LILY JUST GAVE OLIVER A STARE. She didn't initiate anything, but she already readied herself. Wala siyang ideya kung bakit nasa kanyang harapan ang lalaki. Wala siyang maisip na dahilan para lumapit ito sa kanya. Why he was also in this place was none of her concern at all.

Humakbang ito patagilid, umupo sa kabilang dulo ng bench. Oliver left a space between them similar metaphorically with the way he did in their relationship years ago. All Lily could hear where small hushed voices, footsteps and streams of water shooting up and down on the fountain.

Nanatiling diretso sa harap ang kanyang tingin. Buo na ang kanyang pasyang manatili sa kinauupuan. Hihintayin niya si Jared at hindi aalis dito anuman ang mangyari. She made Jared wait for her in vain before, at Belgium. Hinding-hindi na niya hahayaang mangyari pa iyon ulit. Lalo na kung ang magiging dahilan na naman ang Oliver na ito.

"Lily," Oliver finally spoke, his head faced her direction.

Hindi niya sinalubong ang tingin nito. Hindi rin niya sinagot. But her peripheral vision caught glimpse of how Oliver was doing on his side of the bench. All of a sudden, he moved. May balak umusog ang lalaki para tumabi pa sa kanya.

Mabilis na nilapag ni Lily ang shoulder bag sa pagitan nila. That blocked his attempt from sliding closer to her. Siyang lingon ni Lily kay Oliver. She gave him an emotionless gaze.

"What do you want, Oliver?"

Mataman muna siya nitong tinitigan. Tinimbang bago nagkaroon ng lakas ng loob tumugon.

"How are you?"

"I'm doing great," maluwag niyang ngiti rito. "How about you? And how's Gretchen?"

Napunta sa harap ang tingin ng lalaki. It's so easy to say you're fine even when you're not. Lily could not understand why Oliver could not come up with any response. He just pulled a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Ilan na ang anak ninyo? The last time, panganay niyo pa lang 'yon, 'di ba? 'Yong dinadala niya nung iniwan mo ako at pinili mo siya?"

Napatingin sa kanya si Oliver. Ano pa ba ang hinahanap ng mga mata nito sa kanyang mukha? Was he searching for any hint of bitterness? Was he trying to find pain in her eyes? An uncertainty in her smile?

"How could you be so casual about it?" Oliver's voice trickled.

"Casual about what?" she sighed.

"After all that I did to you, how could you talk to me like that?" something writ in Oliver's eyes. For Lily, it looked like pain. But she just would not buy it. Why would Oliver hurt in this conversation?

Her voice remained steady through her confusion. Hindi lang niya makuha kung bakit ganoon kung makaakto ang kanyang kausap.

"Talk like what?"

His Adam's apple dragged slightly. Oliver braved himself. "Talk like nothing happened in the past."

"Shouldn't I be the one who wonders about that?" she slightly tilted her body toward Oliver's direction. "I mean, ikaw ang unang lumapit sa akin. Saan mo nakuha ang lakas ng loob na lapitan ako? After all the shit you've done to me?"

He released a breath, as if he was tortured deep inside. "I just took a leap of faith, to be honest with you."

She doesn't really care. But at the same time, she didn't want to be rude with him. Kapag nagsimula na kasi siyang ma-badtrip, baka maapektuhan niyon ang kanyang mood mamaya sa date nila ni Jared. Ayaw naman ni Lily na mangyari iyon. Ayaw niyang mapagbuntunan si Jared ng anumang pagkabahalang nararamdaman niya ngayon.

"Now, can you please answer my question? Ano'ng kailangan mo at nilapitan mo ako?"

Binuhusan ito ng pagkapahiya. Nag-iwas ng tingin sa kanya si Oliver. Parang tanga ang lalaki na matapos maglakas-loob lumapit sa kanya, hindi naman masabi-sabi kung ano ang gusto nitong mangyari.

Or was it because he already got what he wanted? Nagpapapansin lang ba itong bobo na 'to? Nilapitan ba siya nito para tingnan kung maaapektuhan pa rin siya rito? Nagsisimula na siyang makaramdam ng inis. Nilapitan ba siya ng hayop na ito para guluhin na naman ang kanyang buhay?

Okay na siya. Hindi na niya ito kailangan pa sa buhay niya.

Pero higit sa lahat, hindi pwedeng magkita si Oliver at Jared.

Sinagot ni Oliver ang kanyang tanong. "You're alone, so I thought you'll need company."

She wheezed. Oo, alam niya, napakawalanghiya ng kanyang ginawa pero anong magagawa niya? She just could not help her mocking laugh. Naguguluhang napatingin tuloy si Oliver sa kanya.

"What a lame excuse. Ikaw ang may kailangan kaya nilapitan mo ako, tapos palalabasin mong lumapit ka sa akin dahil kailangan ko? Dahil kailangan ko ng kasama?" unti-unting humupa ang kanyang tawa, pero nanatili ang nakakaasar na ngisi sa kanyang mga labi. Nakakatawang isiping hindi nagbago ang lalaki. Na ang mga ginagawa nito, laging sinisisi sa ibang tao.

