’t
tell me she’s trying to surprise me? Then what? We’re gonna have dinner in a
restaurant where she set up another surprise?

Tsk tsk.
Ano bang tumatakbo sa isip mo, Maria, at bigla kang naging ganto?

“Yes! I still love you. Happy?”

Naalala ko yung sinabi nya kahapon. Hindi ko talaga ineexpect yun.

Happy? Tch. Happy would be an understatement. Geez!

Pagtapos kong magbihis, inayos ko naman yung sarili ko. Syempre, nape-predict ko na
yung plano ni Maria, kaya maghahanda na rin ako. Tapos pinuntahan ko na rin sya sa
salon.

--

Odette’s POV:

Nagpapaayos na ‘ko dito sa salon. Mabilis lang naman, kasi naka-set na talaga yung
rollers kanina pa habang nagiikot kami ni Vince. Sadyang nakatago lang sa beanie
ko. In fact, hindi pa alam ni Vince na blonde na ulit ako. Hihi, naka-beannie nga
kasi ako at tinago ko talaga yung hair ko. So I’m sure he’ll love it!

“Wow, you look stunning, Miss Lopez.” The stylist greeted when I already came out
of the fitting room with my pink dress.

“I know.” I winked.

Then he started taking off the hair rollers on my hair. And OH MY GOSH. Ang pretty
ko talaga!

“Miss Lopez, your date is already here.” Sabi nung isang stylist.

Yay! This is it!

Dahan dahan akong humarap sa kanya. Sakto, pag harap ko, another stylist pointed me
to him.

Feeling ko teenager ako sa pinaggagagawa ko. Pero sabi nga nila, age is just a
number. :)

I can’t help smiling lalo na nung sinisigaw ng reaction nya na I’m beautiful. Okay.
Conceited alert!

Nilapitan ko sya and inabot ko sa kanya yung isang paper bag na may cardigan.
“Wear this. You might get cold.” I said.

Nauna na akong lumabas nung kinuha nya yung cardigan. Shiiiiit! Kinikilig ako!

I was waiting for him outside and when he finally went out, I think naka-recover na
sya. Hihi. And he’s also wearing the cardigan na rin. Pogi ng ex boyfriend-turned
future boyfriend again ko! :”)

“Let’s go?” I said.

Pero bigla nyang hinila yung kamay ko.

Please tell me I’m not blushing!!!!!

“You’re really making me fall harder, huh?” STOOOOOOOP! “Let’s go?”

He held my hands. And I feel so secure. I feel so warm. I feel so in love.

Can we stay in Spain forever, Vince? Can we stay like this? Can we stay here, only
with these feelings, only with our love?

Pwede bang ganito nalang tayo forever?

Let’s burry our bad memories and create new ones here.

One thing only pains me right at this time. This is like just a dream. We’re happy
at the moment, but soon, we have to end this and we need to go back to reality.

Pero sabi nga nila, kung panaginip man ‘to, sana hindi na ‘ko magising.

As long as kasama ko si Vince, at hawak nya ang kamay ko, masaya na ‘ko.

Masakit pa din yung nangyari noon, pero mas lalong sasakit kung hahayaan ko lang
yun pigilan ako maging masaya, di ba? So, ngayon panahon na para bumawi, para
pasiyahin ulit yung sarili ko, kami.

--

“Magse-set up ka na nga lang ng surprise dinner date, napaka obvious pa. Ang cliché
na nga ng idea mo, masyado ka pang halata.”
Sheeeesh this guy! Nilalagyan ko kasi sya ng blindfold bago kami pumasok, and he
came ranting that I’m too cliché daw.

“Wag ka na ngang mangasar! You know I love surprises right? But surprises that
surprise me, not surprises I make. Ugh! Whatever.”

“Hindi mo naman kailangang gawin ‘to e. A simple dinner is enough to surprise and
flutter my heart.” What the heck? How can you be so sweet?! “You’re blushing.”

“Whatever. Just wear the fucking blindfold, okay?!”

Wala na syang nagawa. Magta-tantrums na ‘ko dito pag di pa nya sinuot.

Then I guided him inside. Actually outside.

Ah basta! Sa garden kasi yung set up.

I saw Jacko at the back of a bush. And also the others na kung san san nakatago.

Pinaupo ko muna si Vince then I stood on my place.

“Go, take it off.” I said.

“What? Hindi pa tayo officially nagkakabalikan gusto mo na agad sundan si Maze at

Ven? Nako nak—ARAY!”

Bwisit. Panira ng mood. Ayan, binato ko ng pumps ko.

“Ang sakit nun ano ba—“

Hindi tuloy dramatic yung effect nung pagkakatanggal nya kasi nagmamadali sya tsaka
napikon ata? Psh.

Pero on cue naman ang lights and music. When he looked at me, saktong nagbukasan
yung mga lights sa paligid. Then the instrumental of the song Don’t Give Up On Us
started to play too.

Then a heart shaped light behind me lit up too.

Yun lang, nakasimangot na ‘ko. Panira kasi ng mood e.

And you know what ruined my mood more? Parang hindi manlang sya na-surprise. Duh!
Ang effort ko dito ha! Okay, I mean ang effort nila Jacko dito ha!

I saw him sigh... and he heaved a little laugh. Nilapitan nya ‘ko and he kneeled in
front of me at sinuot nya ulit sa paa ko yung pumps ko.

“What? Hindi ka manlang na-surprise?” Pataray kong tanong sa kanya.

“Nope. Inaasahan ko na ‘to e.”

Tss.

Magwo-walkout na sana ako kaso napigilan nya ‘ko.

“Pero napasaya mo ‘ko.”

And that made me smile.

“That even made me happier.” He said.

“What? Alin?”

“Your smile. It’s been really, really long since I saw that. I missed your smile.”
Aw. Leche ka, Vince. Ayoko na. Sabi ko ako yung magdadala e, bat ikaw pa rin?!
“Let’s eat?”

I nodded.

And we sat on the table and Pablo and Johnson served our food.

Pati yung special appearance nung dalawa expected din ni Vince. Wala talagang
surprise! Tsk.

“Remember before? Palagi mo akong tinatambakan ng super OA sa daming rice lalo na

pag pinagluluto mo ‘ko ng baked tahong. Haha.” I joked.

“Of course. I never forget a single moment I had with you. And it’s glad to know
you still know those times.” Shit naman Vince! Panira talaga ng moment.

Napa-fake laugh nalang ako e. Wala. Tinamaan e.

Kung ano ano pang pagrereminisce na ginawa namin. I really wanna get rid of the
past pero wala, puro pangaasar si Vince e.

He even mentioned our ‘first night’. Dun sa cruise. Kung ano anong sinasabi nya!
Nakakahiya nga e. How I wish hindi naririnig nila Jacko yung pinagsasasabi nya.

As in super pula na ‘ko sa hiya at inis! Grr!!!

Pero kahit bwisit na bwisit ako, masaya pa rin ako. Kasi, somehow, bumabalik na
yung dati. I’m slowly earning back what I want.

“Ehrm.” He suddenly stood up. “So, can I have this dance, Miss Maria Odette Lopez?”

“Well, I’d love to.” I gave my hand and we positioned at my place earlier.

Nung una casual slow dance lang. His arms are wrapped around my waist and my arms
are wrapped around his neck. And we’re swaying to the music of Love Is All That
Matters.

The feeling is so good. It’s like dancing in the clouds.

Nagulat nalang ako when he suddenly grabbed me and hugged my waist.

“Vince!”

I felt his breath on my ears.

Nakisabay nalang ako. I also hugged him.

And then the music stopped.

Nahagip ko ng tingin si Pablo. Pinandilatan ko sya. Bakit kasi nawala yung musi—

“Some day

When I’m awfully low

When the world is cold

I will feel a glow just thinking of you

And the way you look tonight”

Did he just... sing?

“Yes you’re lovely

With your smile so warm

And your cheeks so soft

There is nothing for me

But to love you

And the way you look tonight”

Yes, he’s singing.

He’s not good in singing but my heart is skipping a beat. Ang sarap pakinggang nung
kanta nya kahit walang music. Para bang sinasabi nya lang talaga sakin yung kanta.

“With each word

Your tenderness grows

Tearing my fear apart

And that laugh

That wrinkles your nose

It touches my foolish heart”

I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!

VINCE WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!

“Lovely

Never ever change

Keep that breathless charm

Won’t you please arrange it

‘Cause I love you

Just the way you look tonight”

***

A/N: Did I just feed your feels? Hihihi :"> Hanggang dyan lang muna ang pwede kong
ibigay sa MaVince. Haha! Pero madami pang susunod. Sabi ko nga, it's the start of
MaVince's comeback!

Btw. THANK YOU SO MUCH talaga sa mga sumusuporta pa rin neto. Kinikilig ako kasi
may nakakaappreaciate pa din ng MaVince. And I'm proud to say na nagbabalik na
talaga yung gana ko sa pagsusulat. Sadyang mula June 2012 hanggang September 2013
ay nagblackout lang talaga ang utak ko. Pero ngayon, I'M BACK! :)

Again. Thanks!

Keep on reading. Enjoy!

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.16: Danger zone

(A/N: Guess who's in danger zone XD)

Chapter 16: Danger zone

Odette’s POV:

“Hmm... hmm...”

His voice is really music to my ears.

How I really wish this is all a dream. A dream where only the two of us that
matters.
But I know this is real life. I just hope we could stay like this forever. Holding
each other on our arms, enjoying the music we only hear, and having the time of our
lives.

Happiness would be an understatement to describe what I’m feeling right now.

Pero hiliing ko lang talaga ngayon eh yung sana ganito na kami forever. Yung kahit
pa alam naming madaming nakakakita samin, wala kaming pake. Ang importante,
magkasama kami.

Yun lang.

“I love you...”

He whispered. My heart is yearning to my mouth to say I love you, too but I know
it’s still not the right time.

Alam ko namang nararamdaman nya ‘yon e.

--

“Here, bro!” Jacko threw his keys.

And Vince caught them. “Gotcha. Thanks, bro!”

Then we’re off to go.

Hiniram muna ni Vince yung car ni Jacko, ihahatid nya daw kasi ako sa hotel.
Hihihi! <3 Ka-in love. OMG!

Anyway, umalis na rin kami sa venue after I say my thanks to them.

And the whole ride was absolutely fun and annoying! Fun kasi we never stopped
laughing; pero annoying kasi napaka nakakainis ng dahilan ng pagtawa namin. He
never stopped teasing me over little things we did before.

Like this...

“Maria, alam mo bang may isang bagay sa’yo na natutuwa ako dahil hindi nawala
sa’yo?”
Huh? So ganon? May mga bagay na nawala sakin ganon? What?

I was about to ask what was it pero nagulat nalang ako when I felt... SHIT! I felt
his hans on my... TIGHS!

“I missed this.” So pervert! Pinisil pisil nya yung tighs ko!

“WHAT THE HELL?!” I screamed then I started slapping him.

“AH! AH! ARAY! STOP IT, MARIA!” He begged.

Pero... ang manyak mo, Vince! Leche! Hinampas hampas ko pa rin sya at sigaw sya
nang sigaw.

“STOP IT, MARIA! Baka mabunggo tay—“

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

OH MY GOSH. OH MY GOSH.

Breathing...?

Buhay pa ba—Vince—

“Hey, are you okay?” He spoke!

OH MY GOD!

Dahan dahan kong binuksan yung mata ko... and thank goodness mukhang wala namang
crucial accident. Yun lang, super improper nung pagkakatigil nung kotse. Obvious na
muntik nang maaksidente.

I faced him and I checked his body. “Okay ka lang? May masakit ba? Ano? Hindi ba
tumama sa stirring wheel yung ulo mo?” I checked his head kung may bukol, mukhang
wala naman. “Ano?”

“Hey, hey, hey. Chill.” He cupped my face. “I’m fine. Good thing we’re wearin
seatbelts.”

Whew.

Oo nga. Buti nalang naka-seatbelts kami. Super nakahinga na ako ng maluwag.

“Bakit mo ba kase ako pinaghahampas?!” Vince

“Ikaw kasi! Ang manyak mo!” Me

“Ako? Manyak? E nagugutom lang ako. Bigla akong nag-crave ng pata—ARAY!” Bwisit!
Nangaasar talaga.

“Nakakainis ka na ha! Hindi mo talaga titigilan?”

“Hahaha! ‘To naman, joke lang.” Kinurot nya yung ilong ko. “But honestly...” W-
What? Bigla nyang nilapit yung mukha nya sakin. “I really wanna do something
here...” WHAT?

OH MY GOSH.

Tumingin ako sa labas. Nasa parang highway kami kaya obviously, kami lang ang naka-
stop na kotse.

I felt his hand on my chin. Hinarap nya yung mukha ko sa kanya.

And I felt his another hand on my... tighs AGAIN!

“Vince!”

“Maria...”

Unti unti nang umaangat yung kamay nya sa...

--

Prei’s POV:

“OH MY GOD!”

Fuck it! Lumabas agad ako ng CR holding this opened foil at tsaka ko tinadyak-
tadyakan si Lance.

“Hoy Lance, gumising ka nga dyan!”

Tss! ‘Tong bastard na ‘to. Nakakainis! Ang bobo bobo nya! And look at him, hindi
manlang magising.

“Lance! Wake up!!!”

Still, NR. -_-

Ah, ayaw mong gumising ha? Sige, magtulog-tulugan ka lang dyan.

Eto sa’yo...

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! ARAY! ANO BA?!”

O edi nagising. Kinagat ko sya sa balikat, total hubad naman sya e. Naka-dapa pa
sya kaya super exposed ng likod nya.

“ANONG ANO BA?! BUMANGON KA NGA DYAN, LECHE KA!”

“Ano ba naman, Precious Alvarez? Ang aga aga ang init init ng ulo mo. Pwede bang
mamaya ka na magalit?” Then hinila nya yung kamay ko. “Hindi ka ba napagod sa
ginawa natin kagabi? Tulog muna ulit tay—ARAY!”

Ang kapal ng mukha. Bwisit.

Hinila ko sya patayo ulit. Infairness ang bigat! >.<

Pero, ah! That’s not the issue here.

“Lance, babangon ka o makikipag-break ulit ako sa’yo?”

Edi bumangon. :|

“Ano bang problema mo, ke aga aga.” Tanong nya.

Anong problema ko? Tch. Pwes, Lance, ang problema ko, mas mabigat mong problema.

Binato ko sa kanya yung foil na nakita ko sa CR. It’s not just a simple foil, duh!
It’s an opened pack of condom. Hindi lang basta basta opened! Hindi rin nagalaw
yung condom sa loob.

“Oh? Bat may laman pa ‘to?” Pa-inosente pang tanong ni Lance. -_-
AGH! Stop acting, bastard! Alam kong plinano nya yon!

“Shit, Lance Lopez! What were you thinking?!”

“What?! Malay ko—“

“Shut up! Aminin mo. Aminin mo, Lance. Sinadya mong hindi gamitin yan last night,
‘no?! Di ba?! Aminin mo kundi tatamaan ka talaga sa’kin!”

Pero imbis na sagutin ako, humiga lang ulit ang lalaki at nagtalukbong pa ng kumot!

AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!! I knew it! Sinadya nya talaga ‘yon!

OMG. Anong gagawin ko if ever may mabuo? AGH! Ayoko pa mabuntis. And I’m sure
magagalit sila dad.

Ayokong mabuntis nang hindi pa kasal!

AGH! Bakit ko ba naman kasi ginawa kung ayaw ko naman pala mabuntis?

EH! Mali din si Lance. Kasalanan ‘to ni Lance!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! AYAW KO NA!

Pa’no na ‘to—

“AAAAAAHHHHHH!”

Shit! Bigla nalang akong hinila ni Lance then pinasok nya ‘ko sa loob ng kumot. He
wrapped his legs around my legs and he held my cheeks.

“Lance, ano ba?! Hindi na ‘to nakakatuwa!”

“Sino bang nagsabing joke lang ‘to?”

“What?”

“Prei, did you remember last night? We—“

“Shut the fuck up, Lance Lopez!”

“Haha. But seriously...” Nilabas nya yung foil ng condom. Ew ‘tong si Lance talaga!
Pero nagulat nalang ako nung nilabas nya yung condom. Kasi, pag hila nya, may isa
pang nalaglag. A ring.

“You spoiled the surprise.” He said. “You should’ve opened it first.”

No way.

No effin’ way.

“Wha-what’s this?”

“Let’s get married?”

--

“OH MY GOSH! Kadiri ka, Lance!” Aly smacked his head.

“Of all the things, sa foil pa talaga ng condom? Wala ka talagang utak!” Eunice

“O baket? At least unique! Sige nga, may kilala ba kayong ganon ang gimik?” Ang
yabang pa nya ha? Utak ibon talaga ‘to!

Napailing nalang kaming lahat. Tsk!

“Dude, mas okay pa yung proposal dati ni Jun kay Zia. Mas okay mag-propose sa
kalagitnaan ng pagse-sex nyo kesa sa condom mo ilalagay. Puta walang kadrama-
drama!” Gerald

“Hahahahahahah—Ay takte ka. -____-“ Jun

Tawa pa sya ha? E sya ‘tong pinaguusapan.

“On the other hand, nasabi mo na ba ‘to kay lolo, Prei?” Seryosong tanong ni Ivan.

Oops. Oo nga pala.

Oh my god. Pano ko sasabihin kela mommy ‘to? Kela daddy, kay lolo?

Papayag kaya sila?

Urgh! You mood breaker, Ivan Alvarez!!!

“Haha. Don’t worry, cous. Alvarez ka, Lopez si Lance. There’s nothing to worry
about.” Ivan said.

Oo nga ‘no? But still... I think I’m still young for marriage. Or not?

ANYWAY. One thing’s for sure. It was definitely disgusting and stupid, but it’s
still the thought that touched my heart.

I am so happy na kahit sinaktan ko sya n’on, kahit pa sobrang sinira ko sya n’on,
eto pa rin sya, sa’kin pa rin sya nagpropose.

It feels unexplainably contented when you know that the person you love loves you
more than you do. <3

***

A/N: Sorry for the short and lame update. Gusto'ng gusto ko lang talaga'ng
nangbibitin. LOL.

May nag-request kasi ng BS ng PreLance. Edi... ayan! HAHAHAHA! BS 'yan! Sa bed yung
scene! (pota corny mo) HAHAHAHA.

K. That's all for today, goodbye class. Lol jk.

Not sure about the next update tho. SECOND SEMESTER IS REALLY STARTING.

ANW, thanks for reading! <333

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.17: She dared

Chapter 17: She dared

3rd Person POV:

Sa isang one way na alley nakahinto ang kotse ni Jacko. Naka-patay ang makina,
naka-patay ang mga ilaw.
Malamig ang paligid, pero sa loob ng kotse ay sobrang init.

Dalawang nagiinit na tao na ilang sentimetro nalang ang layo sa isa’t isa.

Sa ‘di kalayuan ay may napahintong taxi.

“Is that your car, Jacko?” Tanong ni Miss Mary Lopez sa kasama.

Napadungaw naman si Jacko.

“I guess... so?” Sagot ni Jacko.

“Oh my god!” Kinuha agad ni Miss Mary ang phone nya at ida-dial na sana ang number
ng anak nya pero pinigilan sya ni Jacko. “I need to call my daughter. Hindi tama—“

“Tita, chill. Walang mangyayari dyan. Vince knows his limitations.”

“I trust Vince. But not Odette. I swear, she’s crazy! She might do something
stupid.”

“Hahaha! Tita, calm down. Sinisigurado ko sa inyo, walang mangyayari.” Tinuro ni

Jacko ang kotse, “Look.”

Saktong pag lingon ni Miss Mary ay lumabas si Vince ng kotse.

--

Odette’s POV:

Getting closer... getting closer... getting closer...

OMFG!

Pumikit nalang ako. AGH! Don’t fool yourself, Odette. You know you want it.

“Maria...”

And shit with that sexy voice!!! >///////<

HOLDS BREATH.

Here it is!

Dumikit na yung lips nya sa lips ko—

*Kring Kring!*

UGH?!??!?!?

Napadilat agad ako, and napalayo agad si Vince.

His phone is ringing. Panira!!!

“I-I’m sorry. Just a sec.” Then he went out of the car.

Seriously?!

What were you thinking, Odette? Dapat lumayo ka! Nag-promise ka sa Mama mo. Hindi
ka gagawa ng kalokohan ‘di ba? And you also promised her that you won’t kiss Vince
on the lips until you’re not yet done with Kevin.

Wake up!!! Hindi pwede.

Okay. Kalma. Kalma.

Whoooooo! I need air!

And here he is. He went inside the car again.

“Sorry. T’was Krystal, telling me to bring you home as early as we could because we
can’t miss her party tomorrow.” He sounds disappointed.

“Oh, yeah.” Oo nga pala, may party si Krystal tomorrow.

“Are you coming?” Vince

“Are you?”

“Well, I have a lot of things to finish, as you know. The shoot’s gonna run
starting next week so I’m—“ Vince
“So you’re not going?” You think I won’t come cos you’re not? “Well, I’m still
coming. So see you next week, then?”

He was about to start the car pero dahil sa sinabi ko, napatingin sya sa’kin.

“Hey. You’re coming even though I’m not?” Vince

“Uhh... yes?”

“Hah.” Vince

“Is there something wro—“

“Nothing!” Vince

Then he drove away.

Haha. Nagsisimula palang ako sa mga plano ko, mukhang lagapak na sya. Pa’no nga ba
pahulugin ang loob ng isang tao sa’yo kung simula’t sapul naman e nahulog na sya?

--

So, as I’ve said, pumunta nga ako sa party ni Krystal. And as I’ve also expected,
wala nga si Vince dito. Oh well, wala naman akong issue don. I came here to party.

Madami na din akong nakikilala. Actually, naninibago ako. Hindi ako sanay sa
ganitong house parties. Remember, I don’t usually go to parties nung college ako.
Tapos, ang mga parties pa na napupuntahan ko ay yung mga ball or parties for the
elites.

*Kriiing Kriiiing!*

Oops. “Excuse me.” I went inside the house and answered the call. “Yes, Jin?”

“Mommy!!!” Wait? Ven?

“Venice?”

“Yes mommy! How are you? Where’s daddy?” Then I heard Jin borrowed the phone. “Hey
Od.”
“Jin, magkakasama kayo?”

“Ah, no. Binisita lang namin ni Tiffanie yung mga bata. Tumawag kasi si Ven,
nagpapabili ng pizza.”

“Wait, what? KAYO NI TIF? Oh my god, nagkabalikan na kayo?!”

“Yup. Haha. Anyway, that’s another story. I called to ask permission. Isang linggo
kasing mawawalan ng pasok sa Suzzane University dahil may bagyong parating dito sa
Pilipinas. So, naisip namin ni Tif na isama na muna sila sa Japan.”

“Sa Japan?”

“Hindi, Odette. Sa China. Sa China namin dadalhin yung mga bata kasi dun kami
nakatira e. Amputa paulit ulit.”

What the heck? Meron ba ‘tong si Jin? Napaka sungit ah!

“Tss. Whatever.”

“O ano? Isasama namin ‘tong kambal ha? Gusto na din kasing makita ni Yuji ‘tong
dalawa.”

“Fine. Sige lang, kidnapin nyo lang mga anak ko.”

“Tss. Whatever. Sige, gotta go. Bye.”

