Sunburned Heart (Costa Leona Series #8) ]

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[ 1 SunburnedHeartCostaLeona8 ]

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the
products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Do not distribute, publish, transmit, modify, display or create derivative works from or exploit the
contents of this story in any way. Please obtain permission.

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Warning: Some themes are not suitable for 18y/o below. Read at your own risk!

[ 2 Simula ]

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Simula

Have you ever screwed your life so bad that you don't know how to even continue living it?
Sa nangingilid na mga luha, lumabo ang paningin ko habang tinatanaw ang pangalawang stick. Kanina,
matindi pa ang lakas ko, hindi pa nawawalan ng pag-asa. Ngayon, nanginginig na ang aking mga kamay
at gusto ko na lang sumigaw at umiyak.

The two lines of the pregnancy test is very, very visible. It is very undeniable, unlike my first try.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang gagawin ko. Sa sobrang ligalig ng pag-iisip ko ngayon, halos hindi na ako
makahinga ng maayos.

Tumulo ang luha ko at humikbi na lang sa loob ng bathroom, taking everything all in.

It is no ones fault but mine. I want to say that all along, it's my mother's fault. She dragged me in this
town to get away from my supposed bad influence boyfriend. Ang totoo, hindi niya kasalanan. Ako lang
ang may kasalanan sa lahat ng ito.

"Ma'am Amber?" isang katok ang narinig ko galing sa pintuan. "Nasa baba na po ang breakfast n'yo."

"Susun-nod na lang po ako!" I shouted wearily.

I am pregnant. That explains why for five consecutive days, I wake up in the morning to vomit. Unang
araw pa lang, kinabahan na ako. But I thought it's all just because I am not feeling very well for the past
weeks.

Walang gana akong naupo sa hapag, hindi man lang ginagalaw ang pagkain. I have no choice but to go to
him and tell him. Wala na akong pakealam kung may mahal man siyang iba. I won't tell him that just
because I want him back. I want to inform him at hanggang doon na lang iyon.

It's horrifying to imagine my mother's reaction. Sa dami-dami ng kapalpakang ko para sa kanya, ito na
ang pinakamatindi.

I sighed calmly and thought of it clearly. I will tell him first. He's the father. I must tell him.

May bumubulong sa akin na sulusyunan ko itong mag-isa. Hindi ko na lang ipapaalam sa kanya pero
alam kong malalaman at malalaman niya rin iyon. My mother will never give them peace once she
learned of it. So I am off to tell them about it.

"Tapos ka na ba, Ma'am?" tanong ng kasambahay nang nakitang halos hindi ko na naman ginalaw ang
almusal.

"Oo. Maglalakad-lakad lang muna ako sa dalampasigan. Pakisabi kay Mommy kapag naghanap," sabi ko.

"Sige po, Ma'am."

Nilakad ko ang dalampasigan galing sa aming mansyon patungo sa The Coast Hotel. It was another fine
day for everyone on a holiday. The blazing hot sun is as happy as everyone. Hindi ako makapaniwala na
sa dagat ng mga taong ito, nandito ako, kabado at problemado para sa aking sarili.
My mother's ambitions for me were instilled in my head even when I was little. She wants me to become
a social butterfly so I took art classes and ballets to be a prim and proper lady at an early age. High
school came and she enrolled me in modeling agencies that lead me to pageants. I won a prestigious
national teenage pageant just a couple of year ago, when I was still sixteen. She was happy about it but
she never want me to join more. She said... it's "cheap". Imbes, gusto niyang mas pagbutihin ko sa
pagmomodelo.

How I got here was both our doing. I was so stubborn while she's too strict.

Now where did it get me, huh?

KInagat ko ang pang-ibabang labi ko habang tinatahak ang matitinik na rock formation na pumapagitna
sa The Coast at sa mahaba pang dalampasigan ng Costa Leona.

On our hotel, the sea is peaceful and without any boat in sight. Beyond the rock formations are the
many boats of the fishermen of Costa Leona's people. Kahit naka tsinelas, nararamdaman ko pa ring
sobrang sakit ng bawat apak ko.

Puwede naman akong magkotse at umikot na lang pero alam kong maaalerto si Mommy at hindi ako
matutuloy kung sakali. This way is also a short cut to the home of a man I never thought would change
my whole life in a blink.

Hirap na hirap ako sa pagtatahak na kahit tanaw ko na dapat ang mga kabahayan, hindi ako makatingin
dahil pinagbubutihan kong hindi ma sugatan. I failed, though. I can now see two or three showing up
wounds.

"Ah!"

I squatted when I made it all four. The fourth is the biggest and the most bloody. Hinawakan ko ang paa
at pumikit ako ng mariin sa sakit.

I heard a laugh from the shore dahilan ng pag-angat naman ng tingin ko. Hindi na bago sa akin ang
tanawin na madalas kong nakita ilang linggo na ang nakalilipas. Bumalik ako sa pagtayo at agad akong
nahilo, for some reason.