Sa kanya.

Na kesyo ganito siya kaya nagawa nito ang ganito. Na kesyo ganito ang ginawa at sinabi niya, kaya napilitan si Oliver na sabihin o gawin ang ganito-ganyan.

"Look, Oliver," hilig ni Lily ng ulo, "I'm meeting someone here. And his company is all that I need."

Nagbaba ito ng tingin, tumango-tango. Pa-sadboi. She would emphatize if he was being genuine, but after Oliver cheated on her and accused her of killing their child, Lily could not bring herself to believe anything he says or does. She just couldn't.

"Now leave that seat," she commanded, collecting back her grace. "I don't want him to think that I am entertaining an ex."

Oliver's shoulders moved, making him lean forward. He almost pushed himself off the seat. Pero pinigilan din nito ang sarili. Tumuwid ulit ang upo nito at hinarap siya.

"These past few years, I have realized some things, Lily," pumilit nitong makipagtitigan sa kanya. "I should have held on a little longer. I shouldn't have let boredom and familiarity get the best of me."

Now what is going on here? Tungkol saan na itong mga pinagsasasabi ni Oliver sa kanya?

Bumalik ang mabilis na pagpapapalit-palit ng ilaw ng fountain.

"I thought our relationship was going nowhere that time," paliwanag nito. "It's always in favor of you. Lahat ng ginagawa natin, ikaw lang ang napapasaya. Pero ako hindi. It's been the same things every single day. I thought living in with you would change things. But it didn't. And yet, I chose to stay because if I were to be with the woman I love, I should just deal with it. With days like that— boring, familiar and on repeat. Then, I met Gretchen. She's someone new. Someone I have no idea who. She kept me thinking about her all the damn time. That alone started to excite me. She made me feel the excitement that became rare when I started being familiar with our relationship, with you, with our routines. Gretchen and I did different things. Different from the things we always do every passing day. She made me feel so alive by bringing that excitement, I thought it must be because that's what true love does. That the person you really love is the one who excites you every single day. So, I believed that it's her that I really love."

At saka lang napansin ni Oliver na nasa kalagitnaan na siya ng pagche-check ng smartphone. Nagtext kasi sa kanya si Jared na nasa parking lot na ito. Maglalakad na papunta sa meeting point nila. Lily lifted her head, a little clueless how long Oliver had been silent.

Gumusot ang mukha nito. "Are you even listening to me?"

"I can't shut my ears, Oliver. Kaya huwag kang mag-alala. Walang nakaligtas sa pandinig ko sa mga sinabi mo," pagtatapos niya sa binabasang text.

"Gretchen and I were already through. Dalawang taon na."

"That's sad," balik niya ng smartphone sa shoulder bag. Medyo nakaka-guilty dahil wala siyang nararamdaman nang sabihin iyon. She wasn't happy about their separation, but she wasn't also sad about their situation. Wala lang talaga siyang pakialam. "That's so sad, because she's your true love. She excites you every day, right?"

Her head remained lowered, watching her hands shove the smartphone in her bag.

"You should know that I still love you, Lily."

Oliver was about to reach for her hand, in that way, he could seal all her attention towards him. Pero bago pa siya nito maabot, may boses nang pumigil dito.

"Don't you dare touch her. Hanggang tingin ka na lang sa kanya. She's already mine."

Nag-angat siya agad ng tingin, napunta iyon kay Jared na nasa bandang likuran ni Oliver. Pumihit si Oliver mula sa kinauupuan at sindak na hinarap ang direksyon ni Jared. Napatingala ito dahil nakatayo ang binatang pumigil sa tangka nitong pag-abot sa kanyang kamay.

Tumayo agad si Lily mula sa kinauupuan. Gumapang ang takot sa buo niyang katawan.

She just said it to herself that Oliver and Jared should not meet.

Never. Ever.

Kailangan na nilang umalis ni Jared.

She already wanted to rush toward Jared, but her legs froze in place. All she could do was stare and wait for Jared to speak once more. To move. To react.

How she wished she could read his mind right now. Jared was looking down on Oliver, composed and well-pulled together. His stature was cold and alpha in his black pair of pants paired with a white button-down short-sleeved shirt. Jared opted for a semi-casual effect— the unbuttoned upper part of his shirt, white shirt with speckled blue uneven dotted patterns, the navy blue leather wristwatch and tousled dark wavy hair.

Siyang tayo ni Oliver mula sa kinauupuan. Tumalikod si Oliver sa kanya, pumorma na para bang humaharang para protektahan siya mula kay Jared. When in fact, it was Jared who was doing that protecting job for her right now. Oliver wore a white hoodie that hung on his body loosely. His jeans were faded blue.

"Lily is not a property for you to claim ownership to," mabigat na harap ni Oliver kay Jared.

Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ni Jared. "We don't have to be so literal. Just read between the lines, you'll know what I mean. Or is your imagination and vocabulary too limited to do that?"