Aba. Hindi manlang ako kinamusta? Hindi manlang pinakausap sa’kin yung kambal? Tsk!
Napaka thoughtful talaga ng best friend ko!

Tinamad na tuloy akong mag-party.

“Hi.” Then there’s this girl who blocked my way. She’s smiling but gah! She’s so
plastic. “Are you the famous Miss Maria Odette Lopez?”

Gosh. Who would not know me?

“Don’t be too silly. I know you know me.” I smirked.

Well if she’s a bitch, then I’m a bitchier bitch.

“Of course. Just making sure I’ll do this to the right person.”

AND OH MY GOD. Bigla nya nalang akong binuhusan ng cocktail nya. What the hell is
wrong with this girl?!

Pati yung ibang bisita nakiusyoso na.

Hindi lang ako makaganti agad cos what the hell just happened. Sobrang hindi ko
inaasahan ‘to.

ARGH! Sobrang naiinis ako. This is the first time na may nambastos sa’kin ng
ganito!

“What’s your problem?!”

Lumapit si Krystal sa’min. “Oh my gosh! Shit, Natasha, what did you do?! Odette,
are you okay?”

Fuck. I hate her.

“You’re gonna pay for this.” I warned.

Paalis na ako when she answered me. “No, Miss Lopez. You are the one who’s gonna
pay.”

“You’re crazy.” I said before leaving the venue.

Pag labas ko ng bahay ni Krystal, papasok naman si Vince. Wow he came? Wow! Bakit
ngayon lang?! Bwisit.

“Maria? Anong nangyari sa’yo?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Teka! San ka pupunta? Ihahatid na kita.”

We’re here inside Vince’s car. Sa sobrang inis ko pati si Vince napagbuntunan ko ng
galit. Hindi ko talaga sya kinakausap the whole ride.

*Ting!* That’s his phone.

“So, who’s the girl?” He suddenly asked.

Wait? Baka naman... OMG. May girlfriend ba si Vince? Don’t tell me... girlfriend ni
Vince ‘yon and...

“Is she your girlfriend?” I asked.

He looked at me for a split second. “Haha. What are you talking about?”

“Wag mo ‘kong tawanan, Vince. Siguro girlfriend mo sya ‘no? Kaya nya ako inaaway.”

“You’re crazier than her.”

“Napaka-imposible naman kasing bigla bigla nalang akong aawayin ng isang random
girl nang walang dahilan.”

“Well I think that’s not impossible. Sa dami ng naipahiya mong tao? Tsk tsk.”

Then we reached the hotel.

“I can’t believe you, Vince! Argh! Siguro nga girlfriend mo sya!” Bumaba na ‘ko ng
kotse. “And pag napatunayan kong girlfriend mo sya at tinu-two time mo kami, I
swear. I’m gonna kill her. And you.”

--

Vince’s POV:

“And pag napatunayan kong girlfriend mo sya at tinu-two time mo kami, I swear. I’m
gonna kill her. And you.”

Iniwan nya na ‘ko at pumasok na sya ng hotel.

Bigla akong nanghina sa sinabi nya. Pag nag-two time ako? Tsh.

Then, Maria, go ahead, and kill me.

***

A/N: Hahahahahahahaha tengene sorry lame ng update. Don't worry, malaking parte din
naman ng story 'yang nangyari. I PROMISE YOU GUIZE!
So, kamusta? He he ^^

Vote and comment.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.18: The lost child

Chapter 18: The lost child

Jun’s POV:

Sakto, pag pasok ko ng office ni Ivan, andon si Zia. Ilang araw ko na rin syang di
nakakausap. Halata namang iniiwasan nya ‘ko. Mula pa nung gabing... alam nyo na.

Naging stiff agad sya nung nakita nya ‘ko. Si Ivan at Eunice naman nakahalata agad.
Pero wala silang ginawa.

“Oh. Hi Zi—“

“Kailangan ko pa palang puntahan sila Tiffanie. Una na ‘ko, guys.” Tumayo sya agad
at lumabas ng office ni Ivan.

Sigh. Kung alam ko lang na ganito yung magiging relasyon namin pagkatapos ng ginawa
ko, sus, edi sana hinayaan ko nalang syang magsuka don sa labas ng bar. Pero ano pa
nga bang magagawa ko? Andyan na ‘yan e.

Maga-apologize nalang ako. Tama.

Susundan ko na sana sya pero pinigilan ako ni Eunice.

“Don’t follow her, Jun.” She said. “Don’t worry, she’s fine. Just depressed. You
see, nag-break sila ni Gian two days ago.”

And at that moment, I don’t know if I should be happy or not. I should be, right?
My plan worked, though I’m not sure if it was because of what I did. But still, the
result came out as I expected.
Pero dapat ba akong maging masaya kung ganito naman kalungkot si Zia?

“Bakit sila nag-break?” Tanong ko.

“There was an old lady who saw the two of you making out in the hallway. Then the
next day, she saw Zi with Gian. She started ranting about how slutty Zi is in front
of Gian, and then that’s it.” Eunice answered.

“Who’s that old lady?”

“A unit owner too.” Ivan interrupted. “Somehow, it’s also your own fault, Jun. Why
do you have to make out on the hallways of a public building?”

Tss. As if I’m just the one who’s reckless here.

Umalis nalang ako agad don at tinawagan ko agad si Gerald.

“O, pare?”

“Where are you?”

“I’m in the hospital. Aly’s having weird illness since yesterday morning.”

“Have you heard the word ‘pregnancy’? Tsk. Congratulations, dude. Anyway, can I ask
you a favor?”

“Then have you heard the word ‘making sure’? Tsk. What is it?”

Then I told him what I need. After talking to him, sinubukan kong sundan si Zia.
Nakela Tiffanie nga sya. Ang weird lang kasi hindi naman sya masyadong close dun sa
dalawa e. I mean, it wouldn’t be questionable if she went to Henry or Aly.

Nandito palang ako sa parking lot ng Foxtrot, pero alam ko na na nandito sya dahil
sa kotse nyang nakapark dito.

Bumaba na ‘ko--*BEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEP*

Ay putangina naman o! Bigla nalang may bumusinang kotse na pagka lakas lakas. Pag
tingin ko sa likod ko, kotse pala ni Henry. Natawa pa ang gago. Pinakyu ko nga.

“Benta ng mukha mo, Jun! Hahahahahahahaha!” Tawa pa! Puta.

“Ulol, pakyu, tangina mo, hayop ka.”

“Wow. Hard. Haha! Pupunta ka din ba kela Jin? Teka, sabay na tayo.” Tapos may
kinuha sya sa trunk ng kotse nya. Pag balik nya, may dala syang maleta.

“O ano ‘yan? Don’t tell me pinalayas ka na sa inyo? Buti naman.”

“Tarantado. Haha. Teka, di ka ba kasama?” Ha? Kasama san? “Tsk. Akala ko naman
kasama ka. Ngayon uuwi ng Japan si Jin at Tiffanie. Kasama nga kami ni Zia e. Akala
ko naman kasama ka kaya ka nandito.”

Pupuntang Japan?!

“B-Bakit kayo pupuntang Japan?”

“E, naisipan kasing isama nung mag-asawa sila Ven at Maze. Ayon, hayop na si
Harvey, pinag-day off yung yaya nung kambal at ako ang pinapag-yaya.”

“E si Zia? Bakit sya pupuntang Japan?”

“Ewan ko. Tara na nga.”

“Ah, hindi na. Naalala ko may pupuntahan pa pala ‘ko. Nga pala, wag mo nalang
banggitin sa kanila na nakita mo ‘ko dito.”

Umalis na ‘ko agad.

--

Jin’s POV:

“Are you sure, you’re okay, Zi?” Tif asked Zia.

“Yeah, I’m good.” She answered weakly. Nagkatinginan kami ni Tif.

We just heard her recent break up. And we think it’s really good for her to visit
Japan. Para naman gumaan yung loob nya kahit konti.

Tif and I just both shrugged and continued preparing our stuff.

Until Tif’s phone rang. It was Yuki who called. Chinecheck kung nakaalis na daw
kami. Masyado nang miss si Tif. Haha. Believe it or not, sobrang mahal na mahal ni
Yuki ang Mommy Tif nya.

“Yuki, can I speak with Yuji?” Tiffanie asked.

Pero hindi rin nakausap ni Tif si Yuji. Sinama daw kasi ni Mama na sumundo kay Sky.
Well if you’re curious about who’s Yuji, well he’s just our son. Yep. Anak namin ni
Tiffanie. He’s just one year younger sa kambal.

--

Jun’s POV:

Nagpa-book agad ako ng flight pero fully booked na lahat ng flight papuntang Japan
nung araw na ‘yon kaya kinabukasan na ako umalis. Actually, I’m clueless here. Wala
akong alam sa Japan. Nasabi ko na ba sa inyong wala akong sense of direction?

Nandito ako ngayon sa airport. So pa’no ba ‘to?

Mapupunta ba ‘ko sa bahay ni Jin pag tinitigan ko ‘tong city map? Puta naman o.

“Mr. Fuentes?” Eh? Tumingin ako sa kaliwa ko. May matandang lalaki na medyo
pamilyar. “It’s you, Jun Fuentes. Don’t you remember me?”

Sino ba ‘to? Umiling nalang ako.

“Haha. I’m Mr. Ross, your father’s secretary wayback 10 years ago.” He introduced
himself.

Mr. Ross...? Ah! Oo! Naaalala ko na. Russian sya na secretary ni daddy dati.

“Ah! Mr. Ross!” I cheered. “Wow. Nice seeing you again.”

“It was pleasure, young  master.”

“Tss. Stop calling me that. You’re not my dad’s secretary anymore. Anyway, why are
you here in Japan?”

“I was based here by your father to manage the branch.” Wow. Di ko alam na under pa
din pala sya ng kumpanya namen. “And you, young master?”

Ay oo nga pala! Nawala na sa isip ko.

“Ah. I’m here... to visit someone.” Alam ko na! “Mr. Ross! I need your help.”

He bowed. Tsk. Kaya ayokong nakakakita ng empleyado ng kumpanya namin e. “Anything,

young master.”

“Do you know Akimoto Jin? Oh maybe you do—“

“Yes, I know him, young master. He’s the son of Miss Akimoto Yanny right? A very
good friend of yours.”

“Right! You’re right, Mr. Ross. Do you know where he lives? Can you bring me
there?”

Buti nalang talaga nakita ako ni Mr. Ross. Sinamahan nya ako sa bahay nila Jin.
Pero andito pa rin kami sa kotse. Pababa na ‘ko kanina kaso nasa may labas silang
lahat. Si Jin, si Tif, si Henry, si Zia, tapos yung kambal, si Yuki at Yuji, tapos
yung isang bata.

“Don’t you wanna go and greet them?” Mr. Ross asked.

Hindi ako sumagot.

Nakita kong pumara ng taxi si Jin. Tapos lumapit yung isang bata kay Zia. Parang
nagpapaalam sila nung bata. Tapos sumakay sila sa taxi and then the taxi left.

Bago sila makapasok ng bahay, nagpakita na ‘ko.

“Guys.” Tawag ko sa kanila.

“Jun?” Gulat pang sabi ni Jin.

Bakit parang gulat na gulat sila? Parang nakakita ng multo ‘tong mga ‘to e.

“Kanina ka pa dyan, Jun?!” Sinilip ni Henry yung taxi. “Nakita mo ba si Zia?”

“Oo. San sya pupunta? At sino yung kasama nyang bata?”

--

Odette’s POV:

This is really getting into my nerves. Ang lakas talaga ng kutob ko na may tinatago
si Vince sa’kin e. Sa tingin ko, girlfriend nya talaga yung babaeng ‘yon. Hindi nya
ini-deny when I accused him e.

Argh! How can you be so stupid, Odette? Bakit hindi mo naisip ‘yon from the start?
I might look to be the bad guy here. Ugh!

But still! Hindi pa rin forgiveable yung ginawa sa’kin nung babaeng ‘yon! I swear
she’s gonna pay for that! I swear!

*Kring! Kring!*

Tss. Speaking of the devil. Vince is calling. And I have no plans of answering.

Pumunta nalang ako sa kitchen at kumain ng kung ano ano. Depress ako!

--

Jun’s POV:

“There’s no point in lying, guys. And besides, it’s been 4 years already. I think
he needs to know that he already has a son. Yes, Jun. That child is your son.” Jin
said.

“W-What? Anak ko ‘yun?! Pa’no nangyari ‘yon?!”

“Befo—“ Jin

“Dude, hayaan mo nalang na si Zia ang mag-sabi.” Henry turned to me. Kinuha nya
yung cell phone ko sa kamay ko. May tinype sya don at tsaka nya binalik ulit
sa’kin. “Yan ang address ng bahay kung san sila naka-tira dito. Go ahead.”

“Go ahead, Jun. Zia has been really depressed and I think you’re the only one who
could comfort her.” Tiffanie said.

“Young master, we’ve been here for an hour.” Oo, isang oras na kami dito sa labas
ng bahay na sinabi ni Henry. Pero hindi ko alam kung pupuntahan ko ba sila o ano e.

Hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin ako naniniwalang may anak na ako. Pa’no mangyayari
‘yon? 4 years ago nag-break na kami ni Zia. Pa’no mabubuo yung batang ‘yon kung
nasa France na ako 4 years ago?

Pero pa’no nga ba masasagot ‘to’ng mga tanong ko kung hindi ko itatanong sa
nakakaalam ng sagot?
“Aish!”

“Young master—“

“Ah!” Alam ko na! “Mr. Ross, can I ask you another favor?”

“Eh? E-well, anything, young master.”

Inutusan ko si Mr. Ross na puntahan si Zia at alamin nya kung anak ba talaga ni Zia
yung batang ‘yon. Pa’no? Ewan ko sa kanya. Sya na pinagawa kong paraan. Walang
pumapasok sa utak ko ngayon kaya wala syang maaasahan sa’kin.

Maya maya bumalik na din sya.

“So, what’s up?” I asked him as soon as his enter his seat.

Tumingin sya sa’kin na parang naaawa na ewan. So ano? Hindi ko anak ‘yun?

“Young master, I think...” Pucha, pasuspense pa si Mr. Ross! “I think you need to
talk to your father soon. I think that child is your son.”

WHAT THE FUCK

“I mean, she didn’t admit it, but the boy has the same eyes as yours, young
master.”

--

Nagpaiwan na ‘ko kay Mr. Ross. Pinadala ko na sa kanya sa hotel yung mga gamit ko.
Gusto ko na talagang makausap kay Zia pero hindi ko alam kung anong tama kong
sasabihin? Itatanong ko ba agad sa kanya yung tungkol sa bata?

Hindi e. Una nyang itatanong kung bakit nandito ako. Anong isasagot ko? Kasi
sinundan ko sya? Bakit? Ay pucha naman o!

Bukas na nga lang! Hindi pa ‘ko read—Uh oh.

Pag tayo ko, sisilip sana ako sa may gate ng bahay nila. Kaso, bigla naman syang
lumabas.

Wala na. Eto na. Naka-tadhana talagang malaman ko ang lahat ngayong gabi.
“Jun?” Gulat nyang sabi nung nakita nya ‘ko.

Sigh. “Zia. Hi.” Hi?! Hi?! Puta, Jun? Gusto mong malaman kung anak mo yung batang
‘yon tapos... HI?! Ano ba namang utak meron ka?!

Lumingon agad si Zia sa bahay nila. Para bang chinecheck kung may nakakakita
sa’min. Tapos bigla nya akong hinila palayo sa gate nila.

“What are you doing here?”

“Uh... I’m...” Ano? Anong isasagot mo, Jun?

“Pa’no ka nakapunta dito?”

Ay bahala na nga. “Zia,” Napahinto sya sa pag linga sa bahay nila nung tinawag ko
sya. Halata na rin siguro sa boses ko na seryoso na ‘ko. “Zia, may anak ba tayo?”

And that question caught her off guard. Nanlaki yung mata nya, tapos medyo
napaatras pa sya. She can’t seem to find the right words to say.

“Well, uh, alam mo, sinabi lang naman sa’kin nila Jin ‘yon. Anyway, forget about
it. Malamang pinagti-trip-an lang nila ako. Haha! Para akong gago ‘no? Pa’no naman
tayo magkaka-anak di ba? Ako si tanga, naniwala naman. Whew. Buong araw din ako
kinabahan ha. Hay, bwisi—“

“Mommy—“ Biginagti-trip-an lang nila ako. Haha! Para akong gago ‘no? Pa’no naman
tayo magkaka-anak di ba? Ako si tanga, naniwala naman. Whew. Buong araw din ako
kinabahan ha. Hay, bwisi—“

“Mommy—“ Bigla nalang may umappear na bata mula sa likod ni Zia. Yung batang kasama
nya kanina. Nagulat sya nung nakita nya ‘ko. “Daddy?” Tama nga si Mr. Ross.
Magkapareho kami ng mata.

Nakayuko pa rin si Zia, habang ako, tinititigan ko yung bata. Nakikita ko sa kanya
yung sarili ko. Ibig bang sabihin neto, anak ko nga sya? Pero pa’no mangyayari
‘yon?

“Are you... my daddy?” Tanong nya sa’kin. Para syang anghel na version ko.

Tinignan ko si Zia, mukhang naiiyak sya.

Umupo ako to reach the little boy’s level. Hinila ko sya palapit sa’kin. Iba yung
naramdaman ko nung hinawakan ko yung kamay nya.
“Hi little boy. What’s your nam—“ Nagulat nalang ako nung bigla nya akong niyakap.
“Uh...”

“Daddy! Finally you came. Sabi ni mommy, hindi ka pa daw babalik. Sabi nya, next
year ka pa daw pupunta dito.” Umiiyak sya.

Tinignan ko si Zia, she’s still avoiding my gaze.

--

Kahit hindi ko pa alam ang buong katotohanan, pinanindigan ko pa rin yung iniisip
nung bata. Hanggang sa eto, nakatulog na. Buti na nga lang e.

Lumabas na muna kami ni Zia sa balcony.

“Bakit—“ Bakit palang nasasabi ko sumagot na agad sya. -_-

“Yes, you are Sky’s father. I’m sorry for keeping this from you, I won’t bother to
explain because I, myself, can’t identify the reason why. All I know is that I kept
him from everyone because of my relationship with Gian. Isa lang yung gusto kong
sabihin sa’yo. I’m sorry.” She said.

“Pero... pa’no nangyari ‘yon, Zia? 4 years ago, break na tayo. Pa’nong...”

“I was already a month pregnant when we broke up. Break na tayo nung nalaman ko.
Pumunta agad ako dito sa Japan para itago kay Gian. Sabi ko, family business. Then
iniwan ko sya dito sa tita ko. Every now and then binabalikan ko sya. Hindi ko
kayang sabihin kay Gian kasi alam kong iiwan nya ‘ko pag nalaman nya. Hindi ko rin
naman masabi sa’yo kasi wala ka na, at alam kong sobrang galit ka sa’kin.”

“Alam ba ‘to ng parents mo? Ng tropa? Sinong nakakaalam?”

“Alam ng tropa. Alam nila mommy. Alam din ng parents mo.”

WHAT? Alam ng parents ko?

“An—“

“Wag kang magalit sa kanila, please. Sa’kin ka magalit. It was all my decision.
Ayoko nga kasing sabihin sa’yo dahil alam kong galit ka sa’kin—“

“Zia, what were you thinking? Akala ko ba nag-mature ka na? Mature bang masasabi
‘yung ginawa mo kay Sky? Hinayaan mong nakatago dito yung bata ng walang magulang?
Mature bang masasabi yung itago mo sa akin ‘yon?” Hah. I can’t believe it.
Nabibwisit ako kay Zia. Sobra! Pero at the back of my mind, andun pa din yung fact
na mahal na mahal ko pa din sya kaya hindi ko kayang magalit sa kanya.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I know, hindi ako nagiisip ng maayos. I’m sorry.”

“You should’ve said that 4 years ago, Zia. Kahit sobrang nasaktan ako sa ginawa mo
non, kung sinabi mong wag kitang iwan, Zia, hindi ako aalis.”

Hindi na sya sumagot. Umiyak nalang sya. Iyak lang sya nang iyak. Ayokong nakikita
syang ganito.

Niyakap ko sya. At ang saya sa pakiramdam, kasi niyakap nya din ako.

Dati, ayokong pumupunta dito sa Japan. Wala kasing special dito. Pero ngayon, Japan
is now a wonderful place to stay in.

--

Odette’s POV:

“If our love

Was a tragedy

Why are you my remedy”

Hay. Buong araw na ‘kong tulala dito sa hotel ko. Naka-upo sa harap ng TV, nanunuod
ng MTV. Nagpapaka-emo sa relating songs. Hay buhay.

*Kring! Kring!*

At buong araw ko na din dinededma ang phone calls ko galing kay Vince. I may sound
crazy but I need a peace of mind. (A/N: Sorry sa singit pero ang OA mo na talaga,
Odette!)

Tinignan ko yung phone—ay. Si Jacko pala.

“Hell—“

“So pag si Jacko, sasagutin mo. Pag ako, hindi? Ano bang problema mo, Maria Odette
Lopez?!”
Eh? Si Vince?

“Ano? Ba’t ‘di ka sumagot?”

“Tss. That’s none of your business. Bakit ka ba tumatawag? May sasabihin ka ba?
About what? The shoot? Don’t worry I’ll be there tomorrow. I’m not a ditcher, duh!”

“Anong problema, Odette?”

Woa. Ba’t bigla syang naging serious? Tapos tinawag pa nya ‘kong ‘Odette’.

“W-Wala. Ewan ko sa’yo! Kung namimiss mo ‘ko, problema mo na ‘yon!” Sabay end ng
call.

Geez!

***

A/N: Awtsu! Sino JunZi dito? Muahahahaha! JunZi is baeeek! <3 Okay katamad mag-
note. Bye.

Thank for reading tho. :)

Vote and comment.

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.19: Shoot

Chapter 19: Shoot

Vince’s POV:

Shit, I’m late. Pinark ko na agad sa basement yung kotse ko tsaka ako lumabas ng
building. Nandun na silang lahat, ako nalang hinihintay.

“Everybody’s here?” I asked Jacko.

“Yes, ikaw nalang hinihintay. Let’s go.” Said Jacko. At umakyat na nga sila sa
shuttle.

Teka? Nasan si Maria?

“Bro, where’s our model?” I asked Jacko.

Tapos tinuro nya yung van sa likod ng shuttle.

Tsk. Don’t tell me kelangan naka-isolate sya? Hay. Ang kamahalan nga naman.

Dito nalang ak—What the? Bakit ayaw mabukas? Tinawagan ko agad yung phone ni Maria.

“Nasa loob ka ba ng van?”

“Yup.”

“Then open it. Sa’yo ako sasabay.”

“No.”

What?

“I said, open it.”

“And I said, no.”

“Ano’ng prob—Hello?! Maria?!” What the?? Binabaan ako? “Shit.”

No choice. Mukhang galit pa din sa’kin si Maria. Kaya pumunta na ‘ko sa shuttle.

--

So ano ba talagang kinakagalit ng mahal na prinsesa? Pagka dating na pagka dating

namin dito sa hotel, hindi pa agad sya bumaba. Sabi nung driver nya kay Jacko,
mamaya na daw sya papasok pag nakapag check in na kaming lahat.

