"... Hello?"

Natigilan si Carter. His voice was deep and a bit rough, a clear indication that he woke up not that long ago. Unlike his hyper chats, it seemed quiet and shy.

"Hello." bati niya balik at pinikit ang mata.

She has no idea why she kept herself awake until 1 am. Inaantok na siya kaninang eleven, pero pinagpatuloy niya ang panonood ng mga videos. Maybe she's still a bit bothered by her conversation with Claude? Siguro nga. Mas katanggap-tanggap na dahilan 'yon.

She was expecting a verbal response, pero ang narinig niya ay isang hagikhik. For some reason, that brought a small smile to her face.

"Is my voice funny?" she asked, with the intention of teasing.

Rook sputtered, his laugh immediately halting and clearing his throat.

"Hindi ah, ano... Kinilig lang ako, Carter."

She rolled her eyes. But now that she heard his voice, it was easy to imagine what all his text sounds like. Lalo na iyong nagiging alien na ang typings niya.

"Ganda ng boses mo."

His whisper almost made her face hot, but she successfully summoned a defensive block.

"Must I return the compliment to you too?"

"No, no, no. Gusto ko lang sabihin 'yon kay bossmam." mahina siyang tumawa. "Anong ginagawa mo?"

"Talking to you."

"Except that?"

"Trying to sleep."

"Ba't 'di ka makatulog? Dahil sa ex mo?"

Carter paused. It was the most appropriate answer but... "I don't know."

"Kung 'di mo alam... baka nga dahil sa ex mo-" he made a suspenseful pause. "-o hinihintay mo ang reply ko! Ayiee, Carter, ha. I'm touched."

"Mm." the only answer she could offer, thinking about his words hard.

"Oh, so sa ex mo? Ano ba pinag-usapan niyo?"

Her face went blank. "Are you dumb?"

"Ano na naman?!" he exclaimed, offended. "Ba't naging dumb bigla ako, Carter?!"

Pinili na lang niyang huwag i-entertain 'yon. Let the man be as dumb as he wishes.

"We... We just cleared things up." panimula niya, pilit na tinataboy ang sagot na napili sa tanong ni Rook kanina. "He explained his side to me and I listened. Kagaya ng gusto ng mga tao sa paligid ko."

"Did his explanation make sense?"

"Maybe. But it doesn't excuse his cheating."

Huminga siya ng malalim.

"We broke up... three years ago. We've been together for five years, simula noong highschool hanggang senior high. It was at the beginning of college that we fell apart because we were too busy adjusting to things. Kailangan kong sumabay sa daloy ng kurso ko at scholarship, while he has to meet all the other people's expectation. Hindi pa nakatulong na magkaiba kami ng school. The heavy university load fed our stress and took away our time, hanggang sa namalayan nalang naming 'di na kami nag-uusap for months."

"Mm..."

"But we still kept in touch. We ranted to each other. We called each other during free hours at night to check up. Then... Dad had a small accident, making him incapable of running our repair shop. Dahil matagal na niya akong tinuruan do'n, I juggled the work there with my school works. Mas lalo akong nawalan ng time sa kaniya."

"Hindi niya ba alam?"

"I told him. But unfortunately, it's as if a hundred of storms hit us, dahil nagkasakit ang mama niya. Her disease was grievous. And so it damaged him, physically, emotionally, and mentally. He said that's when it started. Ang palagi niyang pag-iinom, pagpaparty kasama si Kuya, and a few days after his mom died, when he couldn't get hold of me, he got drunk in a party and woke up with another woman in the bed."

"What the fuck."

"He said he's sorry because he was just lonely and..." Carter laughed without humor. "Was it my fault then? Because I didn't have the time to grieve with him dahil may mga problema din ako? I was planning on visiting him during weekends. I'd close the shop and stay with him. But the day that I was about to go, doon ko nalaman na binugbog siya ni Kuya. Then I found out about it."

"It's not your fault, Carter. He was the one who cheated. It was his choice. Hindi din excuse na drunk siya. Couldn't he have refused the woman sober? Is he not loyal enough that a few shots of alcohol can make him forget he has a girlfriend?"

"Well, maybe alcohol messes with your memory. I don't know. 'Di naman ako umiinom."