At tinanaw siya agad ni Jared. His eyes checked if she was alright. Naglayo ang mga kilay nito, senyales na medyo nakahinga ng maluwag nang makitang mukhang ayos naman siya. Lily tried to spoke to him through her eyes. Ang gusto lang niya ay umalis na silang dalawa sa lugar na ito at maghanap ng makakainang restaurant.

"Who are you?" may hangin sa mapatutsadang tono ni Oliver.

"I should be asking that. You're the one who came here uninvited," Jared responded coldly as his eyes shifted towards Oliver. He muttered slowly and lowly, "Who are you?"

Umangas ang mukha ni Oliver. Sasagutin na sana nito si Jared nang tabigin niya.

Pumagitan siya sa mga ito. Mabilis niyang hinablot sa kamay si Jared at tiningala ang binata.

"Jared, can we just go?"

Pagdating sa kanya, nag-iba na ang tono nito. He spoke caringly as he lowered his gaze to meet her round eyes, a sparkling amber beer against the glistening lighting from the fountain.

"Nandito na ako. Wala ka nang dapat ikatakot. Go on and give this man a piece of your mind."

She sighed. "Pwede ba, Jared? It's not worth it. Let's just go."

"He just wants to know who I am, Lily. What are you scared of?" sabat ni Oliver sa kanyang likuran.

Nag-iinit ang ulo na hinarap niya ito. "Bakit ka ba nandito? You see that I am already doing well now, huh? Kaya ano? Guguluhin mo ang buhay ko? You get the knack of watching my life crumble over and over again?"

"Stop overreacting. Anong masama kung magpakilala ako rito sa kasama mo?" tapat nito sa pagtataas ng kanyang boses.

Lily turned to Jared. She wanted him to protect her, to just whisk her away from the most terrible person she ever had in her life— someone she never wanted to encounter ever again.

Pero saglit lang na dumaplis ang mga mata nila sa isa't isa. Nag-iwas ng tingin si Jared dahil dama nito ang mga mata ni Oliver rito.

"I'm Oliver Sandoval," pangunguna ng kanyang magaling na ex.

"I'm Jared Guillermo."

"Great," Lily interrupted. "Now he knows you, Oliver. Pwede na ba kaming umalis?" At niyakap niya ang isang braso ni Jared. "Let's go, Jared."

Nanunukat ang tingin ni Jared kay Oliver bago siya nilingon. His eyes would glare at Oliver, but soften their gaze when they land on her. Lily's heart skipped when Jared pulled a small, reassuring smile on his lips— all just for her.

"Let's go."

"Bye," bato niya kay Oliver kasabay ng huling sulyap para hindi na ito magsalita pa ng kung ano at magtigil na.

Nakatalikod na sila nang magpahabol si Oliver.

"I'm Lily's ex."

She decided to ignore it. Nagulat siya dahil nabatak siya pabalik ni Jared. Huminto kasi ito sa paglakad, kabaligtaran ng pagdire-diretso ng kanyang mga hakbang.

Lalo siyang binundol ng kaba nang silipin ang mukha ni Jared.

Ang pagdidilim ng anyo nito.

"In case you need some advice on how to please her," nakakalokong ngisi ni Oliver, "you can consult me."

Manginig-nginig siya sa galit. Hindi makapili si Lily kung alin sa mga tumatakbo sa isip ang gagawin. She wanted to walk back and give Oliver a slap across his thick, hard shameless face. At the same time, she wanted to grasp Jared's hand firmly, tell him to cool down as she pulls her away from her devil ex. Lily also wanted to just sink down to earth.

Lily was only left to hope that Jared would take her away.

But her heart sank when he turned his heel. Tangay-tangay siya ni Jared sa pagpihit nito paharap kay Oliver. This uncomfortable silence between the three of them while Jared and Oliver shot daggers of stares at each other... it made the falling water droplets from the fountains sound like shattering knives of ice.

"Lily can be pretty reckless," patuloy ni Oliver, nasa mga mata ang pagyayabang. "If you know her history about men and having a baby—"

"Shut up!" she snapped, gaining shocked glances from the two.

Bumitaw siya kay Jared at dinuro si Oliver.

"How dare you talk about me as if I wasn't here," she sneered.

"Why?" maang-maangan ng gago. "Takot ka bang malaman niya ang totoo? You're already dating that man without letting him know everything about you?" Oliver's eyes went past her shoulder, landed on Jared's stoic face. "Do you know everything about this woman that you're dating, Jared? Baka magbago ang isip mo kapag nalaman mo ang totoo tungkol sa kanya."

Naghahamon ang mayabang nitong ngisi. Knowing that Jared is this matured and reasonable kind of person, dapat niyang ipanatag ang loob na hindi nito papatulan ang mga kababawan ni Oliver.

Hindi sumagot si Jared. Pero ang nakakatakot ay parang naghihintay itong magpatuloy sa pagsasalita si Oliver. Iyon ay dahil hindi ito natitinag sa kinatatayuan.