And when she did, dire-diretso naman sya sa suite nya. Tinawagan ko sya pero hindi
na sya sumagot.

Hah. Don’t tell me iniisip talaga nyang girlfriend ko yung nangaway sa kanya sa
party ni Krystal? I don’t even know that girl. Sabi ni Krystal other friend nya
‘yon kaya hindi namin kilala.

“Bro, nag-away ba kayo ng model natin?” Tanong ni Jacko. Magkasama kami sa suite.

“Ewan ko ba dun. Umiral nanaman pagka-bratinella.”

“Haha. Baka naman nabuking ka n—“

“Fuck you, man. Bahala ka nga sa buhay mo.”

Bumalik ako sa lobby, nanghingi ako ng spare key sa suite ni Maria. Pa’no ako
nakuha? Tsk. Did you forget that I’m an Alvarez?

Syempre, san pa ba ‘ko pupunta next? Edi sa unit ng pinakamamahal kong prinsesa.

--

Odette’s POV:

*Ting!* 15th floor!

Tsk! Napaka-responsible talaga ng pinakamamahal kong prinsipe no? Ang bilis sumuko!
Hindi manlang ako i-pursue. Eto, ako pa ‘tong pupunta sa room nila. I know
nakakahiya pero hindi ko naman gusto ‘to no! Tumawag kasi yung kambal. Gustong
makipag-video call sa’min.

I knocked on their door, and Jacko answered it.

“Wow. What made you visit us, Miss Lopez?”

“Where’s the father of my children?”

“Oh oh oh. Bakit bigla atang nag-iba ang ikot ng mundo? Bakit ikaw na ang
naghahanap sa ama ng mga anak mo?”

I rolled my eyes. Obviously, wala sya dito. Kasi kung andun sya, boses ko pa lang,
dapat lumabas na sya. Or maybe... JUST MAYBE he knew why I was so cold to him, and
now he’s guilty.

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk!

Wait. I was about to leave pero hinarap ko ulit si Jacko.

“Jacko, I know you know the truth. Tell me, that good for nothing girl who
embarrassed me in Krystal’s party... is she... Vince’s girlfriend?” I asked,
wrinkling my brows, narrowing my eyes.

And before he could utter his answers, he bursted into laughter. What’s funny about
my question? I’m hella serious here, okay?!

He never stopped laughing like an idiot there. And I’m just standing here, watching
him turn into a mental patient. And what I’m doing right now is totally non sense
and if I may say, stupid.

I turned my heel and ready to leave the retard here when suddenly the one I’m
looking for showed up from the hallway.

He smirked. “Kaya pala wala ka sa kwarto mo e. See? Hindi mo ‘ko matiis.” Hah. In
his dreams!

I rolled my eyes. “Stop being a nuisance, Vince. The kids want to see us. Let’s
go.” I started walking, “Oh! Bring you laptop. FASTER!”

We went to the restaurant of the hotel and while waiting for the kids’ call, this
guy suddenly disturbed me.

He moved his chair closer to mine.

“Alam ko sinabi ko sayong kahit naka simangot ka, maganda ka pa rin—“

“I don’t wanna talk to you so shut up.” Straight pa rin sa screen ng laptop nya ang
tingin ko.

I heard him sigh. Naramdaman ko nalang yung kamay nya sa kamay ko. Hihilahin ko
sana but I think alam nya nang gagawin ko yun kaya ready sya. Tsk. Then he moved my
chair to face him.

Now, it’s so hard for me to get rid of his gaze. Lalo na nung binitawan nya yung
kamay ko then he cupped my face.

“Look at me, Maria.” And his words are such a magnet. My eyes locked up to his.
“That girl is not my girlfriend. I don’t even know her. Even Jacko, or Pablo, or
Kiara. We don’t know her, okay? She’s Krystal’s friend from another circle of
peers.”

And then I believed. Yes. There’s so much sincerity in his words that I, myself,
cannot think of being fooled.

Well, I said I trust him again right?

I shrugged. “Promise?”

Chup!

Nagulat nalang ako when he pecked on my lips. Sneaky!

And then the kids called.

--

Vince’s POV:

“I believed you because I trust you. Don’t mess with it. Okay?”

That was her last words before I left her to rest. Trust. Does this mean... I
earned her trust again? It’s a good thing, right...? Or not?

Sigh.

--

“Okay guys, is everybody here?” Jacko asked in front of the bus.

Nandito na kami sa bus, papunta na sa forest for the first shoot. I’m here on the
second row, alone, studying the angles I should achieve.

*Kring Kring!*

It was Jacko’s phone.

“Yes? ... What—Whe—“ Mukhang may problema? Bago pa nya matapos yung sinasabi nya,
may babae nang sumulpot sa likod nya.

Si Maria.

“Hi Jacko!” Sobrang ngiti pa sya samantalang si Jacko gulat pa. “Where’s my
Marcelo? Oh there you are. Excuse me.” Then she sat beside me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked her. But she’s too busy fixing her stuff.

“Ehrm.” Jacko approached her. “Hey! What are you doing in the ‘staff’s’ bus?” Pero
hindi sya pinansin ni Maria.

Pagkatapos nyang ayusin yung mga gamit nya, nginitian nya ‘ko. Then she sat
properly and she linked her arms on mine.

“Hay. Hindi ko kayo ma-gets!” Sabi nalang ni Jacko.

About 30 minutes and we reached the location. Tinatayo na yung tent for the ever
highness at dapat nasa labas na rin ako pero eto ako, sa tabi ni Maria. Ayaw pa
‘kong palabasin. Kaming dalawa nalang yung nandito.

“Vince! What am I gonna wear later?” She suddenly asks.

What the heck? Hindi nya alam kung anong isusuot nya mamaya?

Haha. Mapag-tripan nga. I opened an album in my ipad. Then I showed her a photo.

“WHAAAAT?!” Hahahahahahaha! Epic! “Nasan? Asan ang damit dyan?!”

“Exactly.” Hahaha. Can’t help it! Natatawa talaga ako.

“Are you making fun of me, Vince?”

“Of course not!”

“Ugh! Why are you doing this to me?” She pouts. Hahaha! “You’re letting me wear...
nothing?!”

“That’s in favor of me, don’t you think?”

“Ugh?! Ang pervert mo ha!”

“Always am. Kelan ba ‘ko hindi naging manyak sa pinakamamahal kong Maria Odette
Lopez?” And I shot her a perverted look. Hahaha! I’m enjoying this.

Nanlaki yung mata nya dahil sa sinabi ko. Haha. Then she smiled... rather smirked.
Uh oh. Turning tables time.
“Oh really?” She bites her lip. She leans closer... and closer... and closer... I
gulped. Shit, Maria! “I can see... nakatayo na yung tent.” Then she stood up.
“Bring my things, Mr. Photographer.”

WHAT THE HECK

--

Jun’s POV:

He yawned, and stretched his arms. He stubbornly jerked his feet.

“Mom! I’m still sleepy.” He squirmed at her mom who just opened the windows of his
room.

Nagkatinginan kami ni Zia, then we laughed quietly.

“He’s obviously my son.” I whispered to her.

Ganyang ganyan ako e. Pag tulog tapos may istorbo. Ang sasabihin ko “Mommy,
inaantok pa ‘ko” kahit hindi ko naman sigurado kung si mommy ‘yon.

Tumabi si Zia kay Skye. “Skye, wake up na. May bisita ka.”

Again, Skye jerked his feet.

“Skye, gising na. Sige ka, aalis na daddy mo.” Pananakot ni Zia. And in an instant,
napabangon si Skye. Haha! Am I watching my childhood?

Umupo na rin ako sa kama nya. Then he suddenly hugged me.

When we parted, he flashed me a beautiful smile. “Good morning, daddy.”

I smiled and ruffled his hair. Grabe! Kamukhang kamukha ko sya!

“May sasabihin ang daddy mo, Skye.” Zia said. When Skye turned to her, he smiled.

He then looked at me with curious eyes. “What is it, daddy?”

Takteng pakiramdam ‘to o! Kinakabahan ako pag tinatawag nya akong daddy. There’s a
little voice asking “can you be his daddy?” every time I hear him call me.
Kakayanin ko ba? Ready na ba ‘ko?

I should be ready. Yes, I should be ready by now. Kung si Ivan nga nagawa 4 years
ago e. Siguro kakayanin ko na rin.

“Skye, I’d like to introduce myself to you.” I heaved a very deep breathe. “I’m Jun
Fuentes, I am your mom’s ex boyfriend.” I looked at Zia. “I was her ex. But now, I
will be her husband.”

A tear fell on her cheeks.

“Dad?” I abruptly turned my gaze to Skye. “Of course I know you’re my daddy. You
don’t have to introduce yourself to me. And... of course you’re my mommy’s
husband.”

Haha. Yun lang. Matalino si Skye... ako, matalino rin! Haha!

--

Vince’s POV:

Kung iniisip nyong may kakaibang nangyari sa shoot, pwes wala. Maria is so
professional. Pag baba namin ng bus, she started being a model. Yes, mataray, may
attitude, may pagka taklesa – but those were things that are typical to a model.

And her charisma on cam? I never imagined I can easily work on this. Akala ko
mahihirapan ako but no.

Pero hindi ko sinasabing walang nangyari.

Right after the shoot..........

***

A/N: Awwwww! Guys may news ako sa inyo. 5-10 chapters nalang matatapos na ang story
ng MaVince. Malapit naaaaaa. :( Pero wag kayong ma-sad! May kasunod pa syempre.
Pero di na MaVince. Hehe sinetch kaya?

Emerut! Thanks sa pagbasa! <3

Vote and comment!

xoxo THISNIE
=================

Ch.20: Seduction

Chapter 20: Seduction

Odette’s POV:

TO BE HONEST, KINAKABAHAN NA AKO! SOBRA!

It’s been a week since the first shoot.  And sa loob ng isang linggo na yun, hindi
ako nagpakita kay Vince.

Two days ago, naganap yung interview for the article, pero sinigurado ko ding wala
si Vince don.

Why am I hiding from him? Geez, people! In three days na yung second shoot! Yung
shoot for the cover. And alam nyo ba yung location don? Bedroom! Sa kama!!!
Basta!!! Mas daring! Naka-lingerie lang ako!

Kinakabahan ako kasi... Kasi... basta! Ewan ko ba! Parang nahihiya ako or
something. Aaahhhh!

Ayoko na! Ayoko na!

--

Ayoko naaaaaaaaaa.................

“Magtigil ka nga, Odette! Pinasok pasok mo ‘yan tapos, aayaw ka?!” Eunice

“Nagawa mo nga yung una e, I’m sure you can do it. So stop whining, will you?” Zia

“I thought you’re a professional model? What happened?” Tiffanie

Ka-video call ko sila ngayon. Nakakainis, gusto ko nang mag-backout. I was seeking
for their help to come up with an excuse but they’re not really helping. Instead,
they’re pushing me to do the shoot. :( Why are they like this?

“Tiffanie, CLOTHING LINE ang mino-model ko sa’yo. Eto MEN’S MAGAZINE, okay?
Naiintindihan mo ba yun?!”
“E alam mo naman palang men’s magazine ‘yan bakit um-oo ka pa?!” Eunice

Pout nalang ako. Bakit ba ayaw nila akong tulungan? :(

--

And then the day came...

Professional ka, Odette. Kaya mo ‘yan. Just be professional!

Isipin mo nalang, hindi ‘yan si Vince na mahal mo, na ex boyfriend mo na magiging

boyfriend mo ulit na mapapangasawa mo. Okay? Professional photographer lang din
‘yan. At ikaw ay isang professional model.

The PA called me.

Chin up, Od. You can do it.

You’re not Maria Odette Lopez tonight. You’re the ever fabulous Odette Lopez.

So I entered the room where the shoot will take place. I’m on my robe, and
underneath ‘em is a sexy lingerie. Everybody turned their gaze on me when they saw
me. But that’s just for a split second because THEY ARE TOO PROFESSIONAL with their
work. And I should be too.

“Why are you ignoring my calls and texts again?” Vince approached me while the make
up artist’s retouching me.

“Huh? Oh, I’m sorry I was busy.” I tried... I REALLY TRIED to sound normal.

“Busy with what?”

I gestured the artist to stop first, then I looked at Vince. “I was busy with
personal things and I don’t think a photographer should interrogate his model with
stupid questions. So if you don’t mind?”

That made him shut up and leave me. But geez! He turned again with a goofy smirk.
Is he making fun of me again?!

--
Vince’s POV:

I know you too well, Miss Odette Lopez.

The shoot have started. I can see the struggle in her face to look pro, but I know
nahihirapan na sya. I’m trying to be professional too but she’s too funny! I mean,
she can be professional and natural at the same time.

Do I really have to be the photographer of this shoot?

Putek! When they turned off the lights, naginit na agad ako! Bakit ang hot ni
Maria?! Bumabalik sa utak ko yung mga gabing... alam nyo na.

Tsk! Napaka professional nyang mag-pose! Though halata pa din sa mukha nyang
nahihirapan na sya.

“CUT! Turn on the lights. Okay na.” I shouted.

Murmurs began to spread in the room.

“Are you sure, Vince? I don’t think your shots are already enough.” Pablo
commented.

“Sino ba ang art director? Ikaw o ako?”

“Huh?” Bwisit na Español ‘to.

“I have enough shots for tonight. Don’t worry, I have a better idea.” Then I left
the room.

Pero bumalik ako ulit. Si Maria. Hinagis ko sa kanya yung robe tapos hinila ko sya
palabas.

“W-Wait...”

We stopped in front of her suite then I pushed her in. “Matulog ka na.”

--

Odette’s POV:

...
...

...

Anong problema nun? =_=”

Kanina kung maka tingin akala mo nangaasar. Tapos maya maya sobrang init ng ulo.
Tsk! Mood swings! Daig pa may menopausal e.

Pero... ano nga kayang problema nun?

So I decided to go to him. Nag-ayos ako ng sarili. Actually, inayos ko lang yung

pagkakalagay ng robe ko. Then I went to his room.

*Knock Knock*

He was shocked to see me there.

“Bakit ka nandito? Di ba sinabi ko matulog ka na? At lumabas ka pa talaga ng naka

ganyan ha? Tsk!” Argh! Bakit ang mean nya sa’kin—WHOA! “Pumasok ka nga!” Bigla nya
nalang akong hinila.

I sat on his bed, while he rushed to close his laptop. Haha. Maybe he’s fantasizing
over my photos? LOL just kidding.

“Vince, are yo—“ Shit! Pag tingin ko kay Vince, nasa tabi ko na sya. And not just
that! He’s leaning closer... like for a kiss?

“Maria, can w—“

What was I thinking? Bakit ba ako pumunta dito ng naka-ganitong suot lang?!

I hurriedly stood up. “I’ll... I’ll go ahead. I’ll see you tomorrow, ok—Aaaah!”

Shit! He pulled me! Napa-higa ako sa kama at medyo bumukas yung robe ko. And geez
this perverted guy! Ngumiti pa habang nakatingin sa ano ko.

“VINCE!” Tumayo na ulit ako, but he pulled me again.

“Isa la—“
“STOP IT!!!!!!!” Nilakasan ko na talaga yung pag tulak sa kanya and I hurriedly run
out of his room.

But he’s chasing after me :(

Bakit ba nasa iisang floor lang suites namin?

Bago ko pa mabuksan yung pinto ng room ko, nahuli nya na ‘ko. Sinandal nya ‘ko sa
pader, and then he locked me with his arms.

“Vince, wag—“

He kissed me. It wasn’t rude or anything. It was actually just a peck.

“Good night. I love you, and I’ll miss you.” Then he left me.

***

A/N: Uuuuuuuyyyy akala nila may BS. LOL. Sorry for this short update! Don't worry,
a big revelation will come out on the next chapter. So prepare your feels, okay?
Paghandaan nyo na kung TeamVince pa din kayo or baka maging TeamKevin kayo bigla.
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Next update will be on Saturday, maybe? Most probably, yes, Saturday.

And one more thing. Gusto ko lang ipaalam sa inyo na 5-10 chapters nalang ay
matatapos na ang librong ito. And I'll try my very best to accomplish it before
2014 starts. Dahil gusto ko sana, sa 2014, panibagong Campus Royalties naman ang
makilala nyo. :)

THANKS FOR READING!

Vote and comment!

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.21: "C"

Chapter 21: “C”

Odette’s POV:

I don’t wanna go! I don’t wanna go home!!! :(

Ayoko pang umuwi! I wanna live in Spain forever.

But sadly, I can’t. I need to move on with my life. Pero... ayoko pa talaga e! Kung
kelan masaya, tsaka kelangan iwan. Hay!

Ugh. It’s Thursday already, and I have to go back to Manila tomorrow. Tapos na kasi
yung contract ko dito sa magazine. I know I can still stay, but mom already booked
me a flight. At talagang hinintay pa nya ‘ko dito.

And another reason, birthday ng kambal next month. At sabi ni mama, ako daw dapat
ang magasikaso nun. It’s their 5th birthday daw e. I don’t understand it nga e. Di
ba usually 7th birthday ang pinaghahandaan ng bongga?

Oh well. Kailangan ko din naman makabawi sa mga anak ko. So might as well do it
myself.

Nandito ako ngayon sa hotel suite ko. Kaka-ligo ko lang. I really have no idea how
will I spend my last day here. Iniisip ko, i-treat ko kaya ang team? Then I’ll have
dinner with Vince. Hmm...?

Pwede.

So I called Jacko.

“Yes, hello?”

Okay? What’s with the voice? Bat parang tensed si Jacko?

Whatever. “Are you guys busy for today? Can I have your lunch time? I’ll treat the
whole team.”

“Uh...”

“I won’t take no for an answer. It’s my last day here! Okay? I’ll see you then.
I’ll message you the deets. Bye!”

--
Someone’s POV:

“Can you put this card on that table?” I told the waitress.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. But that table has already been reserved.” Duh! Even if this
wasn’t a part of my plan, I know it’s already reserved. Ugh! Ang tanga naman ng
crew na ‘to!

“Yeah, I know.” I smiled fakely. “Well, it’s reserved for the Luminary Team, right?
By Miss Odette Lopez, right?” She nodded. “I’m a part of that team. Sadly, I can’t
make it to the lunch later. So here’s my note for Miss Lopez. If you don’t wanna
put it there, then can I ask you to hand her this instead?”

She smiled slightly. “Alright, ma’am.” I was about to turn back when she asked
something again. “Wait. May I know your name, please?”

I flashed her my most evil smile, and “Just tell her it’s from Cha.”

--

Odette’s POV:

“Welcome to Red Hot Pizza, ma’am. Table for?” The crew welcomed me.

“Reservation. Odette Lopez.”

“Oh, Miss Lopez. This way to your table.” Then he lead me to the table.

It’s just 11:30am. Wala naman kasi akong ibang gagawin kaya might as well be the
early bird, right? After all, this is my farewell party.

When we reached our place, binigyan nya na ‘ko ng menu. I told him I’ll call him
nalang when I have orders na.

Hmm...? Should I just buy pizza? Mag-pasta kaya kami? Rice? Hell no.

Well, nasanay na rin kasi akong di nagra-rice. Y’know, 4 years din kami sa US.
First time nga lang ulit yung nung date naming ni Vince e.

And I don’t think I’ll order rice here. Siguro past—

“Excuse me, Miss Lopez.” A waitress approached me. “One of your staffs can’t make
it to your lunch reservation. She left this letter for you. Her name is Cha.”
Inabot nya sa’kin yung paper, then she left.

Okay, it’s kinda weird. Bakit hindi nalang si Jacko nag-sabi? Ibig sabihin ba
galling na sya dito kanina? Well, that’s weirder. Pa’no nya nalaman na dito ako
nagpa-reserve? E hindi ko pa nga nase-send kay Jacko na dito e.

And most of all. I don’t know any “CHA” on the team.

Oh well, I won’t get any answers from myself. Itatanong ko nalang kay Jacko mamaya.
Baka di ko lang sya masyadong napapansin.

So I opened the letter first.

And...

“Long time no see, Odette Lopez. It’s been... how many years! I can’t wait to meet
you personally again. I can’t wait to see you weep in tears and frustations again.
Akala mo ba titigilan kita? Na-uh! You won’t ever be happy until I’m still
existing. So, I’ll see you soon? Have fun! xx

-C”

Bumilis yung tibok ng puso ko nung natapos kong basahin yung buong letter. Who
could this be?

Aaminin ko. Natakot ako.

Weep in tears?

Bak—

*Kring! Kring!*

I looked at my phone. Si mama.

“Ma?”

“Baby girl, after ng lunch nyo, bumalik ka kaagad dito sa hotel ha?”

“Ma, you know I’ll go on a date with Vince. I told you that, right?”
“Pero—“

“Ma, it’s my last day. Give this to me, okay? Promise, I won’t do anything stupid
or crazy. I’ll behave, and I’ll be there before 9.”

“O-Osige. Take care, anak.”

She hung up.

Bakit... bigla din akong kinabahan after kong makausap si mama? Hay! Maybe this is
just... this is nothing!

Ayokong isipin na sign ‘to sa pwedeng susunod na mga mangyayari, pero pilit pa din
‘tong pumapasok sa isip ko.

--

Vince’s POV:

“There she is!” We looked at where Johnson pointed. Nakita namin si Maria nakaupo
dun sa table.

Lumapit kami sa kanya. Everyone greeted her. Well, save the best for last.

Nang may mapansin ako. Parang may mali? Bakit parang wala sa mood ‘to?

Parang namumutla pa sya. May problema ‘to panigurado.

Tumabi ako sa kanya.

See? Normal ba ‘yan? Parang di pa sya excited na makita ako. Parang di pa nga nya
ineexpect na andito ako e. Nginitian nya lang ako nung nakita nya ‘ko.

I leaned closer. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Huh? Of course, yeah, I’m fine.” She really looks faint.

--

Buong lunch talaga sya walang kibo. Tumatawa sya sa mga biruan ng team, pero
sobrang iba. May mali. At kelangan kong malaman ‘yon.
“Thanks for the lunch, Miss Odette Lopez. And, it’s really fun working with you.”
Nasa labas na kami ng Red Hot Pizza, babalik na si Maria sa hotel nya.

“No, I should be the one thanking you, guys. Kundi dahil dito sa project na ‘to,
hindi na siguro talaga nabigyan ng isa pang chance yung meron kami ni Vince. This
is really a blessing.” Maria said with a smile on her face. Oo, sabihin na nating
sincere ‘yon. Pero parang may bumabagabag pa rin talaga sa kanya.

“As for that, hindi kami dapat ang pasalamatan mo, Od. Sooner, you’ll realize who
made this for you.” Jacko said. “Anyway, we’ll be going. We have to be back at
work.”

Everyone bid their goodbyes to Maria. Nang lahat sila nauna na, at si Jacko nalang
at ako ang naiwan, nagpaalam ako.

“Bro, mamayang gabi nalang ako babalik sa office.” Sabi ko kay Jacko, at tsaka ako
medyo sumenyas. Hindi naman nakatingin si Maria e.

Pero napatingin na din sya nung narinig nya yung sinabi ko.

“Alright. Una na ‘ko? Bye, Miss Lopez.” And he left.

“Huy, san ka pa pupunta? Aren’t you guys cramming?” Tanong nya nung hinila ko sya.

Huminga ako ng malalim, tapos hinarap ko sya. “Tell me, what’s bothering you?”

