🌺

four years after

"These are great, Georgina. I'm really impressed with your designs!"

George smiled as the head architect of Altierra Limited commended her designs. She mixed oriental and contemporary for the project so she wasn't so sure if they'd like it or not. But thankfully, they did. She also took some advice from the junior engineer of the company who showed her around the project while it was still being constructed.

"Good job," ani pa nito and smiled. "But of course there will be some minor adjustments depending on the availability of materials so we'd still need your expertise."

"That wouldn't be a problem," she answered smiling back. "Just give me a call and I'd be happy to drop by any time."

The meeting ended with both sides satisfied with the terms. She smiled at Engineer Matsunaga who was such a huge help to her.

"I'll treat you for a drink mamaya, Arika," she said as they stepped out of the conference room. Wala na ang mga head so she was free to talk casually with her. "You can't say no to me like last time. I'll strangle that yes out of you. Or that killjoy boyfriend of yours."

Tumawa naman ang babae sa sinabi niya. Arika Matsunaga is a junior Engineer here in Altierra. She has such a wonderful and free-spirited soul that somewhat reminded her of Lia who was currently in Spain for her masteral. She's also travelling throughout Europe alone.

Lia asked her countless times if she could join her but she always pushed the idea back as she did not have the same courage as her best friend. Ate Sadie and Audrey parted ways when the former entered law school. Masyado na daw silang busy so they didn't have enough time for each other that caused them to drift apart. Sadie was in the US while Audrey's in Singapore. She was all alone in Manila and she misses friends. Kaya siguro grabe siya kung makapag-cling din dito kay Aki.

She graduated a few years ago and decided to make her own design consultancy firm instead of working for one. Her dad let her do what she wanted since he did say he could still handle their company. He also assured her that he won't pressure her into doing what she didn't really like.

"You could just marry a man who knows his was in the business world," he would always tease.

She already had the right man for that and he's also currently handling his own company. But sadly, she already gave up on that one. She wasn't even that sure if he even remembered her after staying abroad for quite a while.

According to Jarvis--and sometimes Box, Dos stayed in the US right after his graduation. Minsan ay bumibisita naman ito sa Pilipinas pero he'd only stay for a few days or a week max. During important occasions lang madalas. She never got the chance to meet with him during his visits. And when she goes to Seattle or in New York, he'd avoid her like plague.

"Wag na wag mong idadamay ang bebe ko dito," Aki jokingly warned. "Isang beses lang kitang na-indyan dahil sa jowa ko, Horhe. Kung tutuusin nga na eh dapat siya ang ma-badtrip sa'yo eh. Pinagseselosan ka nung tao."

"It's not my fault that you named me 'Horhe' on your phone," she chuckled. "You even added a heart. Sinong boyfriend ang hindi maghihinala? And you haven't introduced us yet!"

"Sobrang busy nga kasi," she reasoned out again making her roll her eyes. "Bayani ng sambayanan ang jowa ko kaya mahirap talaga hagilapin 'yon. Pero wag ka mag-alala. Kapag nagduda pa siya, ihaharap na kita sa kanya. Sabihin ko pa, 'Eto nga pala si Horhe, ang kabit ko. Kabahan ka na nagsesend ng nudes 'yan unlike you'."

"Arika!" naeeskandalong pigil niya dito but she was laughing. "You're so bastos!"

Tumawa lang ito as she walked her towards the main entrance of the building. Susunduin siya ni Red dahil coding ngayon ang kotse niya.

"Itetext kita kapag free ako mamaya," Aki said as they stood sa may lobby. She'll wait there for her brother. "Inom na inom na din kasi talaga ako sis. Busy mga friendships ko magpayama--"

Arika was cut off when her phone suddenly rang. Kitang-kita niya kung paano lumiwanag ang mukha nito when she saw the screen.

"Panget!" she answered with a high-pitched voice. Aki called her boyfriend ugly pero halatang kinikilig naman ito. Or was she just really looking forward to talk to him. "Ano? Pupunta ka? Bakit? Anong meron?"

She smiled. She misses that. The feeling of being in love.

She tried to date other people naman. Pero kahit nga ang magka-crush sa iba, she can't seem to do. She'd always find a flaw in them or unconsciously compare them to him. In short, she was doomed to be alone for the rest of her life.

"Uy, Horhe! Andito daw si jowabels. Gusto mo ba makilala karibal mo sa puso ko?" Arika asked straight. Napatingin tuloy siya sa teleponong nasa tenga pa rin nito.

"Sure," she said chuckling. It's about time na din siguro na matapos na ang pang-paprank nito sa boyfriend nito. Aki's such a big bundle of joy. "Red's not here pa naman."

"Great!" bulalas nito and immediately turned her attention back to the phone. "Oo nga. Magtutuos na kayo finally. Nasan ka ba?"

Napatingin siya sa may labasan. Saktong may isang itim na luxury car na papalapit sa main entrance. Her heart suddenly stopped. It was a Porsche. And it looked too familiar.

"Ay ayan! Nakikita na kita--"

Before Aki could walk towards the door, pinigilan niya ito. Her hands were shaking and her heart was pounding so hard. Her knees felt weak but she managed to stand up firmly.

"Is... Is your boyfriend... um..."

Hindi niya magawang mabanggit ang pangalan ni Dos. It felt so painful just by even thinking about it. He has a girlfriend? What about her?

"I-Is your boyfriend a .. a Montecillo?"

"Hala. Pano mo nalaman sis?" Aki's eyes grew wide. "Ini-istalk mo 'ko 'no?"

Her heart dropped. It dropped on the paved floor and shattered into a thousand pieces.