"No, Carter, 'cause Ross drinks a lot too. Pero nang main-love ang gago sa kapatid ko, tumigil na sa pagtingin sa ibang babae. There was a time when he got so drunk he can't recognize us, but he actively refused this girl who was clinging to him. May girlfriend na daw siya, e hindi naman siya pinapansin ng kapatid ko!"

Carter smiled when Rook laughed. She's not too bothered about Claude. Matagal na ding panahon 'yon. While spending years on the garage or her dad's shop, she eventually realized that living in the past won't help her grow. It will only remain as that glass wall that prevents her from moving forward. But Carter did not forgive Claude and forget, she just decided to push it away, finding the betrayal as pain that would become her lesson.

Natalie acts as if one conversation with Claude would bring back her feelings. But the reason why she couldn't look at his eyes before wasn't just because she still loved him and their breakup ended badly, but because she was angry that they couldn't talk to solve their problems. And she hated how she wondered if she was enough, or if there was something wrong with her for him to cheat.

Rook went quiet so Carter sighed, relaxing further into her bed.

"I should probably talk to Ross, then. He'd be loyal to me then."

Nagulat siya nang makarinig ng mga gamit na nahulog. At first, she thought it was in her house, but Rook's following curses proved otherwise.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Wala, ano... uh, natumba 'yong upuan. May ghost ata dito, amp. S-Saka! Anong magiging loyal sa'yo si Ross?! Baliw nga 'yon sa kapatid ko!"

"Aww. He sounded sweet and good."

"Mas sweet naman ako sa kaniya," he complained under his breath. "Saka, Carter, at least 'di ako umiinom masyado, 'di ba?"

"Mm."

"As in! Kung hindi sila nag-aaya, 'di din naman ako pumupunta. Tapos kahit na mang-imbita sila minsan, 'di ako sumasama 'pag 'di ko trip. Tsaka 'ko designated driver lagi kasi 'di ako pala-inom!"

"Oh."

"Wala naman kaming pinagkaiba ni Ross, ah. Mas mabait nga lang ako! Masungit kaya 'yon, Carter. 'Di kayo bagay kasi susungitan niyo lang ang isa't isa! Ano na lang mangyayari sa anak niyo kung masungit kayong dalawa? Kapag ako nagka-anak, magiging mabait siya 'gaya sa tatay tapos susundin sa nanay 'yong kasungitan."

"Ah."

"Hindi din kaya ako nakikipaglandian lagi! Iyong nawrong sent ako, kasi nadare ako nina Mal no'n kaya sinunod ko. Kasi dapat din daw tumigil na ako sa pagiging single lagi. Pero happy din ako do'n, hindi dahil sa babae ah, pero kasi na-meet kita!"

"Hmm."

"I mean, hindi naman sa pinupush ko sarili ko sa'yo. Hahaha! Hoy, hindi ko sinasabing ako ha, pero I mean, huwag na si Ross kasi matagal na no'ng mahal ang kapatid ko. Akala nga namin mawawala 'yon dahil ilang taon na ring nasa coma pa rin si Reina, pero 'di pa rin tumitigil si Ross sa pagcheck, sa pagbisita din minsan. Kaya... ano, marami naman diyang mas mabuti pa kay Ross."

"..."

"Kaso... gets ko naman. May kakaibang charisma ata ang mga matataas na mukhang masungit at bentang-benta si Ross sa babae, pero mabenta din ako. Ah, pero, 'di ko sila pinapansin, Carter! Iisa lang bossmam ko at loyal ako sa kaniya!"

"..."

"Oh, 'di ba! Marami din kaya kaming loyal sa'yo, Carter. Ako, 'yong friends mo, saka 'yong pamilya mo na din..."

Lumuwag ang pagkakahawak ni Carter sa phone nang lumalim ang bawat hininga niya.

"Bossmam? Carter?"

Carter turned, making a quiet sound in her sleep, before peacefully dropping out of consciousness again.

"Are you sleeping?" a small chuckle. "I don't know whether to feel glad that you're sleeping or feel offended that you slept in the middle of my rant. Though, hindi naman iyon necessary rant."

Walang sagot sa natutulog na Carter. At the other side of the world, Rook watched his phone intently. A soft smile curved on his lips as he imagined her sleeping soundly in her room, as she resign from the weight of reality and escape from her problems.

Inilapit niya ang phone sa labi, pushing away the thought of kissing it and instead whispering in the gentlest voice.

"Sleep tight, my lady."