And I was right. May iniisip nga sya. Bigla kasi syang yumuko at tinalikuran ako.
Lumapit sya sa may shed. Sumunod ako sa kanya.

“Hey, is there any problem?” I asked her. Pero ayaw nya ‘kong pansinin.

Mukhang hindi naman sya sakin galit. Kasi kung galit sakin ‘yan, nagwawala na ‘yan.
And we all know her. Pag may problema sakin, sinasampal nya sakin yun. Tsk! Kaya
medyo nakakatakot ‘to ngayon.

“Wala, Vince—“

“You being so quiet like this is scarier than being a monster. Don’t you know that?
It’s not normal. So I’m hundred and one percent sure there’s something bothering
you. Now, tell me.”

See? Magsisinungaling pa e.
She sighed defeated. May kinuha sya sa pouch nya, tapos inabot nya sakin ‘to.

“The waitress gave that to me earlier. Kinakabahan ako, Vince.” Sabi nya.

Totoo. Kinakabahan sya. Kitang kita naman sa mata nya e.

Binuksan ko yung papel.

“Long time no see, Odette Lopez. It’s been... how many years! I can’t wait to meet
you personally again. I can’t wait to see you weep in tears and frustations again.
Akala mo ba titigilan kita? Na-uh! You won’t ever be happy until I’m still
existing. So, I’ll see you soon? Have fun! xx

-C”

“C”?

Could it be...

“Babe!”

I abruptly looked up, turned my head around... and saw a girl coming.

***

A/N: Ang fail ko, ano po? Sabi ko tatapusin ko na 'to before I welcome 2014
tapos... ay dios mio! Pero pipilitin ko pa rin talaga! :))

BTW, Merry Christmas to everyone!!! Advance Happy New Year!

Isa lang gusto ko, let's give love FROM this season. Okay?

PEACE & LOVE!

Thanks for reading, ppl! <3

Vote and comment!

xoxo THISNIE
=================

Ch.22: The part where Spain became a nightmare

Chapter 22: The part where Spain became a nightmare

Odette’s POV:

*Bzzzt!*

Blank.

“Baby girl, nag-text si Vince.” Rinig kong sabi ni mama. Pero di pa rin ako kumibo.
Wala na akong pakealam.

Sinubo ko na yung huling cut ng bacon ko sa plate tsaka ako pumasok sa bathroom.
Nag-ayos na ‘ko at nag-bihis.

Pag labas ko, ready na ‘ko. Four more hours before my flight. Pero kelangan na
naming mag-check in sa airport.

“Let’s go, ma?”

She looked at me like there’s really something wrong with my face. Then she sighed.

“Ma, male-late tayo sa flight naten. Madami pa tayong gagawin sa Manila, right? We
can’t afford to miss—“

Natigilan ako nung bigla nya akong niyakap.

Nag-breakdown na ‘ko. Iyak lang ako nang iyak habang inaalo ako ni mama.

Then when I recovered, pinagbigyan na ‘ko ni mama. We checked out, then we ate at a
restaurant first bago kami dumiretso ng airport.

So we’re here on the waiting area.

“If ever I fall asleep, just wake me up when we have to go.” I told my mom.

Now, music on, world off.

--

Vince’s POV:

“Bro, gising na. Nasa labas si Chellu.” Naramdaman ko yung pagsipa ni Jacko sa
paanan ko.

Di ako kumibo.

Di ako lumabas sa kumot.

“Hoy Vince! Gumising ka na!”

Hindi naman ako tulog e. Hindi nga ako nakatulog e.

Tindi naman ng apog ko di ba? Tindi naman ng konsensya ko kung dapuan ako ng tulog.
Gayong alam ko na napaiyak ko nanaman yung babaeng mahal ko. Hindi lang pinaiyak.
SINAKTAN ko nanaman sya.

“Yeah right. Mas mahirap talagang gisingin ang taong hindi naman tulog.” Biglang
hinila ni Jacko yung kumot ko. “Bwiset. Bumangon ka na dyan! Nagwawala na si Chellu
sa labas.”

Bumangon ako. Pero ayokong tumayo.

Girlfriend ko si Chellu, pero wala akong pakealam sa kanya ngayon.

Si Maria lang ang importante ngayon.

Naramdaman kong umupo si Jacko sa kama.

“Yo, bro! Walang maaayos kung tutunganga ka lang dyan.” Hindi pa din ako kumibo.
“Hay. Osige. Nang may masimulan ka, gusto ko lang ipaalam sa’yo... na...”

Di natuloy yung sinasabi nya kasi biglang nag-ring yung phone ko.

“Ayan, si Tita Mary nalang pala magsasabi sa’yo.” Inabot nya sa’kin yung phone ko.

Sasagutin ko ba? Hindi ko na alam kung kaya ko pa bang harapin si mama e. Nung una,
siguro kaya ko pa. Pero ngayon? Ngayon na alam kong malaki ang kasalanan ko? Hindi
ko na alam.
Ipapatong ko na sana ulit yung phone ko sa bed-side table pero pinigilan ako ni
Jacko. Bigla pa nyang ini-slide yung answer.

No choice.

“Vince, hijo.”

“Mama.”

“Vince, hindi ko alam kung anong exact na nangyari, but I believe the reason I’m
thinking of right now is partly true. However, alam mo naming ayoko ng ginagawa nyo
nitong nakaraan di ba? Pero alam mo ding ikaw pa din ang gusto ko para sa anak ko.
Ayoko kayong magkahiwalay. Kaya please, this is your last chance. Isang oras nalang
lilipad na kami. Puntahan mo sya dito.”

“Ma, she doesn’t even wanna look at me after what happened—Bigla na nga lang nya
akong hindi kilala e.”

“She might act like he doesn’t know you, but I know, her heart is waiting for you.
Explain yourself to my daughter. Wag mong hayaang ulitin yung pagkakamali nyo dati.
Na bigla nalang kayong maghihiwalay na hindi maayos ang dahilan.”

“Yes, I still love you, too. I did, I do, and I forever will.”

--

Odette’s POV:

“Yes, I still love you, too. I did, I do, and I forever will.”

UGH! WILL YOU STOP POPPING ON MY HEAD?!

May I did, I do, and I forever will ka pang nalalaman?! Dalawa pala kaming
sinasabihan mo nyan! Bwisit!

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Bakit ba ang tagal ng oras? Masyado na akong matagal dito sa Spain. Ayoko na dito.

Nakaka-suffocate dito.

Eh? I looked up dahil may taong tumayo sa harapan ko. And I was just plainly
shocked to see THAT girl, smiling (fakely) innocent to my face.
I rolled my eyes before I stood up and pulled out my earplugs.

“What do you want?” I asked her in a lazy tone.

“Are you flying back to your home? Well, that’s good to hear!” I rolled my eyes
again.

“Just get straight to the point, okay? You’re an eye sore.” Hah. Her smirk faded
when I insulted her. Good for her.

“Well, I just wanna say that Vince mistaken his introduction to me. So let me
repeat myself. I’m Chellu Perez, and I’m not JUST Vince’s girlfriend. Five months
ago, before I went to Amsterdam, he proposed marriage to me. Yes, I’m his fiancé.”
Sinigurado nya pang malinaw ang lahat ng sinabi nya.

Like I care?

I smirked, and smiled. “Good for you. Welcome to the community of elite people. I
just hope you won’t spread stinky character in our society. And oh,
congratulations. I would be honored to receive an invitation.” I picked my bag, and
strode pass her.

Oh wait. I faced her back again. “And oh, that’s just if... the wedding you’re
saying will happen. See you on the annual ball? Haha.”

Shit! That slut. How dare her tell to my face that Vince proposed to her? And how
dare that Vince allow me to flirt with him when he’s already engaged?!

Argh! Nasan ba si mama?!

--

Buti nalang after kong dumaan sa duty free ay tinawag na ang mga passengers sa
flight namin. Sabi ni mama dun nalang kami sa plane magkita. She met a client daw.
Well, business truly invades private life.

Sooner, I’ll be like that too. I don’t need a companion for that.

With the world still off on me, I walked through the place and about to board when
someone grabbed my arm when I’m on the line. I turned to see a panting face of
Vince.

“I’m sorry, Maria! Alam kong mali yung ginawa ko na nagsinungaling ako sa’yo. Pero
maniwala ka, ikaw ang mahal ko. Hindi sya! Alam mo naman yun di ba? Ramdam mo yun.
Ikaw yung laman nitong puso ko. Di ba nga? I did, I do, and I forever will.—“

“Congratulations to your coming wedding. Don’t worry Vince. No strings attached. Di

ba? Hindi naman tayo nagbalikan e. Well, I think I don’t have the right to be mad
at you. We’re even. You were flirting with me when there’s a girl whom you promised
a marriage; and I was flirting with you when there’s a guy who’s waiting for me to
be back. No worries. No hard feelings. Let’s just get back to our normal life. Our
dream has ended, let’s wake up now. Goodbye.”

Tinanggal ko yung kamay nya sa braso ko, and then I entered.

Nang masigurado kong hindi na nya ako nakikita, I looked back. I saw him walk with
head down.

Napaka uto uto mo naman Vince kung maniwala kang okay lang sakin yung ginawa mo.
Everything I said was true. We’re even, we’re fair. But I, Odette Lopez, never
wanted to be even. Gusto ko, palagi akong lamang.

Before finally boarding the plane, I dialed a number.

“Yes, Miss Lopez?”

“I just want to remind you that I’m capable of closing your stores all over the
world if you wouldn’t give me what I asked for. Okay?”

“Don’t worry, ma’am. Everything’s under control.”

“Good. Send me the pics when the finale happened.”

--

Kevin’s POV:

What the heck? What was that? What... happened?

Nandito ako sa Spain ngayon. Kadadating ko lang, at kasama ko si Ken. At nakita ko

nga ang eksena ng girlfriend ko at ni Vince.

So totoo ang sinabi ni Jin? May nangyayari nga sa kanila dito?

Pati yung sinasabi ni Natasha? Totoo ngang... magkasama si Vince at Odette dito.
“Daddy! Mommy’s there.” Hinila ni Ken yung laylayan ng polo ko, tinignan ko yung
tinuro nya.

--

Odette’s POV:

“Ay dios mio ka, Lance! Kadadating ko lang, problema agad ang isasalubong mo
sa’kin? Namiss mo nga ang mama mo, ano? Namiss mong kunsumihin!” ... “O sya, sige,
magusap tayong tatlo sa bahay—Aba! Ako pa ang papupuntahin mo sa bahay mo? Kung
gusto mong tulungan kita, ikaw ang pumunta sa bahay!”

“Ano ba ‘yan, ma? Ang sakit na nga ng ulo ko dahil sa flight, ang ingay mo pa.”

“Aba? Isa ka pa! Porket may mga sariling pamilya na kayo, nasasagot nyo na ‘ko ng
ganyan? Ay!”

Hay. Pabayaan na nga. Pareho lang kami ni mama na may jetlag kaya kami ganito.

Kadadating lang naming dito sa Manila. Nasa car na kami, pauwi sa mansion. Ayoko
muna sa bahay umuwi, wala pa naman yung mga bata e. Bukas pa ang uwi nila.

Nung makadating kami sa mansion, sakto, kadadating lang din ng kotse ni Lance.
Kasama nya si Prei.

And guess what, andito din si lolo.

Pag labas nila ng kotse, nauna nang pumasok ng mansion si Prei. Si mama din nauna
na.

Sabay kami ni Lance.

“Ano bang problema mo? Bat ang init ng ulo ni mama sa’yo?” Tanong ko sa kanya.

“Buntis si Prei. Gusto nyang magpakasal na kami.” Sagot nya.

“I don’t see any problem with that. Nasa right age na kayo, and... kayo naman na
ulit di ba? So what’s wrong?”

“Si Prei. Ayaw nyang ipasabi sa pamilya nya.”

“Why is that?”
“Natatakot sya sa lolo nya.”

“Oh. Alam mo, just understand her first. Prei might not yet be ready for this. Give
her time to think of it slowly.”

Silence.

Silence.

Wow. My twin brother’s already growing up!

“Ikaw? Kamusta kayo ni Vince?” Bigla nyang tanong. Ano bang tanong yan. Ang saya.

-_-

Well, there’s no point in lying.

“He cheated on me. This time, it’s for real.” I answered lazily.

Napatigil sya don. Gulat na gulat lang?

“What? How? Wh—“

“May girlfriend sya. Five months ago, he proposed to her. Ang jerk di ba? May
fiancé sya pero nagawa nya pang suyuin ako at piliting patawarin sya at
makipagbalikan. Ang kapal ng mukha nya. Ang sarap nyang ipa-ban sa Pilipinas.”

“Baby girl, are you okay?”

I felt his arms around my shoulders. Parang gusto ko biglang umiyak.

“Oo naman! Haha. Don’t worry, I have my own ways of protecting myself. And, he’s
not that important. Ang importante, yung mga anak ko.”

***

A/N: Pa-spazz muna ng konti. Alam nyo bang... AAAAAAHHHHHH! Ang pogi ni Minwoo (ng
Boyfriend). :"""""") K.

So, huhubels! Hiwalay nanaman ang landas ng ating mga bida. Pa'no na 'yan? :(
Tinatamad ako mag-note. Bye!

Thanks for reading. :')

Vote and comment!

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.23: A break from pain

Chapter 23: A break from pain

Odette’s POV:

Nandito kami ngayon sa airport. Susunduin naming sila (yung mga nasa Japan) at
syempre, ang mga anak ko. I’m with Lance and Prei na kanina pa hindi nagpapansinan,
then sila Aly, Gerald and Eunice.

And oh! Speaking of Aly. Buntis na ang babaita! Haha. We are all so happy for her.

To be honest, napaka-off ng atmosphere ng barkada ngayon. Nakakahawa kasi ‘tong si

Lance at Prei e.

“Grabe kayong dalawa! Ako pa talaga pinakuha nyo ng test results, ha? Tindi nyo!”
Ayan na pala si Ivan.

Inaabot nya kay Lance yung envelope na dala nya. But Lance just ignored it. Kaya
lumapit na si Eunice sa kanya at sya ang kumalkal nun.

“Guys, eto na result o. Wala talaga kayong pake?” Sabi ni Eunice. But still, the
two didn’t mind her. So she rolled her eyes and sighed defeated. “Fine.”

Eunice sat and read the ‘results’. Then maya maya tumingin sya sa’min.

“Hoy Prei, wag ka nang maginarte. Whether you like it or not, you have to tell your
parents that you’ll be marrying Lance.” She stood up and hand Prei the papers.
“Positive. You’re preggy!”

Di na kami nakapag pigil! Haha. Sobrang saya lang namin. Parang kami buntis. XD
Tinignan ko si Lance. Yung reaction nya di mo alam kung matutuwa or maiinis or
what. Nakatingin lang sya kay Prei. Maybe looking for her reaction.

E eto naming si Prei, dedma.

Bigla nalang tumayo si Lance at lumapit kay Prei. He looked at the results to
confirm it.

“O ayan na, baka aangal ka pa?” Lance

Prei looked at him with sharp eyes.

“Wag mo akong tignan ng ganyan ha! Dudukutin ko mata mo!” Lance

Wow. Kelan pa nagging brutal ‘tong si Lance kay Prei?

“Lance, calm down.” Aly

“E parang timang kasi ‘yan e! Hindi naman pala ako pakakasalan pero pumayag sa
proposal ko.” Lance

“I told you! Hindi papaya sila mommy. Ni hindi pa nga nila alam na nagkabalikan na
tayo e!” Prei

“Then tell them! Ano bang kinakatakot mo? Alvarez ka, Lopez ako! Wala silang kontra
dun!” Lance

“My mom isn’t like Tita Cecil, na porket Lopez ka, papayag na sya. Okay?” Prei

“So ano? Hindi ka talaga magpapakasal sakin?” Lance

Umiwas lang ng tingin si Prei. Hay. Ang tigas ng ulo.

Hindi naman kami makasabat kasi ang serious na ng aura nila pareho. And we’re not
in the position to get in between them.

“Fine.” Lance threw the papers on the floor and then he walked out. Tsk!

Bago pa kami maka-react, may nagdatingan na bigla...

“MOMMYYYYY!” I turned and saw 2 kids approaching me. My babies are back! Aww <3
Tumakbo sila sakin and niyakap agad ako.

“Yo dude!” Bati naman ni Henry sa barkada.

And... “Oh my god!” Sabay sabay naming sabi nila Aly at Eunice sa nakita namin.

Is this true? Si... Zia at Jun ay magka-holding hands?

“What’s the meaning of that?” Tinuro ko yung holding hands nila! At tinawanan lang
nila ako.

Until may isa pa akong napansin.

“Wow! Pareng Skye! You’re here.” Mula sa kabilang side ni Jun, may cute little boy
na tumakbo at kinarga agad ni Ivan.

Who’s that pokemon? Haha just kidding, I mean little boy.

“Who is he?” I asked them, pointing to that Skye boy.

“Tanong mo sa kanila.” Sabi ni Aly, pointing to the two.

Tinignan ko yung dalawa. “Tanong mo sa kanya.” Sabi ni Jun.

Ugh! Can’t they just get straight to the point?

“Hi baby boy—“ Bigla namang sumingit ‘tong baby boy ko.

“Mommy! He’s Skye! Tita Zia’s son.” Sabi ni Maze sakin----WHAT?!?!?!? ANAK NINO?

“Skye, say hi to your Tita Od naman.” Sabi ni Ivan dun sa bata.

Ang cute nya! Ang pogi. Mini me lang ni Jun.

He waved his hand. “Hi Tita Od! You’re so pretty!”

“Ay! Napaka-honest na bata. Hahahaha!” I cheered.

Sinimangutan naman nila akong lahat. -________-

“Ah! Alam nyo guys, nakakagutom ano? Tara, lunch na tayo! Nagkakalokohan na tayo
dito e.” Epal Gerald. :|

--

So we went to... of course, sino bang nag-aya? Si Gerald. Andito kami ngayon sa
Foxtrot. Yung mga kids, ayun sa kabilang table kasama ang mga yayas nila.

Si Lance, nowhere to be found na talaga. Nagtampo pa ang kambal ko!

BTW. I just learned that Jun and I was the last persons to know about Skye. Grabe!
Nakayang itago sa’kin ng best friend ko yun? I can’t believe it. Well, kinda
possible. Ilang years din akong nagtago e. Right?

Pero yung itago nya kay Jun yon? Wow. I admire Jun a lot for easily understanding
Zia’s reason. Buti pa sila ‘no? They think of ‘love’ first before ‘hate’.

Hay. Kelan ko kaya matututunan yon?

I looked around our table. Everyone’s happy with their partners. Well except Prei
na nasa table ng mga kids.

“Tayo nalang kaya?” And exclude Henry too. I slapped his arm.

“Timang! Di tayo talo.”

“Why not? Babae ka, lalaki ako. Lopez ka, Wong ako. Parehong high profile, parehong
elite. What’s wrong with that?”

“Will you shut up?”

“Haha. Just kidding. Di kita type.” Wow. Ang kapal ng mukha!

“Ang sabihin mo, di ka pa din maka-move on kay Georg!” Bleeeh! :p

Ayun. Edi nilayuan ako. Haha.

But seriously, I envy everyone here. Kelan kaya ako magkakaron ng ‘happy ending’?
Dadalhin ko ba ang Lopez forever? Or will time come na mababago ko rin ‘to? Hay.

“By the way, Zi.” Before continuing her words, humarap sya samin. “Well, I just
wanna be a mood breaker.” Eunice smirked. What is she up to? “I just wanna tell you
something. DC Company (Gian’s company) pulled out their shares to one of your
family’s sister company. It was a noticeable loss kaya naman naging issue ‘to sa
dad mo. He learned that that was your boyfriend—well apparently your ex’s—company
and he also learned about your break up. Because of this, all of their investors—
which are also connected to the CGC (Cruz Group of Companies) was threatened that
they will be bankrupted if they wouldn’t pull out their investments in DC.”

Wait. Wala akong maintindihan.

“Do you really have to put it up here, Eunice?” Ivan frustratedly asked his wife.

“Yes.” Naka-inom ba ‘tong si Eunice? -_- “Back to Gian. In short, bumalik kay Gian
ang karma. Now, DC operations was shut down. No more DC.”

“Agad agad?!” I asked.

“Od, nakalimutan mo ba kung gano kalaki ang CGC?” Gerald interrupted.

“Seriously? Ginawa ni dad yon?” Zia

“Yes, Zi. But here’s the catch. Tanong mo sinong nag-provoke kay Tito gawin yon.”
Aly

“Who?” Zia

“Edi ako! Your welcome!” Eunice

“Oh my god. Ganun pala kabilis magpabagsak ng company ang mga families natin?” Me

“Od, CGC palang namin yon. Ikaw, sabihin mo lang sa lolo mo na pabagsakin ang isang
kumpanya, wala pang 30 minutes bagsak na yon.” Zia

***

A/N: O di ba? Ang bilis ko mag-update! :) Bagong taon, bagong buhay! Haha.

So ayan, break muna from heart aches and pain! Happy happy muna! :)

So, advance Happy New Year sa inyo!!!!!!!! :D

Thanks for reading.

Vote and comment!

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.24: Less painful truth

Chapter 24: Less painful truth

Odette’s POV:

Nandito kami sa isang room dito sa Foxtrot. After kasi ng spiel ni Eunice about sa
downfall ng DC, si Prei naman ang napansin namin. And we just thought we need to
convince her that marriage is really their end.

“Why are you so afraid of telling your parents? I mean, you’re not a teenager
anymore. And you’re already on the right age. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” Aly
said.

“Prei, if you didn’t really wanna marry Lance, then why did you accepted his
proposal in the first place? You know that’s kinda annoying. Pinaasa mo yung tao.”
Eunice added.

“Hindi ko sya pinaasa. I really wanna marry him. But I’m just afraid.” Prei
answered, finally!

“Why? Anong kinakatakot mo, Prei?” Eunice

“To be honest, natatakot ako kasi alam kong hindi pa ako ready for this. I know I’m
on the right age already, pero sa tingin ko hindi ko pa ‘to kaya.” Prei

Hay. I think she should be lucky because she got pregnant at her age.

“Prei,” I sat beside her. “first of all, kahit hindi ka pa ready, I know kakayanin
mo. Kami nga ni Eunice teenager nagka-first baby di ba? Ikaw pa kayang working girl
na? And second, kung hindi ka ready for that, yun ang silbi ni Lance. Kayong dalawa
ang magtutulungan. Alam you, you’re lucky enough to have Lance beside you at this
moment. May kasama ka.”

Hindi tulad ko, single parent. Sigh to life—to my life.

Iniwan na muna namin si Prei don sa room. Then we tried to call Lance and told him
where Prei is if ever he wanted to talk seriously. Pupuntahan nya daw mamaya. Buti
naman.
--

After 3 days...

“Fairytale! You can be a prince, duh! Or if you want, you can be a royal guard.”
Venice

“I don’t wanna be a corny knight-in-shing-armour! Mom, I want super hero! Well,

Venice can be Wonder Woman?” Maze

“Ugh! No I don’t wanna be a super hero! Magic is more fun than powers!” Venice

“It’s no fun, Ven. It’s corny.” Maze

Oh my god! Sumasakit ang ulo ko dito sa dalawa!

I asked them kung anong theme ng birthday party ang gusto nila. And then the war
started. Maloloka na ‘ko dito. Di sila nauubusan ng sagot sa isa’t isa e!