Arika... Arika is with Dos. Si Dos nga ang tinutukoy nito.

Her grip slowly loosened as she suddenlt lost all her stength. Arika's forehead creased and looked at her intently. Dahan-dahan nitong binaba ang telepono.

"George? Okay ka lang? Namumutla ka--"

"I-I..." She took a step back and cleared her throat. "I-I'm fine. I suddenly forgot that I still have a consultation meeting to attend to. Pasensya ka na, Aki. Raincheck na lang muna, ha? I'll... I'll just call you."

She didn't give Arika the chance to stop her as she hurriedly ran out of the building and hailed a cab. She heard someone call her name but she didn't look. Dire-diretso lang siya at pumasok sa loob ng taxi.

"Saan po tayo ma'am--"

"J-Just drive," she said with her voice shaking and her tears slowly falling on her cheeks. "Just get me out of here, please."

🌺

"Apat na taon na, Georgina. What do you expect? Mamuhay siya na parang isang monghe?"

Lia scolded her over facetime. She was already feeling terrible but her best friend seems to have found it a habit to torture her even more.

"I know, I know," she said--still crying. "But am I not be allowed to be sad? Or iyakan siya? It hurts! And the girl he's with pa is a good friend mine!"

Kitang-kita niya how Lia rolled her eyes at her. She pouted.

"Lia naman eh," she whined. "Can't you see that I'm crying? Have some emphaty naman!"

"Okay fine!" her best friend surrendered. But she clearly look like she had enough. "Sige, iyakan mo 'yung gagong 'yon. Sayangin mo luha mo sa kanya. Pero George, tumigil ka na sa kakahabol sa taong ayaw naman sa'yo. Wag ka magpakatanga diyan. He clearly doesn't care about you anymore."

Inilayo niya ang tingin mula sa screen. Alam naman niya 'yon eh. Gustong gusto niya nang tumigil umasa pero hindi niya magawa. For the past four years she had tried her best to convince herself that he didn't love him anymore. But every single time she tried, she failed. She was hopelessly in love with Dos Montecillo. It was like she's sick. Love sick.

Is there even a cure for this?

"Georgina naman eh..." Lia's voice was already pleading. "I don't like seeing you hurt like this."

But that's the thing. Getting hurt is part of loving. That's when you'll know it's real.

She and Lia talked the whole night until she fell asleep. Lia told her tons of stories about her travels and her adventures in Europe. Naikot na daw nito ang Milan, Paris at Rome. And sunod na balak daw nitong puntahan ay ang Santorini. Nag-promise pa ito na tatawag para naman daw kunwari ay kasama niya itong umiikot sa lugar.

She just chuckled and agreed to it but at the same time, she kinda felt jealous because she couldn't fully commit into settling somewhere else. And maybe a big part of that was because of Dos. Again.

Her day started the usual way only today, she woke up a bit late. Her daily routine mainly consisted of eating breakfast, doing yoga, answering emails from her clients and making design sketches. Kapag di siya tinatamad, she'd add up going to different furniture stores to hunt down unique pieces she can use.

She bumped into Jarvis that day.

"What? A girlfriend?" nagtatakang tanong nito as they were having some drinks at a local bar. "I didn't know he had a girlfriend."

"Maybe he just didn't want to tell you guys," she said while trying to sound casual and unaffected. "Masyado pa naman kayong makukulit so he chose to hide it."

"Many girls claim to be Dos' girlfriend, Rhi," anito with his forehead still scrunched up. "But as far as I know, he doesn't have one. He refuses to have one."

There it was again. Hope. She hated it.

"Why?" she asked but immediately regretted it. She's getting dumber as the hope inside her heart intensified. "He's not a monk, is he? So bakit ayaw niya sa mga girls? Is he... is he gay?"

"What? No!" tanggi agad ni Jarvis. Tumawa pa nga ito. "Dos is straight. He's still so in love with you--"

It was too late for Jarvis to take what he said back as she had already hear it loud and clear. So who's Aki in his life? Why was he with Aki instead of her?

"Did he... did he say that?" she asked him making the latter heave a sigh and nod. "Then... why can't he be with me?"

"It's complicated--"

"No it's not!" She was frustrated again. "It's either he loves me or not. And if you love a person, nothing should stop you from being with that person."

Totoo naman iyon. Kung mahal mo ang isang tao, walang dapat na makapagpigil sa'yo na makasama ang taong 'yon. And it's not like she didn't feel the same way about him. Kelan ba nito marerealize na mahal na mahal niya pa rin ito kahit paulit-ulit siya nitong itulak palayo? When she's already with someone else?

"George, love is a complicated thing--"

"No," she immediately cut him off. "Love is simple. You guys just tend to complicate things kaya nasasabi niyo 'yan."

She was aware of Jarvis' current situation with the girl he had loved for the longest time. Apparently, they got together at the wrong time and things got messy causing the girl to leave him. He could've just resigned and followed her to wherever she was but he didn't. He just occasionally shows up around the girl's neighborhood to check up on her like a freakin' stalker. He even made this spare SNS account just to be able to talk to her.

"So when will you guys realize that, huh?" she asked again. "Kapag madaming oras na ang nasayang? O kapag nawala na kami sainyo?"

Jarvis froze on his seat and then he shook his head before sipping his drink again. "Maybe."

She sighed. Boys. They push you away tapos kapag may other guy na, magseselos sila--

Right there and then, the alcohol in her drink kicked in. An ingenious idea suddenly struck her.

"Jarvis," she called making him turn towards her. Her lips curved into a diabolical smile.

If Dos can't admit that he loved her, then she'll make him.

"How'd you like it if I were to make you my boyfriend?"

🌺

THE ALBUM out now!