Lumabas ako ng room. I dialed mama’s number.

“Ma! Hindi ko na alam gagawin dito sa kambal. Nagaaway sila sa theme ng party.”

“Ayan na nga ba ang sinasabi ko e. Dapat hindi mo na tinanong e!”

“Ma naman, may utak na ‘tong dalawa. Syempre may gusto na sila.”

“And their interests aren’t the same! Bahala ka. Ayusin mo ‘yan. Busy ako. Bye!”

“But—Ma? Ma!!!” Ugh! Babaan ba ‘ko?!

Papasok na ulit ako dapat sa kwarto nang tawagin ako nung isang maid.

“Miss Odette, si Sir Kevin po nasa baba.” Kevin?

Ugh! Hindi pa ‘ko ready harapin sya e. Pero... ugh! Bahala na nga.

“Ah, osige. Bantayan mo muna yung kambal dyan sa loob, baka magaway.” Sabi ko.
Inayos ko muna yung sarili ko, tsaka ako bumaba.

May dalawang lalaki naka-upo sa may living room; yung isa si Kevin, yung isa bata.
Yung totoo? Bakit nagsusulputan mga bata ngayon?!

“Kevin?” I called.

--

Lumabas muna kami ni Kevin. Nandito kami sa may beach. (A/N: Remember? May beach
dun sa village nilang magkakapatid. If you don’t remember, look for the chapter in
You’re Married, But I Love You where Lance prepared a dinner for Prei.) Naglalakad-
lakad lang kami.

Actually, medyo awkward ang atmosphere. I know may sasabihin sya sakin.

Yung batang kasama nya—

“Odette, may kailangan kang malaman.” He started, breaking off the silence.

Kinakabahan ako. Masasaktan nanaman ba ako?

Wala pang dalawang araw mula nung saktan ako ni Vince, ngayon naman, si Kevin?

But on the second thought, wala naman akong karapatan magalit kay Kevin if ever may
sabihin syang nakakasakit. First and foremost, we’re already engaged but same way
Vince did to his fiancé, I cheated.

“Look, I didn’t want to keep this from you. Hindi ko lang alam kung pano ko
sasabihin. I’m afraid that you might hate me if you knew. Or you might break up
with me. So, before it gets worse and worst, I’m telling you this now.”

Alam nyo kung ano nararamdaman ko ngayon? Guilt. Aside from that, wala na. Guilty
lang ako. Look at him, napaka-sincere at loyal nya sakin. Pero ako, wala. Aaminin
ko, wala akong nararamdaman ngayon.

Oo natatakot ako sa sasabihin nya. Masama na kung masama. Pero natatakot akong
mawala sya dahil magmumukha akong talunan. And I never wanna be a loser.

Ayokong mawala sya dahil kailangan ko sya, hindi dahil mahal ko sya.

Bali-baliktarin man ang mundo, saktan man ako ng ilang beses, walang magbabago sa
pagmamahal ko kay Vince. Pero galit ako, kaya magagawa kong ibalik sa kanya yung
sakit.
Well, yun ay kung apektado pa rin sya sakin.

Teka nga! Si Kevin ang kasama ko ngayon. And napaka stupid lang na isipin ko pa
yung two timer na yun.

“Just get straight to the point, Kevin.” I told him.

We stopped walking. Huminga sya ng malalim.

“Five years ago, before we met, may girlfriend ako. Being a reckless teenager, I
got her pregnant. Wag mong isipin na tinakbuhan ko sya, please. I’m not like that.
Her family took her away from me. My dad advised me to just go on with my life
since it’s their decision too to leave me.” Oh my god. This is such a revelation.
“Remember when I flew to America after Aly’s wedding? Dun nya pinakilala si Ken.
And when I went to China, at sumasama ka, hindi kita maisama kasi yun yung time na
dinala ko naman si Ken sa parents ko.”

The truth is, hindi ako nasasaktan. Of course I am shocked. Hindi ko rin ineexpect
‘to. But still, Vince’s cheating is still worse than this.

“I’m sorry, Odette.” He frowned, bowing his head.

Honestly, it’s fine with me though. Sino ako para itaboy sya? Sya nga tinanggap at
minahal ako kahit may anak na ‘ko e, ako pa kaya?

I smiled at him and cupped his face. “Don’t worry, Kevin. I understand you. Wag
kang magalala, I won’t break up with you.”

Mukhang di pa sya makapaniwala sa sinabi ko. Haha.

I know it’s kinda evil to hear, but yeah, as long as Kevin’s by my side, I’ll
accept everything.

“Are you serious?!” He asked.

“Of course I am! Kevin, you accepted me for what I am and for what I have with me.
Then who am I to judge the very right person?” And I answered. “And in fact, it’s
less painful when a person admits his mistake to you than to know it to anybody
else.”

***

A/N: A short update for Kevin! Yay! Naglalabasan talaga ang mga babies. Hihihi.
Anw. Happy New Year, everyone! <33

Thanks for reading.

Vote and comment.

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.25: The mystery letter

Chapter 25: The mystery letter

Vince’s POV:

“Vince, ano ba? Ayusin mo naman yung trabaho mo. Ilang araw nalang before our
deadline!!! We’re already cramming, in case you forgot!” Sigaw ni Jacko sakin.

Ilang araw na din kasi akong palpak sa trabaho ko. Hanggang ngayon apektado pa rin
talaga ako e.

“Dude,” tumingin ako kay Jacko, “alam kong may pinagdadaanan ka ngayon, pero pwede?
Isantabi mo muna yan. Nasa trabaho ka, at madaming madadamay pag ikaw ang
pumalpak.”

“Sorry, sorry pare. Don’t worry, tatapusin ko lahat ‘to bago ang deadline. I
promise I’ll meet my due date.”

“Tsk. And now your team will suffer. Hay, Vince.” And then he left my office.

Napatingin ako sa frame sa gilig ng desk ko. Picture ng kambal.

Hay. Sorry, Ven and Maze, nasaktan ko nanaman ang mommy nyo. And now you’re gonna
celebrate your birthday soon. Hindi ko nanaman kayo makakasama.

*Kring! Kring!*

I answered my phone without looking at the caller.

“Hell—“

“Daddy!!!!!! It’s us, Ven and Maze!” Oh crap.

Hindi ko alam kung matutuwa ba ako dahil kausap ko sila o ibaba ko nalang ‘to sa
hiya e.

“Dad, are you there?” Venice

“Dad!” Maze

“Uhh... Yes, I’m here.”

“Whew. I thought you hung up.” Maze

“No, I did not.”

“Dad, we’re celebrating our birthday next week! Are you coming?”

Anong sasabihin ko? Invited ba ako dun?

“Who are you talking with, babies?” I heard Maria’s voice.

“Uh.. nothing, mom. It’s just... it’s Tito Lan—“ Venice

“Od, kanina pa kita hinahanap e.” Lance

“Uh oh.” Maze & Venice

Looks like Maria doesn’t even know they’re talking to me.

“We’re sorry, mommy.” I heard Venice frowned.

“Can I have the phone?” Sabi ni Maria.

Nakarinig ako ng steps and something. At maya maya, may nagsalita na ulit mula sa
kabilang linya.

“Hello.”
God! I missed her voice.

“The kids are inviting you?”

“Well, yes.”

“Are you coming?”

So I’m invited? “Are you inviting me?”

“This is OUR kids’ party. And they obviously want you there.”

“Am I welcome?”

“Vince,” She’s in the Philippines but, God! Why do I feel her coldness here in
Spain?! “the kids are already aware of my relationship with Kevin. If you’re gonna
come, I think it would be nice if you bring your fiancé with you, and introduce her
to the kids. That would make us more civil, right?”

Anong sinasabi nya? Gusto nyang dalhin ko si Chellu don? Anong sa tingin nya? Baliw
na ako? Hah.

“No worries. I won’t make any scene. I just want you to be honest with our kids.”

“Fine. I’ll come, with Chellu. See you, my ex fiancé!”

Bwiset! Sige, ‘yan ang gusto mo e.

--

Nang matapos ko yung anim na spread, pinauwi ko na muna ang lahat sa team ko. At
ako naman, eto papunta kela Chellu. Kelangan kong bumawi sa kanya.

Pag dating ko ng 16th floor ng building (kung nasan ang apartment nya), may nakita
akong delivery boy sa tapat ng unit nya.

“Excuse me, is that for—“ Biglang bumukas yung pinto.

She rolled her eyes when she saw the delivery boy na para bang inaasahan nya na
‘yon.

“Delivery from Miss O.” The delivery boy said as he hands her the bouquest of
flowers. Agad din syang umalis.

“At kanino galing ‘yan?” Tanong ko sa kanya pag pasok namin ng unit nya.

Binuksan nya yung cover ng bouquet.

Laking gulat ko nalang nung makita kong puro itim yung rose.

Si Chellu naman, parang expected nya na yon.

“Kanino galing ‘to? Edi sa magaling mong ex. Hindi ba obvious?” Binato nya sa’kin
yung card.

Greetings of peace!

Enjoy my ex.

-Miss O

O for Odette? Sigh.

“Anong ginagawa mo dito? Di ba busy ka sa Lum—“

“Clear your schedule for next week. Pupunta tayong Pilipinas. As my fiancé, I think
my friends need to know you before we get married, right?”

“WHAT? NO! Ayokong pumunta ng Pilipinas!” Bakit parang takot na takot sya? “Kung
gusto mo akong ipakilala sa kanila, sila ang papuntahin mo dito!”

“No, Chellu. Tayo ang pupunta ng Pilipinas.” Lumapit ako sa kanya, hinawakan ko
yung kamay nya. “Chellu, I am very sorry for what happened between me and Maria.
And as a peace offering, I’ll announce to the whole Alvarez family that I’ll be
marrying you.”

And she’s so speechless that all she said was “Oh my god.”

--

Odette’s POV:

“It’s your fault, Venice! I did not tell you to lie to her.”
“Then what would I say?”

“Why didn’t you just tell the truth?”

“Whatever!”

“Brat!”

“Ehem.” Ayan. Edi tumigil ang kambal. Eto nanaman po kasi sila, nagaaway. -_- “Wag
nang magsisihan, okay? And don’t worry, okay na. Pupunta ang daddy nyo sa birthday
nyo.”

Parang di pa nila na-process agad, and when they did, napatalon nalang sila sa
tuwa.

--

Nandito kami ngayon sa Foxtrot. Kasama ko si Eunice, Aly and Zia mag-ayos for the
birthday party. Two days nalang kasi.

“By the way, Od. Narinig ko from Izzy, dadating daw si Vince? Is that true?” Eunice
asked.

“Ah, yes. I invited him.” I answered casually.

“You did?” Zia

“Oh my god. Od, reminder lang, birthday party ng anak mo yun ha. Baka naman sirain
mo yung sariling party nila?” Aly

Do they really think I’ll ruin the party dahil lang sa nangyari samin? Yes, I’ll
ruin his mood, pero hindi sa party.

“Chill, girls. I just want my kids to be happy on their birthday.” Me

“Siguraduhin mo lang, Od.” Eunice

Then someone approached me. A staff. May nagpapabigay daw ng flowers.

“I bet that’s from the sweetest Kevin!” Zia

Pfft. Sweet his face. Haha! Yung napaka corning yung talaga!

I opened the card.

“Hi there, Odette! Welcome back to the Philippines. I know you’re so excited to see
me. So, I’ll see you on Friday? Don’t worry, I’ll bring gifts for the twins even if
I’m not invited. And don’t get too flustered when you see me, okay? I won’t ruin
your party.

See ‘ya!

-C”

Oh my god. Eto nanaman yung “C” na ‘to.

Hanggang dito ba naman sa Pilipinas? Akala ko wala lang yon kaya hindi ko na
pinansin. Pero eto?

Natatakot ako. This feels like I received a death treath.

“O? Anong nangyari sayo?” Aly asked.

“Girls.” Inabot ko sa kanila yung card. “Naka-tanggap na ko ng ganyan dati, nung

last day ko sa Spain.”

"C?” Zia

“Sino ‘to?” Eunice

I shrugged.

“Kinakabahan ako guys. Sa first letter nya, sabi nya excited syang makita akong
umiyak. What if... what if that ‘C’ is planning to ruin my life? Or worse, my
children’s lives?” Me

“Ssh! Wag ka ngang magisip ng ganyan—“ Zia

“It’s possible.” Eunice

“Oh my god! Wait! Sa Spain ka unang naka-receive nito?” Aly asked. “Teka, alam mo
ba kung anong pangalan ng girlfriend ni Vince?”
Girlfriend ni Vince?

OH SHIT!

“Chellu...”

Then we all shared gazes.

***

A/N: We're really nearing the end! Omona! Mukhang na-badtrip na din talaga si Vince
kay Odette. Panu na itu? :( Happy ending pa ba?

And... sino ba si "C"?!

Thanks for reading!

Vote and comment!

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.26: Birthday Party

Chapter 26: Birthday Party

Lance’s POV:

“Huy, Prei! Ano na nangyayari sayo dyan? Buksan mo nga ‘tong pinto.”

Narinig ko pang dumuwal lalo sya. Ba’t ba kasi ang arte arte nya? Ayaw pang buksan
‘tong pinto ng CR e.

Kanina habang nagpe-prepare kami sa venue ng party, bigla syang nahilo. Tapos ayan,
bigla nalang syang tumakbo sa CR.

“Precious Alvarez, open this—“ Eh? Bigla nyang binuksan yung pinto. Tapos ang sama
ng tingin nya sakin. Ano nanaman bang ginawa kong masama?! “O-Okay ka lang?”

“Try mong magbuntis!!! Bwisit!” Aba?! Winalkoutan pa ‘ko?

“Ano bang problema nun?” Tsk!

Sinundan ko nalang sya sa venue. Binibigyan ko sya ng gamot, ayaw nya naman
tanggapin. Sinusungitan talaga ako. Hindi ko na nga sya pinipilit magpakasal e.
Hay!

Nagsimula na din magdatingan yung mga bisita. Ano ba namang party ‘to. Parang
annual ball e. Kahit ata di kakilala nung kambal andito e. Si lolo talaga.

“My god. Lolo is so annoying! Sino ba ‘yang iba nyang guests? This is a children’s
party for crissakes!” Yan, nagalburuto na ang paboritong apo.

Lumapit samin si mama at papa.

“Od, hindi pa ba magsisimula?” Papa asked.

“It’s about to start, tito! Sinabihan ko na yung host.” Eunice answered.

“Pinuntahan na ni Prei yung kambal.”

What? Inutusan pa nya yung girlfriend kong buntis? Aish!

“Hay. Alam nang buntis yung girlfriend ko inutusan pa.” Sabi ko kay Eunice tsaka
ako umalis.

Pero narinig ko syang sumagot. “Hoy 5 weeks palang si Prei! Ang OA mo!”

Tsk. Whatever.

--

Pag pasok ko ng kwarto, mukhang nagkakagulo sila Prei, Zia, Jun at Aly don. Yung
dalawang bata naka simangot, naka-halukipkip pa.

“O? Anong meron? Bat di pa kayo lumalabas? Kids, the party’s already starting.”
Sabi ko.

Tumabi si Aly sakin at binulungan ako. “Gusto daw nilang kasama ang mommy’t daddy
nila pag lumabas sila sa party.”

Nye. Abnormal naman ‘tong kambal na ‘to.

Biglang may pumasok. Isa pang abnormal na kambal ko.

“Ano ba? Ang dami dami nyo na dito. Tinatawag na yung celebrants!” Nagsisimula nang
mapraning yung stage mother. -__- “Venice, Maze!”

“Where’s daddy?! We wanna go with dad!” Sagot ni Venice.

Manang mana sa ina. -_-

Lahat kami napatingin kay Odette.

--

Odette’s POV:

Okay. Hindi ko alam kung anong isasagot ko dun ah? At nawala na din talaga sa isip
ko yung pagdating ni Vince.

“Mommy.” Tumayo si Maze at yumakap sakin. “Is he really coming?”

Is he?

Oh my god. Nasan ka ba kasi, Vince? Wag mong subukang paasahin ‘tong mga anak ko.
Ako nalang paasahin mo pero wag yung mga anak mo, bwisit ka!

“Mommy!!!!!!!!! Is already here in the Philippines?!” Venice screamed. “Or did you
just lie to us that he’s coming!”

Shit ka, Vince! Wag mo akong sirain sa mga anak ko.

“Ven, wag mong sabihin sa mommy mo ‘yan.” Saway ni Lance.

“Don’t worry, kids. He’s coming. Teka tatawagan ko.” Sabi ni Jun.

Nilakihan ko sya ng mata. Ano bang sinasabi nya? Baka lalong magwala ‘tong kambal
pag hindi dumating yon.

Sinenyasan nya kaming sya na ang bahala then he left the room.

“Mom! I know Tito Jun’s just lying. Ugh! I don’t wanna go there! I just want daddy
here!” Nag-tantrums na si Venice. Nagdabog na sa kama. Pinipigilan naman sya nila
Zia kasi magugulo yung ayos nya.
“Venice, stop it!” Sigaw ko. Pero ayaw nyang makinig.

“I want daddy here! I want daddy!!!!” She yelled.

Inalis ko muna si Maze sa pagkakayakap sakin tsaka ako lumabas ng kwarto.

Idadial ko palang yung number ni Vince, nakita ko na sya sa likod ni Jun. And god,
he did what he said, kasama nya yung ‘fiance’ nya.

Yung mukha ni Jun di maipinta. Di nya siguro ineexpect yung babaeng kasama ng
kaibigan nya.

“I told you, he’s here.” Sabi ni Jun. But he’s still making face.

“Buti naman dumating ka. Akala ko paasahin mo pati mga anak mo e.” Sabi ko kay
Vince.

Lumapit sya sakin, with a smirk on his face. “Alam mong hindi ako marunong magpaasa
sa mga taong mahal ko.”

Kaya pala pinaasa mo ako? Kasi hindi mo na ako mahal.

--

Nauna na ako sa venue. Ayoko nang pumasok dun sa room, baka masira ko pa yung araw
ng kambal. Umupo na ‘ko sa table kasama sila mama, papa at lolo. Andito din sa
table si Kuya Harvey, sa kanya ako tumabi.

“Apo ko,” tawag ni lolo, “kamusta na kayo ni Vince?”

Maybe he saw him... with the bitch.

“We’re good. Civil.” Sabi ko.

Mukhang napansin ni Kuya Harvey na iba yung aura ko, kaya nagtanong din sya.

“Hmm... Si Kevin? Is he coming?” He asked.

“Kevin... Wu?” Lolo

“Yes, lolo. Well, may dinaanan lang daw sya. But he’s on his way here.” I answered.

Maya maya, winelcome na ng host ang celebrants. Hindi ko alam kung anong
mararamdaman ko nung nakita ko silang tatlo sa harap. Do I picture a happy family?

“Please welcome! Mr. Vince Alvarez with the celelbrants, Marcella Venice and Vance
Maze!” The host welcomed.

The show goes on. Satisfied naman ako sa mga nangyayari. Nawala lang ako sa mood
nung nakita ko si Vince at Chellu. Okay fine, I’m still affected.

--

Lumabas muna ako ng venue. Masyado na ‘kong nabibwisit sa kalandian ni Vince at

Chellu. Ang kapal ng mukha nilang maglandian sa party ng anak ko? Hindi na sila
nahiya. Ang daming bisita ni lolo na bisita rin namin dati sa kasal namin. Hah.

Pumunta muna ako sa lobby at tinawagan si Kevin.

“Hello?”

“Anong hello? Nasan ka na ba? Sabi mo sandal ka lang, nasa kalagitnaan na ng party,
wala ka pa rin.”

“Relax. Kanina pa ‘ko nakabalik.”

“What? Bat hindi ka nagpapakita sakin?”

“May inaayos lang ako. Osige na, magkita nalang tayo mamaya.”

Wow. Sya pa ang unang nagbaba ng phone? What the heck?!

Pabalik na ‘ko sa venue nang may familiar girl akong matanaw na papasok din ng
venue. May kasama syang 2 men in black. Yung isa may dalang 2 box, isang pink,
isang blue. Yung isa naman may dalang bouquet.

Yung bouquet... katulad yon ng bouquet na natanggap ko nung isang araw. Is that
girl... the “C” who’s threatening me?

Oh my god! Baka puntahan nya ang mga anak ko!

Nagmadali akong makarating sa venue and I was just about to enter the place when I
saw Vince.
Hinarang ko sya.

“Oh, hi Maria.” He greeted with a smile pa. Nangaasar ba sya?

“Wag kang ngumiti, alam mong hindi tayo dapat nagngingitian. And wag mo ‘kong
tawaging Maria, nakakasuka.” Sabi ko. “Pwede bang wag kang masyadong malandi sa
girlfriend mo? Ang daming tao ang nakakakita sa inyo. And who knows? Baka pati anak
mo nakikita yang kalandian mo. Iexplain mo muna sa kanila kung anong meron kayo ni
Chellu para hindi sila maguluhan, okay?”

Bigla nalang syang lumapit sakin.

“Oh my god! Lumayo ka sakin!” Tinulak ko sya. “Baka mahawa pa ‘ko sa masama mong
ugali!”

O_O

Nagulat nalang ako nung bigla nya akong hinila. Hinila nya ko hanggang makapasok
kami ng CR for disabled persons. Tinulak nya ‘ko sa wall and locked me with his
arms.

“Ano ba Vince!”

“Ipapakilala ko si Chellu mamaya sa barkada, pati kela Lolo Anton—“

I looked at him impossibly. “Maybe you should start learning how to call my lolo
‘sir’, don’t you think? Ang kapal naman kasi ng mukha mo kung ituturing mo pa ring
in laws ang family ko kung ibang tao naman ang pakakasalan mo di ba?”

“I am not yet sure about marrying her, Maria.” Binaba nya bigla yung dalawa nyang
kamay. “I am not yet sure if I’ll really give up on you.”

Wala ka nang maloloko, Vince.

Pero ang totoo, gusto kong maniwala sa sinasabi mo.

Hinawakan ko sya sa balikat.

“Vince, matagal mo na ‘kong ginive up, mula nung magdesisyon kang pagsabayin kami,
ginive up mo na ‘ko nun.” I said.

And I left him there.

--

Venice’s POV:

“God! Who’s that girl ba? Why is she so clingy to dad?” I frowned while staring at
the flirt who’s with dad.

“I think she’s daddy’s girlfriend.” Maze answered so I looked at him.

How could that happen?! I’m 101% sure that dad loves mom so much.

--

Odette’s POV:

Pag pasok ko sa venue, nakita ko yung babaeng familiar na kausap ang mga anak ko.
Hawak nung kambal yung mga box. Oh god.

“Od. Si Charlene.” Nilapitan ako ni Eunice. She has a worried face. And then she
looked at the familiar girl.

Charlene? Sinong Charlene?

Whoever she is!

Bigla akong tinuro ni Maze. The girl turned and saw me. Lalapit palang ako sa
kanila when the girl hurriedly walked away.

“Venice, Maze. Sino yon?” I asked my kids.

Tinignan ko ulit yung babae. Nagkabungguan sila ni Chellu. Chellu’s face was
shocked to see the girl. At yung babae naman, kumaway pa sa kanya na parang they
knew each other.

“Mommy.” Napatingin ako kay Venice. “She said she’s your friend. You don’t know
her?”

“Wow! Look at this, mom!” Binuksan ni Maze yung regalo sa kanya. Figurine ng sarili
nya. “But... why am I not smiling here?”

Kinuha ko yung figurine. Hindi lang sya nakasimangot. Malungkot yung mukha nung
figurine ni Maze.

“Wow! I think I wanna be a ballerina because of this.” Binuksan na din ni Venice

yung kanya.

Naka-upo na ballerina yung kanya. And... I know it’s crying. Mukha lang syang drama
but...

Binalik ko pareho yung figurin sa mga box nila. At tsaka binitbit yun. Hinabol ko
yung babae. Naabutan ko sya sa may lobby.

“Hoy!” Tawag ko sa kanya. She stopped. And faced me. “Ikaw ba si ‘C’?!”

Ngumiti sya nang nakakaloko. At tsaka nya tinanggal yung shades nya.

And now I remember.

“Charlene?”

“Yes, Odette.”

Lumapit ako sa kanya, at tsaka ko binagsak yung OA sa laki na box nya na figurines
lang pala ang laman. And I made sure na sa paa nya babagsak yon.

“Ikaw lang pala yon! My god. Why did I even scare myself.” Hah. Stupid me.

“Ouch! You--! UGH!”

“Pwede pakitigiltigilan na yung mga kalokohan mo? Kasi kahit anong gawin mo—“

“Magingat ka sa mga sinasabi mo, Maria Odette Lopez! Tandaan mo, I am very capable
of doing anything that can ruin you. Baka nakakalimutan mo, nagawa ko na yung nang
ilang beses.”

What is this crazy girl talking about? Yung ginawa nya nung college kami na naging
dahilan ng break up namin ni Vince? Oh god. Grow up!!!

“Bakit naman ako matatakot sayo? Isang Charlene ka lang naman na may 2 walang
kwentang body guards. And for your information, you are not capable of doing
anything. Because I am the only person who can ruin ones life. And since you
started threatening me, then bring it on.” I smirked, and left her grunging in
anger.
Let the war begin. I snapped, and my lolo’s guards started doing their jobs.

Kinaladkad lang naman nila yung 2 hampaslupang body guard nya at sya mismo palabas
ng hotel. What a shame. Dapat sabihan ko si Gerald na maging mahigpit sa security
dito. Pati squatters nakakapasok e.

“I swear, Odette! I swear you’re gonna pay for this!”

I turned. “That’s if your guards will be more than mine.”

***

A/N: Is this long? Haha. Buong araw ko 'to ginawa ah! So how was it? Countdown na
tayo! Mga 2 chapters nalang then we're up to the Epilogue. Heks heks. Huks huks.
We're more nearing the ending. :---(

A little teaser lang. May ikakasal. May MGA ikakasal. Hmm...? At may malupit na
revelation pa! Akala nyo tapos na? Tsk tsk! May 2 chapters pa. Basta eto lang:

- May dadating pang sisira sa isang magandang relationship.

- May mabubuko.

- May magsisisi.

- May ikakasal.

- May wala. WALANG HAPPY ENDING.

Thanks for reading guys. Sige, medyo ieextend ko ang ating story. Next chapter will
be a little chill. Reunion muna ang barkada! :D

Vote and comment!

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.27: Getting married SOON

Chapter 27: Getting married SOON

Odette’s POV:

Aahhhh. Finally, the party’s over. Pero nandito pa rin kaming buong barkada sa
venue. Though the guests already left. Yung mga kids naman, nasa pool area. Kasama
naman nila yung mga yaya nila, and lolo was also there.

“Grabe, Od. Pinagod mo kaming lahat! Para kang bubbles e. Bigla bigla kang
nawawala.” Reklamo ni Ivan.

Ang dami kasing epal sa araw e.

“At dahil dyan! Magpa-after party ka naman!” Sabi ni Jun.

Tamo ‘tong isang ‘to. May anak na at lahat, party pa din. Sa kanilang 3
magkakaibigan, si Ivan lang ang nagmature e. Tsk tsk.

“Okay fine. Tomorrow, we’ll all go to Holland Resort!” It’s like a party for us
too. Haha.

“Bakit bukas pa, kung pwede namang ngayon na?!” Isa pa ‘to. Buntis yung girlfriend
pero pagpapasarap gusto!

“Guys, we have the kids with us tonight. Tomorrow nalang.” Me

“Whooooo! It’s party tiiiime~” May biglang pumasok at nag-bukas ng champagne. Si

Kuya Harvey.

Grabe. Iba talaga ‘tong si Kuya. Kung kelan tumanda, tsaka naging party animal.
Firing him as a CEO is not bad after all. He got himself a time to unwind.

But wait... yung nasa likod nya.

Grabe! Ang kapal ng mukha nya. Nakaka-ngiti pa talaga sya ha? After what he did to
me the whole day?

“HOY KEVIN! WAG KANG MAKATAWA-TAWA DYAN!” Sigaw ko. Nilapitan ko sya at hinila sa
tenga. “WALANGYA KA! BUONG ARAW KANG HINDI NAGPAKITA, ANDITO KA LANG PALA!”

“Ouch! Ouch! Hey! It hurts!” Reklamo nya.

“Ang arte mo! Ano bang pinaggagawa mo buong araw?!—“ Gosh! Bigla ba akong halikan?!
“Ano ba?!”
“Ang init init ng ulo mo, kapatid. Ayun o.” Tinignan ko yung tinuro ni Kuya Harvey.

May nag-flash sa screen. Slideshow ng mga pictures namin ni Kevin. Mula nung first
meeting namin sa Chicago, nung naging close kami, lahat lahat. Ano bang pakulo ‘to?

To be honest, bigla akong naguilty. Ang dami na pala naming pinagdaanan ni Kevin.

Tumingin ako sa kanya. His smile from ear to ear pains me even more.

Mahal nya ako kaya nya ginagawa ‘to. Pero ako, ginagawa ko ‘to para hindi masabi ng
ibang tao na talo ako.

I am such a user.

Nahagip ng tingin ko si Jin. Yung tingin nya, alam ko na ang ibig sabihin non.
Gusto nyang tigilan ko na ‘tong ginagawa ko.

But I can’t. I don’t wanna be a loser.

The slideshow has ended. Tsaka ko lang napansin na nawala si Kevin sa tabi ko. When
I looked around, biglang namatay lahat ng ilaw sa venue.

Tapos biglang may bumukas na spotlight... si Kevin... naglalakad palapit sakin.

When he reached my place, he kneeled down. May kinuha sya sa pocket nya.

Bigla nalang nag-pop sa utak ko yung ganitong scenario dati. There was also a
spotlight that points to a man proposing to me. The only difference is... the man
before is the man I love, the man today in front of me, I’m just using him.

But still...

“Just for formality, and in case any of your friends is against it.”

“Don’t worry, dude. Boto na kaming lahat sa’yo.”

“So... Odette, will you marry me?”

Tinignan ko yung mga kaibigan ko. They are all smiling. Dati ayaw nila samin ni
Kevin, but now, I think they’re fine with it.

Napatingin ako kay Vince.

Sobra talaga akong nasaktan sa ginawa nya. Niloko nya ‘ko, pinaasa nya ‘ko. Sinabi
nyang ako lang, pero yun pala, may iba na sya.

Sobra akong galit sa kanya, pero mahal ko pa din sya.

“Yes, Kevin. I will marry you.”

***

A/N: Whew. Bilis ng update 'no? Hihi <3

Yay! Mahal nya daw si Vince pero pakakasal sya kay Kevin :---( Pa'no na 'yan?

Sabi ko sa last note ko reunion 'tong next. Sorry pooo. Adjust adjust! Next chapter
ang reunion ng barkada! :--) Kalma muna tayo. Don't worry. Bibigyan ko pa din kayo
ng MaVince moment!

Thanks for reading! <3

Vote and comment.

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.28: The reunion

Chapter 28: The reunion

Odette’s POV:

“Bakit ba kailangan pang maghiwalay? Ang dami namang kaartehan, Maria Odette!”
Reklamo ni Jun.

“Baka nakakalimutan mong halos lahat tayo may anak na dito, ibig sabihin magasawa
na yon. Tigil tigilan mo kalokohan mo ha.” Sabat naman ni Ivan.

“Sis, may kanya kanya naman tayong kot—“ Lance

“Manahimik ka.” Eepal pa e. “Pwede ba, boys? That’s my point. Everybody’s married,
this will just be our time for girls’ bonding, okay? Give it to me, please?”
“Right! And besides, we have another guest that you guys should not know who is
until we get to Holland Resort.” Eunice

“Eunice, magtigil ka ha. Ayan ka nanaman.” Ivan

“Ang OA mo Ivan! Don’t worry our dearest boys, all girls kami sa van. Even our
driver.” Me

Then funny! Haha lumabas yung driver namin at nag-wave pa sa boys.

“And besides, kawawa naman si Henry kung by couple tayo pupunta dun.” Lahat kami
natawa sa sinabi ni Tif. Hahahahaha!

“Wow, Tiffanie, ha? Wow! Jin, nako, baka patulan ko ‘tong asawa mo.” Henry

“Naku, wag mong ginaganyan yan, Tif. Baka mapahiya ka mamaya. Hmm...” Zia

“Ay nako, ang dami nyo pang mga daldal. Pwedeng umalis na tayo?” Prei

“Teka lang, may hinihintay pa tayo.” I said. And just in time. The person we’re
waiting for came out of the mansion. “Tada!”

“Yaya Elis?” Everyone

“Oo, aba! Alam kong magbabalik utak binata’t dalaga kayo sa reunion na ‘to. Kaya
dapat may magaalaga pa rin sa inyo.” Sabi ni Yaya Elis.

And we all agreed on that. Haha! Walang mga kids, wala kaming aalagaan. That means,
kami ang may kailangan ng magaalaga samin.

“O sya, kumpleto na ba? Tara na!” Utos ni Yaya Elis. “Girls, pasok na sa kotse.
Maghe-head count lang ako sa van ng mga boys.”

Pumunta na nga muna si Yaya Elis sa van ng mga boys. Kami naman, nauna na sa van
namin.

“Sino bang nakaisip na paghiwalayin pa ang boys at girls?” Naramdaman kong may
humawak sa kamay ko. Si Kevin pala.

Akala ko si Vince. Pero asa naman ako. Ayun sya o, kasama si Chellu.
“Ako nakaisip nun! Hayaan nyo na. Tsaka, may isa pa kasi kaming friend na dadating,
and that’s our surprise to Henry.”

“Baka naman pwedeng... tayo hindi nalang ganun?”

“Tsk! Di pwede. I wanna bond with my girls. Sooner, mas lalo akong mawawalan ng
time sa kanila. Lalo na pag kinasal na tayo.”

“Ah! May idea ako.” Haha! Mukha talaga syang tanga pag may naiisip syang idea. I
have to admit it. Kevin is such a smart person, but when it comes to not-business-
related things, he’s such an idiot. “Ba’t di tayo magpakasal bukas? May cathedral
sa Holl—“

“Shut up na, Kevin. Go to your van na. Masamang galitin si Yaya Elis.”

And then he started pouting and stomping like a kid.

“Tigilan mo nga, Kevin. Sige na. Go.” I pushed him away na.

May times talaga na kinikilig ako kay Kevin. Ang gwapo kasi nya. He’s so manly and
he looks so cold; but when he act, he sometimes look stupid. And I like that. Ganun
si Vince e, dati.

Pasakay na sana ako sa van when my peripheral vision caught Vince with Chellu
walking towards my direction.

“Ehem. Girls, I know you too well. Please be nice to my girlfriend.” Sabi ni Vince
sa mga girls. I wanna laugh to be honest. Girlfriend? Tsk. Bakit hindi nya masabing
fiancé?

Zia, Aly, Eunice, and I shared eye contacts.

“Buti ka pa, you still know us.” Hirit ni Zia.

“But us, we don’t know you na, Vince.” Nagulat ako nung si Aly ang sumagot.

“Huh?” Vince

“De, joke lang. Dati kasi—“ Eunice

“O, Vince, ikaw nalang nawawala dun. Dun na kayo, mauuna kayong umalis.” Biglang
sumulpot si Yaya Elis. Thank God! Baka kung ano pang sabihin ni Eunice e. Well, on
the second thought, sana pala naituloy na din nya. Napansin ni Yaya Elis si Chellu.
“O, may bago pala kayong kaibigan?”
“She’s my girlfriend, Yaya Elis.” Pakilala ni Vince. “She’s Chellu.”

Nagulat naman si Yaya Elis sa sinabi ni Vince. Yep, she still doesn’t know.

“Haha. Hijo naman, napanuod ko na ‘yan.” Wow, Yaya. Akala mo joke?

Hahahaha! Shucks nakakatawa si Yaya Elis.

“Tigilan mo, Vince ha? Alam ko kung gano mo kamahal ang alaga ko. Naku, dun ka na
sa van nyo. At girls, pasok na.” Utos ni Yaya Elis.

Pumasok na sila. And guess what, kaming dalawa pa ni Chellu nahuli.

Papasok na sana sya nang maisipan kong manginis.

“Congratulations.” I greeted. “Bibihira lang ang nabibigyan ng privilege na

makasama kaming member ng high society sa iisang van. I bet you’re gonna tweet it
later, right? Haha.”

Then nauna na ‘kong pumasok ng van.

The girls heard and saw what I did. Then I winked.

May 3 rows kasi sa van. Magkatabi kami ni Eunice sa first, then sila Aly, Zia and
Prei sa pinaka likod pumwesto. And then Chellu decided to sit alone in the middle
row, kung san si Tif lang nakaupo. Si Yaya Elis naman nasa tabi ng driver.

Nagtawanan kami ni Eunice. Baliw lang. Haha.

Oh! May naalala ako.

“Ah, by the way, Chellu, dear. Natatanggap mo ba yung mga pinapadala kong flowers
sayo? Ang order ko sa flower shop regular sila magpadala. Did they miss a day? Tell
me, so I can tell my dad to close down their shop.” Sabi ko.

“The black roses are so much appreciated, Miss Lopez.” She answered politely.

Nagulat pa si Eunice nung narinig nya yung ‘black roses’. And I even received
laughing messages from Aly and Zia.

Humarap ako sa kanya. “Great! Then, let me sponsor your florist on your wedding.
Okay?—“

“Maria Odette.” Oops. Warning tone ni Yaya Elis.

Sige, shut up na. :|

“Sorry, yaya. Hee hee. So, let’s go to the airport? Oh my god, I’m so excited to
see Georg!” I cheered.

--

Vince’s POV:

My god! Bakit mo ba ako sinama dito? The girls are so sarcastic, I wanna kill them!
Geez!

Text ni Chellu.

Tsk. Sinasabi ko na nga ba e. Dapat di ko nalang sinama si Chellu.

“Oh oh oh. Tignan nyo yung van nung mga girls. Bat umiba ng way yung mga yon?”
Rinig kong sabi ni Jun.

Napatingin ako. Oo nga.

Teka...? Hindi naman siguro nila... hindi naman siguro nilala gagawin kay Chellu
yung ginawa nila dati kay Charlene di ba?

“Hoy, san kayo pupunta?!” Kausap na agad ni Jun si Zia. “Ano?! Bakit? Huy Holland
Resort lang tayo, hindi tayo sa Boracay! Ba’t mageeroplano ka—“ ... “H-Ha? Dadating
si—“ ... “Sorry! Sorry! Sinabi ko ba?! Init ng dugo nito. Sige na! Magiingat kayo.”

“O? Sinong dadating?” Henry

Parang timang lang ‘tong isang ‘to. Nakakatakot yung ngiti e. Di mo maintindihan
kung nangmamanyak o nasisiraan lang talaga ng ulo. Tsk!

“Secreeet~” -______-

“Dude.” Kinalabit ako ni Jin. Inabot nya sakin yung phone nyang may naka-open na
video. “Si Yuki ‘yan. May sasabihin daw sayo e. Di naman makapunta dito kaya, ayan
nag-video nalang.”
Para san naman kaya ‘to?

Hay. Inopen ko nalang yung video.

Wow. Binata na si Yuki. Kamukhang kamukha ni Jin.

“I heard my dad talked to mommy Maria earlier. She was crying... and she saw it was
because of you. Is it true? You cheated on her? You have another girlfriend? Tsk!
You’re so coward, Tito Vince. You told everyone you love her til your last breath.
Where did that go? Tsk! I love mommy Tif, but if I only knew you would hurt mommy
Maria, then maybe I should’ve pushed my dad to steal her from you before. She
doesn’t deserve this. So, I’m begging you, don’t you dare make her fall for you
again, then when she thinks everything’s okay, you’re gonna break her heart.

And oh, remind me when we meet, you owe a punch from me.”

Even that kid hates me now.

AGH! SHIT NAMAN O.

“Lahat kami, lahat kami sobrang disappointed, Vince. Even Lolo Anton. Di ba?
Nilayasan ka nga kahapon nung pinakilala mo si Chellu e. Ba’t mo kasi ginawa yun?
Let’s say, nauna nga si Chellu. Pero sana di ba? Sana sinabi mo kay Odette, para di
umasa yung tao.” Sabi ni Jin. “Kaya, dude, wag ka sanang magalit samin kung
tinanggap namin si Kevin para sa kanya. First and foremost, wala kang karapatang
magalit dahil ikaw mismo ang nagbigay saming ng dahilan para wag ka naming
ipaglaban. And second, we think Kevin is much braver than you. Dahil sya, nagawa
nyang aminin kay Odette yung pagkakamali nya bago nya niyayang magpakasal ‘to.”

“Don’t worry, nangako na ‘ko sa sarili kong hinding hindi ko na guguluhin si Maria.
Kaya nga niyaya ko na din si Chellu magpakasal e. Di ba? Everybody happy.”

“No, not everybody’s happy with that ending. I did not say those things to
discourage you, instead to reflect you.” He patted my shoulders.

--

Odette’s POV:

“GEORGINA!!!!!!!”

Sabay sabay naming lahat na sigaw when we saw Georgina.

She screamed really loud when she saw us. Iniwan pa nya yung mga gamit nya sa
sobrang excitement nya at tsaka kami niyakap. Akala mo naman super close namin!
Haha. Joke! We became really close na din.

Hindi nakisali sa yakap si Tiffanie and Prei. Pero nilapitan ni Georg si Prei and
niyakap sya.

“Hi Preeeeiiiiiiii! Aren’t you excited to see me?” Georg

“No.” Prei

“Wow. Taas ng level ng paglilihi mo ha!” Georg

“Simula palang kasi nabwisit na ni Lance ‘yan. Hayaan mo na.” Bulong ni Aly.

Napatingin si Georg kay Chellu. Ooh.

“Who’s this?” OH MY GOD. HAHAHAHAHAHA Ang funny ng pagtatanong ni Georg. Akala mo

PA yung tinuturo nya! HAHAHAHAHA!

“Girl, kauri mo ‘yan.” Bulong ko. “She’s Chellu, VINCE’S GIRLFRIEND.”

Ang OA ng shocked expression ni Georg, promise!!! “Oh my god! Hahahahaha! Shocks!

Ang funny ha. No, not you Chellu, dear. Si Vince yung funny.”

“Hahahahaha leche ka, Georg! Tara na nga!”

Yung driver (na babae) na yung nagdala ng mga luggage ni Georg, wala na e. Busy na
sya. Haha. Kasabay nya si Eunice at Aly and Zia. Medyo nagbagal ako kasi nakita
kong nilapitan ni Prei si Chellu.

Akala ko maiinis ako e, pero super natatawa ako sa sinabi ni Prei.

“Obvious ba? Obvious bang inis sila sayo? Masanay ka na. 3 days, 2 nights ganyan
ang buhay mo.” Sabi ni Prei.

--

(A/N: Oo na, eto na yung reunion. Less away muna kay Chellu.)

We arrived at the resort 3 hours late. It’s already lunch time. Haha! Nagka-yayaan
pa kasi kaming mag-coffee sa YouNice e. Yep, while the boys are already on their
way, kami bumalik pa sa YouNice. Super namiss daw ni Georg e.
And now, naabutan namin ang boys sa isang kubo na nagla-lunch.

“Hi boys!” Pinauna namin si Georg na lumapit sa kanila.

Hahahahaha! Ang epic ng reaction ni Henry. He’s really shocked! Naibuga pa nya yung
iniinom nyang juice kay Gerald.

Lumapit na din kami.

“Who, Georg, what are you doing here?” Ivan

“Di ba reunion?” Georg

“Reunion nga... ng Campus Royalties.” Lance

Tumabi sya kay Lance, and inakbayan nya ‘to. “So? Feeler naman ako e. And, bakit
sya?” Then she pointed out Chellu. Oh my god. Iba ka talaga, Georg! “Haha.
Kidding.”

“Hey Georg, you met Kev already, right?” I said when I sat beside Kevin.

“Yup! Your super gwapong fiancé.” Georg

“Stop it, Georg.” Me

“What? Tsk.” She looked at Vince. “Vince, ikaw? Di mo ba ipapakilala girlfriend

mo?”

“Oh well,” hinawakan nya yung kamay ni Chellu, “this is Chellu, my girlfriend.
Chellu, that’s Georg, feeling campus royalty dati, hanggang ngayon.”

“Just like her.” Sabat ko. Sorry! Di ko mapigilan. “Joke! ‘To naman. Haha.”

--

Nagpahinga na muna kami sandali. Actually it’s not rest. Yung mga couples kasi ang
magkakasama. Like me, kasama ko si Kevin ngayon. At sinama na din namin si Georg.
Si Henry? Ewan ko sa kanya.

We decided to stay in a kubo and have some coolers.

“Girls, snacks?” Kevin offered.

“Yes, please? Thanks, Kevin!” Georgina winked at him.

Natawa nalang si Kevin then he left.

Eto talagang si Georg! Akala mo walang asawa e. Lumalandi pa may anak na nga. Oops.
Parang medyo tinamaan ako dun sa sinabi ko ah? Well anyway.

“Od, seryoso na ba ‘yan? Hahayaan mo na talaga si Vince dun sa gold digger na

‘yun?” Georg

“Yup! Ano ka ba, ‘wag ka nang kumontra. Everybody’s settled.” Me

“Looks like it’s not. Alam mo kasi, Od, mas masarap masaktan dahil pinaglalaban mo
yung tao, kesa masaktan dahil hindi ka lumalaban. Learn from the expert, okay?
Tignan mo nalang ako. To be honest, until now nasasaktan pa din ako sa break up
namin ni Henry. Aaminin ko, mahal na mahal ko pa din sya. Pero pinili ko pa ding
sumuko para sa anak ko. Akala ko kasi eventually magiging okay. Hindi pala. It
worsen my situation. Masakit na nga yung fact na wala na kami, masakit pa yung fact
na hindi ko sya pinaglaban.” Georg

Nakakainis talaga ‘tong si Georg! Loka loka pero when it comes to serious talks,
she’s one hell of an expert.

“Kaya kung ako sa’yo, vision your future. Sino bang nakikita mo pag iniimagine mong
nagde-debut si Venice? Sinong nakikita mo pag iniimagine mong basketball player na
si Maze? Sinong nakikita mong kasama mo? Is it Kevin... or Vince?” Georg

Sinong naiimagine ko?

Biglang nag-pop out sa utak ko yung scenario sa 18th birthday ng kambal. Sinong
nakikita ko?

Labag man sa loob ni Maze, kasabay pa din ng birthday party nya ang debut ni
Venice.

Sons of other socialites are part of the 18 roses. Nandun sila Yuki, Yuji, Irish,
Skye, at Ken.

Sinasayaw din ng mga babae si Maze.

As his 18th rose, ako ang lumapit sa kanya.

Sabay kaming tumingin kay Venice.

From Ken, pinasa nya ang kamay ng anak ko kay... Vince.

“Si Vince.” Tumingin ako kay Georg. “Georg, si Vince yung nakita kong 18th rose ni
Venice.”

She smiled. “Now, last words: be wise in deciding. Okay?”

--

Third Person’s POV:

5PM nang magkayayaan ang barkada na mag-swimming/bonding sa beach. This time,

magkakasama na talaga sila.

Si Ivan at Eunice, naglalandian.

Si Aly at Gerald, naglalandian, pero kalma dahil buntis si Aly.

Si Zia at Jun, naglalampungan sa isang kubo.

Si Jin at Tiffanie, naglalandian din sa dagat.

Si Kevin at Odette, gumagawa ng sand castle.

Si Vince at Chellu, gumagawa din ng sand castle.

At si Georg at Henry, awkward na nagkekwentuhan.

May isang crew ng resort ang lumapit kela Vince at Chellu. May dala itong bouquet
of black roses.

“Miss Chellu? May nagpapabigay po.” Sabi ng crew at tsaka inabot ito.

Masamang tumingin si Chellu kay Odette.

“Hope you like it! Mwua!” Mapangasar na sabi ni Odette habang bumubungisngis.

Nakita ito ni Georg kaya natawa na rin sya.

“Hahaha. Winner ka dun, girl!” Sabi nito.

“Girls, ano ba!” Pikon na sita ni Vince.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Natawa nalang sila.

--

Pag patak ng 8pm ay napagdesisyunan nilang pumunta na ng restausant for their

dinner. Nagkwentuhan sila ng mga childhood nila doon.

Inopen pa ni Lance yung first kiss ng kambal nya kaya naman napikon si Odette at
nag-walkout.

Nag-dinner sya mag-isa sa isang kubo sa labas ng beach.

Sinundan naman sya ng Yaya Elis nya.

“Anak naman, ang tagal tagal na nun, napipikon ka pa rin?” Sabi ni Yaya Elis.

“That’s not the point, Yaya. Nakakainis kasi, bakit kailangan mga memories pa namin
ni Vince yung iopen nya?!”

“E, alam mo naman yung kambal mong yun. Alaskador.”

“It’s not funny, then. He’s not funny!”

“Sapakin mo nalang mamaya. Wag kang magalala, ako bahala pag gumanti. Haha.”

Napangiti na din si Odette.

--

Lance’s POV:

Ang pikon talaga nung kambal ko. Bwiset. KJ! Nabatukan pa ‘ko ni Prei.

At eto ako ngayon, susuyuin nanaman ang napaka sungit kong buntis na girlfriend.
Sinundan ko sya sa lobby ng resort.
Ang pangit mag-buntis nitong si Prei. Napaka ubod ng sobrang sungit!

Tinabihan ko sya sa couch.

“Ano? Nag-sorry ka na ba kay Odette?” Prei

“Hindi pa. Hayaan mo yun.” Me

“Tss.” Prei

Aba himala. Hindi ata matalak ngayon ‘to?

Lumapit pa ako sa kanya tapos inakbayan ko sya.

Wow. Hindi pumalag?

Binaba nya bigla yung magazine na binabasa nya.

Akala ko magsisimula na sya sa pagdakdak pero nagulat ako nung sinandal nya yung
ulo nya sakin.

“Lance, naalala mo ba yung unang beses nating magkita dito sa Philippines? Sobrang
depressed ka nun dahil iniwan ka ni Jade. You left and I stupidly followed you.
Tapos sa Sogo Hotel pa tayo nagpalipas ng gabi. Alam mo bang sobrang in love ako
sayo nun? As in, I came here for you ‘no. Then on my birthday, tinawag mo pa ‘kong
retard stalker? My god. You have no idea how hurt I was—“

“Nabawi naman e. Di ba? Sa kiss?”

She suddenly pushed herself away at tinignan ako. “Oh that. To be honest, hanggang
ngayon curious pa din ako kung ba’t mo ‘ko biglang hinalikan nun e. Bakit nga ba?”

H-huh? “E-Ewan ko. Hindi ko din alam.”

Hinila ko nalang sya ulit at inakbayan.

“Weird ha. Siguro that time, may crush ka na sa’kin.”

“Wow. Taas ng confidence mo ha?”

“O bakit? Hinarana mo pa nga ako sa Suzzane University e. Yuck! Thinking about

those days is gross. Isipin mo? You were 2nd year college back then, tapos ako
magfo-4th year high school palang. Ang pedo ng image mo nun, Lance!”

“Mahal mo naman.”

“Yeah, right. Whatever.”

Silence.

“But realizing that I already love you is the hardest.”

“It’s your fault. Napukpok ka na ni Georg ng kahoy sa ulo, hindi mo pa din ma-gets.
Kelangan pang makita mo akong umiiyak bago mo marealize. Sadista ka rin e ‘no?”

“Tss. Though it’s the hardest part of my life, still, it was the sweetest. Until
now.”

“Alam mo, Lance, mahal na mahal pa din kita hanggang ngayon. Ikaw ang first love
ko. And I do believe ikaw ang true love ko.”

“Kinikilig ako, shet!”

“Heh. Pero ikaw ba? Mahal mo pa din ba ako katulad ng pagmamahal mo sakin nung
pinukpok ka ni Georg ng number stand sa ulo?”

Ayie. Bakit kaya ang cheesy ng girlfriend ko ngayon? Sana ganito nalang palagi sya.
<3

“Oo naman. Walang labis, walang kulang. Walang pagbaba—TSUP. Hoy!”

Aba? Nakawan ba ‘ko ng halik?!

“Pumapayag na ‘ko, Lance.”

Huh?

“Pumapayag san?”

“Na magpakasal. I think, ang pangit kung Alvarez ang apilyedo ni Lay.”

“Wait? Sino si Lay?”

OUCH! Potek. Batukan ba ‘ko? Kanina ang sweet, ngayon brutal nanaman. -_-

“Stupid! Edi ‘tong anak natin!”

So...

--

Ivan’s POV:

“YEEEEEEES!”

O? Nabaliw nanaman si Lance. Biglang nagsisi—POTEK NA!

“Oh my god.” Sabi ni Eunice.

Lintek ‘tong si Lance. Bigla nalang hinalikan si Prei. Mind you, nasa lobby ‘yan
ha. Make out kung make out!!!!!!

“Tara na nga.” Hinila na ‘ko ni Eunice. Hiyang hiya sa ginagawa ni Lance.

Pumunta kami sa eat-all-you-can na ihawan sa labas ng resort. OA ng pagke-crave

nito sa inihaw na tilapia e.

And guess who we saw there. Si Zia, Jun, Henry at Georg lang naman.

“Geez! Ba’t nung nagka-anak ako, hindi naman ako ganyan katakaw? My god, girls,
pinapabayaan nyo na ang image nyo porket nabingwit nyo na ang mga asawa nyo? Tsk
tsk! That’s not good.” Sabi ni Georg.

Eto kasing si Eunice kumain ulit ng rice. Si Zia naman, ang weirdo! Ang daming
kinakain. Iba iba!

“Huy, Zia. Ano ba ‘yan? Sandamakmak ‘yang order mo.” Sita ni Eunice.

“Walang basagan ng trip, okay?!” Zia

“Pati table manners nawala?” Henry

“Tsssk! Psssssssst! Tantanan nyo na si Zia. Hayaan nyo sya.” Jun

“Don’t tell me hindi ka natuturn-off sa pinaggagagawa nyan?” Georg

“Hayaan nyo na. Buntis e.” Jun

HALA KA.

Halos malaglag panga ko dun ah! Parang... parang kakikilala lang ni Jun kay Skye
tapos... buntis agad si Zia? Di muna sinulit yung moment kay Skye? May bago agad?

“Oh my god, guys. We’re getting older na talaga ‘no? Dati, I was the only one who’s
pregnant lang. Tapos ngayon, halos lahat ng girls, preggy.” Eunice

“Wag kang selfish, girl. Preggy din ako when you’re preggy.” Georg

“But can you believe it, guys? Dati, halos tapakan nyo na ang pagkatao ni Georg,
but now, kasama sya sa reunion natin.” Henry

“Stop defending her. Ang landi mo.” Zia

“Baka selos ka lang kasi sya ang nakapag patibok ulit ng puso ko.” Henry

“More like thankful. Kasi tinigilan mo na ‘ko. And please? Stop making it sound
like I was the one who ruin our relationship. Ikaw ang sumama sa ex mo.” Zia

“In any other ways, I am thankful to both Ivan and Henry. Ivan, for stealing Eunice
from me and—“ Jun

“Tigilan mo. Eunice was never yours.” Me

“Okay fine. Basta, for having her. And Henry, for breaking Zia’s heart. At least, I
had the best girl.” Jun

“To be honest, hindi pa rin ako makapaniwalang may hidden desire sa’kin si Jun
dati. Geez!” Eunice

“Hoy ang sakit mong magsalita ha!” Jun

“Totoo naman kasi. It’s... it’s scary too! Behind those friendly actions pala—“
Eunice

“Don’t worry, hindi ka nagalaw nyan o namanyak. Every time she’s with you, palagi
akong nasa paligid.” Me
“HAHAHAHAHAHA! Ivan, remember how obsessed she is to you before?! As in lahat
inaaway nya pag may bagong girlfriend ka.” Zia

“Quit it, Zi. I’m gonna punch you.” Eunice

“Exactly like that! Hahahahaha!” Zia

“Don’t you guys know that in the eyes of ordinary students, Campus Royalties are
stupid?” Georgina

“WHAT?!” Me, Eunice, Zia, Jun, Henry

“Just kidding. Of course they all look up to you. //fake puke” Georg

--

Jin’s POV:

Nandito kami ngayon sa seashore. Kasama ko syempre ang asawa ko, pati si Odette at
Kevin, at si Vince at Chellu. Pa’no nangyari? Ewan ko din.

At buti naman, wala sa mood mangaway si Odette.

“Jin, I’m curious. How did you guys meet?” Kevin suddenly asked.

LOL. Is he serious? Well, para mangasar lang. Edi sasagutin ko.

“To be honest? Okay. As you know, best friend ako ni Odette. At, naging ex din ako
nyan, twice. And Tif? Best friend naman sya ni Vince. And, she also became Vince’s
ex. And you know why did that happen?” I looked at Odette. Ayan na. Pinanlalakihan
na ‘ko ng mata.

“Why?” Kevin

“Well, ginamit kasi ni Vince si Tiffanie para pagselosin si Od. At ako naman ang
ginamit ni Od para pagselosin si Vince—“

“That’s not true! Ginamit kita para makalimutan si Vince, ‘no! Hindi para
pagselosin. Duh!” Odette

“Okay, fine.” Jin

“Tama bang pagusapan ang past? Kasama ang present ‘o.” Vince

“Wow! Ngayon ko lang na-realize. Look o! Past; tayong dalawa, babe. Present; silang
dalawa mismo. Future; si Kevin at Chellu naman. Haha! Ang funny!” Funny ba ‘yun
TifFUNNY?! ._____________.

“PRESENT KA DYAN?!” Wow. Sabay pang sumigaw.

“Guys, no offense meant ha. Katuwaan lang. Tsaka para ma-sure nyo na din na wala na
silang feelings sa isa’t isa. Haha.” Me

“Jin manahimik ka nga!” Od

--

Third Person’s POV:

Hiwahiwalay man ang barkada, kinabukasan sa breakfast nila ay sama sama naman ulit
sila.

Masaya silang nag-breakfast, kahit sobrang pikon na talaga ni Odette dahil

pinagkakaisahan sya ng mga boys.

Nagpatuloy pa ang bonding nila hanggang kinabukasan. Masaya ang lahat.

Pero naiwan pa ding confused si Odette.

***

A/N: I know sobrang lame nito! Walang direksyon. Haha. Tinatamad na kasi ako e.
Basta fun fun lang! At basta buo ang barkada. =))

Most prolly maipost ko na ang final chapter at epilogue bukas. AWTSU! Matatapos na.
:(

Sana basahin nyo din po yung next story ko. Don't worry, magbabalik pa din ang
CAMPUS ROYALTIES. Hmm...? Pero bago ko sila ibalik, may isusulat muna akong walang
relation sa kanila. :)

Thanks for reading!

Vote and comment <3

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Ch.29: False hopes

Chapter 29: False hopes

Odette’s POV:

Three months have passed. Three months. Tatlong buwan ko na ding niloloko si Kevin,
at ang sarili ko. ‘Yan ang sabi ni Jin sa’kin. And I know, madaming buwan at taon
pa akong bibilangin. Mali, pero I know eventually magiging tama din ‘to.

But aside from fooling and hurting myself, madami ding tao ang naging apektado
dahil sa desisyon namin ni Vince.

For the first time, naniwala si Lolo sa break up namin. And maybe he felt that this
is for real, dahil hindi nya ipinilit ang gusto nya.

Pero mas nakakatakot ‘yon. Ang daming naapektuhan sa galit ni lolo.

Prinessure nya ang Luminary Magazine sa anniversary issue. Muntik nang hindi maabot
ni Jacko ang deadline nya. And you know what he did? Hindi nya tinanggap yung final
issue. Na-disappoint sya sa kinalabasan. The photographs, the content, the feature
topic – everything! Pero alam kong pinalabas nya lang na na-disappoint sya dahil sa
galit nya kay Vince.

And now, Luminary Magazine is under probation. Three months na silang walang
operation dahil lagi ‘tong nirereject ni lolo.

And speaking of lolo, eto ako, papasok sa office nya ngayon.

I was just about to knock on the door when I heard him shouting. Binuksan ko yung
pinto and I saw him talking to someone on the phone.

“Hindi ba, sinabi ko sa’yo, kung kailangan mong palitan si Vince, palitan mo!” Sabi
ni lolo. Si Vince? “Wala akong pake! Hangga’t hindi ako nasasatisfy ng issue nyo,
hindi ko ibabalik ang operations ng Luminary Spain!”

He threw his phone on his table. At nakita na nya nga ako.

“You heard everything?” He asked.

“Yes, lolo.” I said, then I made my way to the couch. Umupo naman sya sa opposite
side. “Si Jacko ba ang kausap nyo, lolo?”

Mukhang wala sa mood si lolo. Well, palagi naman syang ganun.

“Lo, pinapahirapan mo ba talaga sila... para tanggalin ni Jacko si Vince?” I asked.

“Oo, apo. And I’m doing this for you.” Obvious naman sa mata ni lolo na galit na
galit talaga sya.

I gulped. Ayoko nang marinig ang gusto pa nyang sabihin.

“Anyway, bakit nyo ‘ko pinapunta dito, lolo? Let’s get straight to the point.
Kailangan ko nang magpahinga for my wedding tomorrow—“

“Ang kapal ng mukha ng Vince Alvarez na ‘yan, di ba? Isinabay pa talaga ang kasal
nya sa birthday mo.” May hinagis si lolo sa center table.

Wait... tama ba yung narinig ko? Isinabay ni Vince ang kasal nya sa birthday ko?
Wow.

“Anyway, that’s not the main thing here.” May kinuha syang files sa table nya, then
nilagay nya sa center table ulit yon. “Here’s the thing. One question. Do you have
passion for fashion?”

“Well, of course. I was a model before, right?”

“Okay, well then.” He opened the folder in front of us. “Binili ko ang Tiffanie’s
Closet sa Japan.”

“WHAT?!”

“I bought it from the Laurents. But don’t worry, half of it lang naman. The other
half is still owned by Tiffanie Akimoto. And the other half, would be owned by you.
Gusto kong magkaroon ka na din ng sariling kumpanya mo. But since hindi kasing taas
ng knowledge ni Harvey sa business ang meron ka, I’m giving you this part.
Tiffanie’s Closet will now be named as Tiffanie & Odette. At hindi nalang sya sa
Japan matatagpuan. Because right now, I’m buying locations all over the world to
build up a branch. As of this moment, ang branch dito sa Pilipinas ay sinisimulan
na.” OH MY GOD.

Is he serious?! Bakit hindi manlang sinasabi sa’kin ni Tif ‘to?

“Since I am investing a lot more money than the Laurents, we fairly decided that I
will be the respected owner of it. You will be the CEO, and let Tiffanie be the
President. Don’t worry, everybody already agreed with it.” He gave me a pen. “Now,
sign the contract.”

Since shocked pa ‘ko, lutang pa ‘ko. Pumirma nalang ako without even reading what’s
in it.

And habang pumipirma ako, may sinabi si lolo.

“Let’s get back to Vince. I just want you to know that our relationship with the
Alvarez would never change. But my relationship with Vince will never be the same
as before again. And by the means of that, I will never trust him again in any of
my companies. That’s why I want him to be fired from the Luminary Magazine.” He
said. “Well I’m actually planning on closing down the Luminary Magazine in Spain if
Jacko won’t fire him until the next month.”

“Lo, are you serious?”

“Yes, I am.” Kinuha nya yung papel na pinirmahan ko at bumalik na sya sa table nya.
“Congratulations to your new company, baby girl. Sige, magpahinga ka na. You should
be beautiful tomorrow.”

--

Grabe si lolo. Hindi ko inakalang kaya nyang gawin kay Vince ‘yon. Since childhood
sobrang boto na nya kay Vince. Tapos ngayon, ayaw nya nang maging part ng kahit
anong company ng Lopez GOC.

Well, I should be happy, right? Ginagawa ni lolo ‘yon para sa’kin.

Oh well.

--

WEDDING DAY.

This is it. Ilang oras nalang, ikakasal na ‘ko.

Mine-make up-an na ‘ko dito sa room. Andito na din yung mga girls. Pati si Yaya
Elis, kasama ko dito.

“Baby girl, okay ka lang ba?” Nilapitan ako ni Yaya Elis.

I smiled. “Yes, yaya. Kinakabahan lang.”

“Don’t worry, hija. Everything will be alright.” Buti nalang nandyan si Yaya Elis.
“Pero, kung may mangyari mang mali o wala sa plan, tandaan mo, nangyari ‘yon dahil
may rason.”

Ano ba ‘yan, yaya! Okay na e. Napapalakas mo na yung loob ko tapos biglang ganon?
Hay.

Iniwan muna nila akong lahat. Gusto ko kasing mapagisa e.

All this time, iniisip ko lang na huwag magmukhang talo. Na maging even kay Vince.
Iniisip kong magpapakasal ako para maging fair.

Pero ngayon, kung kelan kontis oras nalang e ikakasal na ‘ko, tsaka ko naiisip...
tama ba talaga ‘to?

This wedding will or shall last forever. Kaya ko bang mabuhay forever sa dahilang
‘yon?

Hindi ba ang marriage ay para sa dalawang nagmamahalan? Mahal ako ni Kevin, oo.
Pero hindi ko sya mahal.

--

Vince’s POV:

“Ano, dude? Wala ka na ba talagang balak pigilan ‘to? Pwede akong tumutol para
sa’yo.”

Kausap ko si Jun sa phone ngayon. Nasa simbahan na daw sila. Kasal ni Maria ngayon.

“Dude, relax. Hindi mo kailangang gawin ‘yon. I’m fine with it. She’s happy with
him.”

“We all know she’s not. Dali na. Ano?”

“No, Jun. Hayaan na natin sya.”

“Parang timang naman ‘to o. Bahala ka nga. O sya, kita nalang tayo sa kasal mo.
Ikakasal nga kayo, di naman sa isa’t isa. Tsk!”
“Haha. Sige. Bye!”

I really cannot imagine her walking on the aisle of the church, meeting other man
on the altar. It’s such a torture.

Gusto ko mang patulan yung offer ni Jun, pero wag na din. I think mas magiging
masaya sya dun. Kevin never caused her any pain. In fact, sya pa ang nag-comfort sa
kanya noon.

Let’s just face the reality. Sa dinami dami ng pinagdaanan namin, hindi talaga kami
para sa isa’t isa.

Maybe we’ll be better off with other partners. We will, and we should.

--

Odette’s POV:

Nandito na kami sa tapat ng church. Whoo. Kinakabahan talaga ako!

Nagre-ready na sila sa loob. Hindi ko pa makita si Kevin. But I bet he’s handsome
as ever!

Nang biglang may pumasok sa kotse. Nagulat ako when I saw her. Anong ginagawa nya
dito?

“Oh my god! How did you find me?!”

That girl. Sya yung nagbuhos sa’kin ng cocktail sa party ni Krystal dati. OMG. What
is she doing here?

No way. Don’t she dare ruin my wedding!

Look at her, all black pa sya! Even her lipstick!

“Sinabi ko naman sa’yo di ba? We’ll meet again.” Akala ko she’s gonna push some
catfight here. Pero bigla nyang hinawakan yung kamay ko. “But I won’t cause any
trouble here. Gusto ko lang sabihin sa’yo... na ang lalaking pakakasalan mo...”

OMG. What’s this... Kilala nya si Kevin?

“Ang lalaking pakakasalan mo ay mahal ko pa kesa sa kahit anong bagay dito sa

mundo, kesa sa sarili ko.”
“What? What are you saying? Sino ka ba talaga? And why are you suddenly showing up
to me, telling me that you love my fiancé?”

Baliw ba ‘tong babaeng ‘to?

“I’m Natasha Sanchez, I am Ken’s mother. Ex girlfriend ako ni Kevin. I broke up

with him because I chose my family over him. I broke up with him... kasi akala ko
mas magiging okay ako kung wala sya. Pero hindi pala. Hindi ko pala kayang mawala
sya. Pinalabas ko at pinakita ko sa kanya hindi ko na sya kailangan, na masaya na
‘ko kahit wala sya. Pero ang totoo, hindi ko kaya. Yung ginawa ko sa’yo sa party ni
Krystal, dala ‘yon ng sobrang selos ko.” Umiiyak na sya. Hindi ko alam pero
nasasaktan ako sa mga sinasabi nya. Parang tinatamaan din ako. “Now, kakapalan ko
na ang mukha ko because I know this would prolly be my last chance. I’m begging
you, wag mo syang pakasalan, please. Mahal ko si Kevin. At ayokong mapunta sya sa
iba.”

What a courage for a girl to say that to the woman who’s marrying the love of your
life. Pa’no nya nakayang gawin ‘yon? San nya tinapon ang pride nya?

“But... if you really love him, I guess, I have to accept my loss.” She said, still
crying.

“Ganun nalang? Tatanggapin mo nalang na talo ka? Pa’no kung sabihin ko sa’yong
hindi ko naman talaga mahal si Kevin? Are you still gonna let me marry him?”

“Because he loves you! Ikaw ang mahal nya. Kung mahal mo din sya, ano pang magagawa
ko, di ba?”

“Well then, I don’t love him. Mahal ko pa din yung ex boyfriend ko kahit niloko nya
‘ko. Ginagamit ko lang si Kevin. Now, what are you gonna d—“

FUCK! Bigla nya nalang akong sinampal!

“Si Marcelo A ang tinutukoy mo di ba? Alam mo bang ang swerte mo? Nakwento sa’kin
ni Krystal, gusto na syang paalisin ni Jacko sa magazine, pero ayaw nya dahil yun
nalang daw ang connection nya sa’yo. Mahal na mahal ka pa nya. Ang swerte mo kasi
kung pigilan mo ang kasal nya, mananalo ka panigurado. Pero ako? Pag pinigilan ko
‘tong kasal nyo, hindi guaranteed na mananalo na ‘ko.” She wiped away her tears.
“Kanina I was begging you to runaway dahil mahal ko sya. Ngayon, I’m begging you,
because I don’t want him to live in your lies. Please.”

At tsaka sya lumabas ng kotse.

“AHHHHHHH!” Nakakainis! Ang daming panggulo sa utak! Bakit kailangan pang dumating
ng babaeng ‘yon at guluhin ‘tong isip ko?!
Nang may pumasok nanaman sa kotse. Nagulat ako sa bigla nyang pagpasok. Dumating
sya.

“Dina?”

“Pwede kang kausapin?” She smiled.

Remember her? Sya yung dapat ipagpapalit sa’kin ni Marco. Sila dapat ang ikakasal.

I nodded.

May inabot sya sa’kin na white box with royal blue ribbon.

“Binilin sa’kin dati ni Marco na ibigay ko ‘to pag kinasal ka na. E, hindi ka naman
sumipot nung kasal nyo ni Vince, kaya hindi ko naibigay. So here.” She said.

Si Marco..

Naalala ko nanaman yung promise ko sa kanya. Na hanggang sa huli, kami pa din ni

Vince.

I opened the box. Wow. May ganito pala kaming picture? Ang galing naman.

Photo ng buong barkada nan aka-frame. I think wedding ni Jade ‘to. Nasa iisang
table kami. At buo talaga ang barkada. Pati si Jade andun. It was a candid shot.
Pero si Marco nakatingin sa camera. Ang galing talaga!

Lahat kasi may kanya kanyang business.

Magkatabi kami ni Marco, tapos katabi ko din si Vince. Nagtatawanan kami ni Vince.
Ang sweet pa ng itsura namin.

Ang saya tignan nung picture.

“Display nyo daw ‘yan sa bahay nyo. Haha. Siguro akala nya kayo ni Vince ang
magkakatuluyan. Anyway, malapit nang magsimula yung ceremony. Labas na ‘ko ha? Good
luck!” And then Dina left.

Tinitigan ko pa din yung photo.

Si Marco lang talaga yung nakatingin. And as of this moment, while I’m looking at
him, parang naririnig ko syang bumubulong sa’kin.
Something just pushed me to get my phone and dial Kevin’s number.

“Can’t wait a few more mi—“

“Kevin, pakakasalan mo pa din ba ‘ko kung sasabihin kong si Vince pa din ang mahal
ko?”

“Odette... what are you saying?”

“Pa’no kung gusto pala ni Ken na magkabalikan kayo ng mommy nya?”

“Odette?”

“I’m sorry, Kevin. Mahal ka nya e. And I know how much it hurts to see the one you
love being married to another woman. On the same note, hindi ko kayang hayaang
ikasal si Vince sa iba. I’m sorry.”

I ended the call.

--

Jin’s POV:

Napatingin na din kami sa labas nung biglang sumigaw sa phone si Kevin. Nakita
namin na biglang umalis yung kotse kung nasan si Odette.

San pupunta ‘yon?

Nagtakbuhan na kaming mga barkada para pigilan sana pero mabilis yung pagpapatakbo
nun.

“SHIT!” Napatingin kami kay Kevin.

“Ano bang nangyari, pare? Si Odette ba yung kausap mo?” Tanong ni Lance.

Pero sobrang frustrated ni Kevin hindi sya nakasagot.

Lalo syang nagwala nung may nakita sya sa gilid ng simbahan.

Lumapit sya don sa babae.

“Did you plan this?! Ha? Kinausap mo ba sya?!” Sigaw nya dun sa babae.

Pinigilan namin sya.

“Kevin, stop it!” Ivan

“Bullshit! Shit!!!” Sigaw ni Kevin.

Pumunta sya sa kotse nya at umalis.

Nilapitan nila Aly yung babae.

“Miss, are you okay? Kilala ka ba ni Kevin?” Aly asked.

“Y-Yes... I’m... I’m Ken’s mother.” And that made our jaws drop.

--

Odette’s POV:

Nagpahatid ako sa driver dito sa simbahan. No, hindi sa simabahan kung san kami
ikakasal ni Kevin. Kundi sa simbahan, kung san ako dinala ni Vince nung mag-break
kami ni Marco.

Tulad non, konti lang ang tao dito ngayon. Walang mass, pero may mga oldies na
nagpe-pray.

Pumwesto ako sa exact place kung san kami umupo ni Vince noon.

I was just looking at the altar, then I felt a tear on my cheeks.

For the second time, I ranaway. For the second time, it was because of Vince. And
for the second time, I’m hurting myself.

Hindi ko na namalayan yung oras. Iyak lang ako nang iyak don habang iniimagine si
Vince na kinakasal kay Chellu.

Bukas... birthday ko na bukas. That means, bukas na din ikakasal si Vince.

Hindi nga ako kinasal kay Kevin, hindi rin naman ako kay Vince ikakasal.
Pero at least, hindi ko ikukulong ang sarili ko sa mali.

Hay.

Hours have passed pero hindi pa din ako umaalis dito. Dumidilim na din sa labas.
Ewan ko nga kung nasa labas pa yung driver at kotse ko e.

“And now, I am satisfied. Nakuha ko na ang gusto ko. Ang walang maiwan sa’yo kundi
ang sarili mo. So, how does it feel na wala ka na ngang Kevin, wala ka pang Vince.
Kamusta naman, Odette?”

Tumingala ako para tignan kung sino ‘yon. At hindi na ‘ko nagtaka. Si Charlene nga.

“Di ba masaya ka na sa nakikita mo? So bakit mo pa tinatanong kung anong

nararamdaman ko? You won, Charlene. Ikaw na ang nanalo. Sige.”

“Na uh. Hindi pa ‘ko panalo. Satisfied ako sa nakikita ko. Nasasaktan ka, mag-isa
ka. Umiiyak ka. Pero I think, mas masaya kung malalaman mong... ang babaeng
pakakasalan ng pinaka mamahal mong Vince Alvarez... ay ang babaeng sumira sa inyo
noon.” What? Anong sinasabi nya? “Si Chellu. Sya yung babaeng kasama ni Vince nung
bachelor’s party nya. Nakakaawa si Vince ‘no? Hindi nya alam, yung babaeng sumira
ng relasyon nya sa pinakamamahal nyang babae, ay ang pakakasalan nya ngayon.”

“What are you saying? How did you know all of that? How sure are you that it’s
Chellu?”

“Don’t be too silly, my dear. Hindi ba obvious? Everything was planned. And it was
all planned by yours truly.” What the freaking hell? Baliw na talaga sya!

“Gosh! You are crazy!”

“So? Haha. This craziness brings happiness to me. See? Napaglaruan ko kayong lahat.
Akala nyo hindi ko kayo masisira? Well then look at my victory now.” Tumawa sya,
yeah, a victorious laugh of an evil woman. “Ang nakakatuwa pa, yung katangahan ni
Vince.”

“I swear I’m gonna kill yo—“

“On the other note. Mas nakakaawa ka. Kasi, napunta pa ang taong pinaka mamahal mo
sa taong sumira ng relasyon nyo. Hindi ba? Ang sakit nun!”

“Vince will never be hers. Pipigilan ko ang kasal nila—“

“Oh oh oh. Don’t worry, dear. Hindi kita pipigilan sa binabalak mo. Alam mo kasi,
hindi naman ako ganun kasama. Eto nga o, binili pa kita ng plane ticket papuntang
Spain.” May inabot sya sa’king envelope. “Ang kaso lang, isipin mo ang gagawin mo.
Kilala mo si Vince. Alam mo kung pa’no sya magmahal. Hindi ka nya hahayaang mapunta
sa iba; at hindi rin sya magpapatali sa iba. But... he did. Ginawa pa din nya.
Hindi nya pinigilan ang kasal mo, at magpapakasal din sya sa iba. Don’t you think
it means that... hindi ka na nya mahal? Hindi kaya... natutunan nya na din talagang
mahalin si Chellu? Or worse, baka napalitan na talaga ni Chellu ang isang Maria
Odette sa puso nya.”

Huh?

Masakit man yung mga sinabi nya, pero may point sya.

Nakaya ni Vince na hindi pigilan ang kasal ko.

Bakit...

“Payong kaaway lang, Odette. Isipin mo ng mabuti kung gagamitin mo ba ‘yang plane
ticket na ‘yan. Kasi, may dalawang possible results dyan. Either mabawi mo sya, or
makita mong makuha sya ng iba.”

AAAHHHHHHHH! Ayoko na!!!!!!!!

She stood up, and bigla nya akong bineso.

“Thanks for this, Odette. Seeing you devastated, frustrated, troubled and crying in
pain brings happiness to me. Don’t worry, this is would be my last encounter with
you. Hindi na kita guguluhin. Kasi... alam kong never ka na magiging masaya ulit.
Haha. Kasi kahit gamitin mo yang plane ticket na ‘yan, pag dating mo dun, tapos na
ang kasal. Muahahahaah! Toodles!” She said.

WHAT? Ang kapal ng mukha nya!!!

Ang tindi ng apog nyang ipakita yung kasamaan ng ugali nya dito pa talaga sa loob
ng simbahan.

Pero on the serious note, may mga sinabi syang may sense. Alam kong sobrang sama ng
plano nya pero... lahat ng sinabi nya para galitin pa ‘ko ay totoo.

And... fuck all her shits! I swear pag naayos ko ang samin ni Vince, ipapakulong ko
sya. She’s the mastermind why Vince got raped. I swear!

But for now...

Tinignan ko yung plane ticket.

The hell?! Saktong 4PM ang arrival ng flight sa Spain. E 4:30PM ang kasal ni Vince.
Pa’no pa ‘ko aabot dun?!

--

Pinilit kong magpa-book ng mas maagang flight. Pero wala. Hopeless. Puro fully
booked na ang mga flight papuntang Spain. Etong plane ticket na ‘to nalang talaga
ang pagasa ko.

So I waited for hours. And when I was about to board, bigla akong nagdalawang isip.

(Last night of the reunion outing)

Nasa bonfire kami. Last night na namin. Bukas, magbabalikan na sa iba’t ibang bansa
yung mga umuwi lang for this. Yung mga ikakasal, magsisimula nang mag-handa.

The atmosphere was really calm. The couples are cuddling, while the 2 singles are
soooooo awkward. Haha.

Until Yaya Elis spoke.

“Vince, ga’no mo kamahal ang girlfriend mo ngayon?”

I was really shocked by the question.

Ang random kasi ni Yaya Elis. Si Vince lang ang tinanong nya? It would haven’t been
weird to hear kung lahat kami tinanong nya.

Well anyway, naramdaman kong napatingin sa’kin si Yaya Elis. Then when I looked at
Vince, he was looking at me too. Then he answered.

“I love her, so much. She’s the only person I would want to meet in the altar.”

Mahal na nya si Chellu. Bakit pa ‘ko pupunta don?

“Kahit magalit sya sa’kin, kahit ipagtabuyan nya ‘ko, sya at sya pa din ang
gugustuhin kong makasama habangbuhay.”

Bakit kailangan sa’kin ka nakatingin?

Sa tingin mo masasaktan ako?

Well, then. Oo Vince. Sobrang sakit.

***

A/N: This is the last chapter, guys! I might post the epilogue tomorrow. Geez! Ano
kayang mangyayari? I swear kahit ako hindi ko pa alam kung bibigyan ko ba ng happy
ending 'tong dalawang 'to o ano. One thing's for sure, ayan na, wala na talaga ang
KevinOdette. E ang VinceChellu kaya? Ehe ehe ehe.

Any guess? Hee hee.

Anw. Thanks for reading up to this chapter. Thanks for supporting this. Now, on
January 2014, the MaVince story shall end.

BUT THIS WOULD NOT BE THE END OF CAMPUS ROYALTIES! Ehe ehe ehe.

Btw. May hint ako sa twitter ko. Sabi ko dati may Taylor Swift song na magiging
theme song ng epilogue/ending nito. Tinweet ko yung lyrics nung Friday night! :---)

So, bukas nalang ang love letter ko ah? :) Thanks for reading!

Vote & comment? Thankies!

xoxo THISNIE

=================

Epilogue

Epilogue.

Odette’s POV:

5:18PM; Spain

Iniwan ko si Yaya Elis sa taxi. Yes, she came with me.

Lumabas na ‘ko sa taxi, at tumakbo papunta sa simbahan.

Narinig ko yung kampana.

Maybe... just maybe, the ceremony has started already.

I am not the kind of girl

Who should be rudely barging in

On a white veil occasion

Naka-bukas ang pinto ng simbahan.

Saktong nakita ko,

But you are not the kind of boy

Who should be marrying the wrong girl

Nagtago ako sa gilid ng pinto.

Totoo na... ikakasal na sya.

Aaminin ko, umasa akong hindi nya din ‘to itutuloy.

But I was wrong.

Maybe he doesn’t really love me anymore.

This is

Surely not what you thought it would be

I lose myself in a daydream

Where I stand and say

Vince, please?

Don’t say yes, let’s run away now. I’ll meet you here out of the church at the back
door.
Don’t speak a single vow. You need to hear me out—

And they said speak now

Hindi ko alam kung masaya sya sa oras na ‘to or what. Wala akong idea. Hindi ko
makita yung mukha nya.

Hindi ko makita yung mata nya. Hindi ko masabi kung gusto ba nya ‘to.

Gusto kong malaman.

Is he doing this because he loves her?

Or is he just doing this to forget me?

“Hindi kaya... natutunan nya na talagang mahalin si Chellu?”

“Or worse, baka napalitan na talaga ni Chellu ang isang Maria Odette sa puso nya?”

“Either mabawi mo sya, or makita mong makuha sya ng iba.”

“I love her, so much. She’s the only person I would want to meet in the altar.”

Stupid Odette.

Ano bang ginagawa mo dito?

Malinaw naman na hindi ka na nya mahal.

Eto sya, nagawang ituloy ang kasal nya.

Ibig sabihin, mahal nya si Chellu.

Kasi kung katulad mo syang hindi mahal ang pakakasalan, malamang umalis na din
‘yan.

But no. Ayan sya, nakaharap sa altar, katabi ang ibang babae.

“Odette...” Naramdaman ko ang hagod ni Yaya Elis sa likod ko.

Bigla nalang akong nag-breakdown. Napaupo ako at naiyak.

Ang sakit!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mas mabuti pang mamatay nalang ako. Kesa ganito.

Iyak lang ako nang iyak don. Si Yaya Elis naman inaalo lang ako.

Para akong tanga di ba?

Dun pa ‘ko nagngangawa.

Rinig ko yung ceremony.

Hanggang sa dumating sa part na mag-a-I do na sila.

Nakapag-I do na si Chellu.

And now, it’s Vince’s turn to say.

Napatahimik ako sa pagiyak.

Waiting for his answer...

This is suicide!

I heard him sigh on the microphone. And... “I do...”

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Nawala na ‘ko sa sarili ko.

Nagtatakbo ako. Umalis ako. Hindi ko alam kung san ako pupunta.

Nung may nakita akong cab, pinara ko yun at sumakay agad ako.

Until I fell asleep.

--

Nang magising ako, nasa hotel suite na ‘ko.

I don’t know how did I get there but one thing’s for sure. Presidential suite ‘to
ng Alpha Hotel. Dito ako nag-stay the last time I was here e.

Nung ginawa ko yung anniversary issue ng Luminary Magazine...

Hay. Naalala ko nanaman si Vince—

:O

Ngayon lang nag-sink in sa’kin ulit.

Wala na. Kasal na si Vince.

Wala na.

Wala na.

I stood up from the bed. Yung mga luggage namin nasa room na din.

Kukuha dapat ako ng damit. But when I opened my luggage, nakita ko yung gift ni
Marco.

--

9:25AM; Chicago

Hindi ko na hinintay si Yaya Elis. Nung nakita ko yung picture namin, naisip ko na
si Marco yung kailangan ko ngayon.

Ayoko na muna ng ibang kasama. Gusto ko nalang mag-isa. Si Marco lang gusto kong
kasama. So I decided to fly here at the same night.

And now, I’m here in front of his grave.

Crying. Weeping. Devastated.

“Marco. I’m sorry for disappointing you. Again. Nabigyan na nga kami ng chance na
itama yung mali, pinalagpas ko pa yung chance. Binalewala ko.” Eto nanaman, naiiyak
nanaman ako. “Pero wala na e. Mukha naman kasing masaya na talaga sya kay Chellu.
Maybe, he finally realized that being with me is such a hell. Napaka-demanding kong
tao, bitch, maarte, palaging kailangan alagaan, dependent. Baka napagod na talaga
sya sa’kin.”

Biglang humangin ng malakas.

Marco, is that you? :(

“You have no idea kung gano ako nagsisisi sa mga pinaggagawa ko. Alam mo yung gusto
kong bumalik from the time na dapat kami ang ikakasal? Gusto kong bumalik don at
hayaan syang magpaliwanag para hindi na kami umabot sa ganito. Padalos dalos kasi
ako e. Eto tuloy napapala ko.”

I don’t wanna cry anymore! Please!

“Ngayon, wala nang natira sa’kin. But good thing, the kids are there. Magiging
masaya naman siguro ako di ba? My kids will be the source of my happiness. I know
that.”

Pero habang pinapalakas ko yung loob ko, paulit ulit lang bumabalik yung nangyari
kahapon. Yung nakita kong kinakasal si Vince kay Chellu.

Yung pagsagot nya ng “I do.”

Napa-yuko na ‘ko. Sobrang iyak na.

Hindi ko na mapigilan talaga.

It’s like, I am controlled to cry a river.

Nung medyo nahimasmasan na ‘ko, may naisipan akong gawin.

Or should I say... kantahin.

“Marco, can I sing a song? This is not for you, though. But, I need a person to
listen to it.”

Argh! Eto nanaman ‘tong tears na ‘to!

Di pa nga nagsisimula, umaarangkada na sila!

“This song... says it all.”

“I am not the kind of girl

Who should be rudely barging in

On a white veil occasion

But you are not the kind of boy

Who should be marrying the wrong girl

I sneak in and see your friends

And her snotty little family

All dressed in pastel

And she is yelling at a bridesmaid

Somewhere back inside a room

Wearing a gown shaped like a pastry

This is

Surely not what you thought it would be

I lose myself in a daydream

Where I stand and say

Don't say yes, run away now

I'll meet you when you're out

Of the church at the back door

Don't wait or say a single vow

 You need to hear me out

And they said "speak now"

Fond gestures are exchanged

And the organ starts to play

A song that sounds like a deathmarch

And I am hiding in the curtains

It seems that I was uninvited

By your lovely bride-to-be

She floats down the aisle

Like a pageant queen.

But I know you wish it was me

You wish it was me (Don't you?)

Don't say yes, run away now

I'll meet you when you're out

Of the church at the back door

Don't wait or say a single vow

You need to hear me out

And they said "speak now"

Don't say yes, run away now

I'll meet you when you're out

 Of the church at the back door

Don't wait or say a single vow

Your time is running out

And they said, "speak now"

Oh Oh Oh! ( say a single vow.... )

I hear the preacher say

"Speak now or forever hold your peace"

There's the silence, there's my last chance

I stand up with shaking hands

All eyes on me

Horrified looks from

Everyone in the room

But I'm only looking at you.

I am not the kind of girl

Who should be rudely barging in

On a white veil occasion

But you are not the kind of boy

Who should be marrying the wrong girl!

( Ha! )
So don't say yes, run away now

I'll meet you when you're out

Of the church at the back door

Don't wait or say a single vow

You need to hear me out

And they said, "speak now!—“

Hindi ko na napigilan.

Nag-breakdown nanaman ako kakaiyak.

Ngayon palang namimiss ko na sya.

At sobrang hirap isipin na ganito nalang ang mararamdaman ko for the rest of my
life.

Ano? Araw araw nalang akong iiyak dahil dito?

Pano—

“And I’ll say

Let’s run away now

I’ll meet you when I’m out

Of my tux at the back door”

Who’s that—Pag lingon ko sa likod, lalo akong naiyak.

Anong ginagawa nya dito?

Si Vince...

Umupo sya sa harap ko. Hinawakan nya yung kamay ko.

Oh my god!

“Baby, I didn’t say my vows

So glad you were around when they said

Speak now”

I don’t know what to say.

He’s here. Right in front of me.

Saying... he didn’t say his vows.

“Vince...? Anong ginagawa mo dito?”

“Ah. Kukunin ko lang yung regalo sa’kin ni Marco.” Huh? Regalo...?

Wait...

Oo nga pala! Birthday nya ngayon! :o

“A-Ah. Okay.” Silence. Ano ba.

ARGH! Eto na sya sa harap mo, Odette.

Go! “Uhm, dito honeymoon nyo ni—“

“Baby, I DIDN’T SAY MY VOWS” He sang.

What? So...

“Hindi mo ba itatanong kung anong regalo sa’kin ni Marco?” He suddenly asks. Eyes
rolling.

“A-Ano?”

“Hindi ano. Sino.”

“H-Huh? Sino—AAAHHHHHH!”

Shocks!

Bigla nya nalang akong dinaganan. I mean, binalak daganan.

But before he did, syempre umiwas ako, umatras ako.

Hanggang sa napahiga ako.

At pumaibabaw sya sakin.

“Ikaw.”

O_O

Before I could utter a word, or react an expression, or—

BEFORE I COULD DO A THING...

Hinalikan nya na ‘ko.

And the next thing I knew...

Hindi ako natalo ni Charlene.

Still, I have the best thing I could have in this world.

And that is...

Vince Marcelo Alvarez.

He parted.

“Do you know what?” He asked.

“What?”

“I’m yours; and you’re mine.”

I smiled.

“FOREVER.”

PS:

Alam ko mabilis ang mga pangyayari.

Pero... ayoko nang umarte!

Binalikan na ‘ko e, aarte pa ba ‘ko?

‘Wag na! Baka mawala pa ulit.

PPS:

Don’t worry!

Hindi ito ang huli.

***

A/N: AWWWWWWWWWW! TAPOS NAAAAAAAA :(

I can't believe it. Natapos ko na sya. Akala ko never na ulit ako makakatapos ng
story after ng Steal You Away e. But this. Yes! Haha.

Bago ang lahat, how was it? Kamusta naman ang ending ng MaVince? Syempre niloloko
ko lang kayo na hindi happy ending 'no! Love ko kaya MaVince! <3 <3

May aaminin ako sa inyo. Naiyak ako nung biglang sinundan ni Vince yung kanta ni
Odette! Kilig, lungkot, saya, excitement. Lahat lahat na! Waaaah!

Okay ayoko na.

So, MADAMING MADAMING SALAMAT sa mga readers na nagbabasa pa din nito. I know hindi
kayo ganun kadami, but still, thank you! Nagbigay kayo ng time for this. Super
thanks!

Ano na? Akala nyo goodbye na? Na-uh! Magbabalik pa po ang Campus Royalties. :) Pero
bago ko sila ibalik, magpopost muna ulit ako ng short story. Ito ay ang... As Long
As You Love Me. :) Basahin nyo ha? After that story, ibabalik ko na ang Campus
Royalties! Yey!

Again, thanks for reading. <3 <3 <3

xoxo THISNIE