"Buenviejo... As in, Ervic Buenviejo? Si Ervic ang tatay ni Zac?"

"I don't know, Mira." I was pretty sure Vren's gobsmacked expression mirrored my own. "It can't be, but..."

Matagal ding walang nagsalita sa amin. We just stared at the writing on the back of Zac's tiny photo, still lying on my boyfriend's palm. I know what his silence meant — he was desperately trying to make sense of our shocking discovery... of the fact that Ate Bella cheated on him with one of his best friends.

"Vren, sigurado ka bang sulat-kamay ni Ate Bella 'yan?" I eventually asked. After all, there still might be a tiny chance that we were getting this all wrong.

"Yeah." He nodded, and what little doubt I had vanished. "I borrowed Bella's notes a million times during college. I'm pretty sure this is her handwriting."

"Okay. Okay." I fanned myself, flustered. "So, ito na nga ang sagot sa problema natin. Mukhang alam na natin kung sino ang ituturong ama ni Zac. Wala na naman tayong ibang kilala na Buenviejo, 'di ba?"

"Yup. Only Ervic-fucking-Buenviejo." Vren chuckled darkly. "What the hell."

"Pero siyempre, kailangan pa rin nating makasiguro. We don't want another false alarm," I said, hoping I sounded reasonable enough for Vren to listen. I knew that any moment from now, his anger would surface, and it was making me apprehensive. "Ano na ang susunod nating gagawin? Do we talk to Ervic now?"

"Good idea. I want to hear the truth from him — to know how he had the guts to fool around with Bella and make me look like a complete idiot." He clenched his fist, something that didn't escape my sharp sight. Then he started to walk away.

"Uy, teka! Parang hindi lang naman pakikipag-usap ang balak mong gawin kay Ervic, ah!" I still kept my voice low to avoid waking up Zac, but it didn't hide how frantic I felt. "Vren, halika nga muna rito!"

"Mira, I need to talk to him. Now."

"Sabi nang teka lang, e!" I grabbed his arm, forcing him to look back at me. "Hindi ba pwedeng bukas mo na siya kausapin? Kumalma ka muna!"

"This can't wait until tomorrow." Vren let out a sharp exhale. "Are you coming with me or not?"

My exasperation morphed into indecision, then into resignation — all in a matter of seconds. Knowing that I had no other choice, I winced and finally exclaimed, "O siya, sige na! Sasama na ako!"

****

"Alam mo ba kung saan pupuntahan si Ervic?" tanong ko kay Vren na ngayon ay tahimik at seryosong-seryosong nagmamaneho. I had no idea whether Mom and Dad sensed that something was wrong, given how we rushed out of their house, but right now, my second set of parents' reactions were the least of my worries.

"Of course I do," my boyfriend answered without so much as a glance at me. "I sent a message to Francis earlier. I had a hunch that the gang would be in Blue Cavern, as usual, and it turned out to be right."

Our trip was silent after that, until finally, Vren spoke again.

"We're here," he announced. He parked his car at the last unoccupied space in front of the bar. "Mira, are you sure you really want to go inside? I know you don't like this kind of place."

"Hindi, okay lang. Sasama ako. Gusto ko ring marinig ang totoo mula kay Ervic," kaagad ko namang sagot.

"Alright." He got out of the car and opened the door for me. "One more thing, babe," he said once we're both outside. "Ride on, okay?"

"Huh?"

"Just ride on," he repeated, not even bothering to explain further.

Kahit na hindi ko pa rin gets ang ibig niyang sabihin ay tumango na lang ako. "Okay... Pero Vren?"

"Yeah?"

"'Wag mo naman masyadong puruhan si Ervic, ha?"

He gave me a twisted smile. At that moment, he looked wickedly handsome, his visage illuminated by Blue Cavern's neon sign. "I'll try. Just one punch, Mira — right on his stupid face, just to get even."

****

Agad akong inakbayan ni Vren nang makapasok kami sa loob ng bar. Nang matanaw kami ng tropa ay agad kaming sinalubong ni Francis.

"Bro, finally! Dinala mo rin si Mira rito!" he exclaimed, making me cringe inwardly. Alam kong inaasahan nilang nandito kami para sumali sa kanilang 'good time'.

Kung alam lang nila na pumunta si Vren para bangasan ang mukha ng isa sa kanila...

Yet even though I am the first person to stop my boyfriend from getting violent, I knew how terrible it must feel to have been deceived, especially by one of your closest friends. Masakit 'yon, and if one punch on Ervic's face was what it would take to make Vren feel better, then so be it. After all, the idiot deserved to be punched. Hindi ba, numero uno sa rulebook ng barkada na walang sulutan?

"France! How are you, bro?" I wasn't able to hide my confusion at Vren's response to his friend. A split second later, it hit me — ito pala ang ibig sabihin niya sa 'ride on'. We'd pretend that everything's alright... at least until he drops the bomb.

Tuluyan na kaming lumapit sa pwesto ng tropa. Gabe and Xander watched us with grins on their faces, but Ervic was notably missing.

"So..." panimula ni Xander sa tonong nakakaloko. "What brings you here, bro? And you even brought Mira with you! Are you two here to hand out wedding invites?"

Wedding invites? Bakit naman doon kaagad napunta ang isip ng isang 'to?

"Don't be stupid, bro." Beside me, Vren sniggered. "Where's Erv, by the way?"

"Getting more booze." Si Gabe na ang sumagot. "Mira, here, have a seat." He drew an extra chair for me, leaving Vren to fend for his own. "Drinks?"

"Ay, hindi na, Gabe. Thank you na lang." I shook my head, careful not to look grossed out at the sight of too much alcohol, but I wasn't so sure if I succeeded.

"I could get you something else," he persisted. "Something with low alcohol."

"She's fine, bro," Vren said, and I shot him a grateful look. "We're not staying long, anyway. We just want to have a word with Erv."

"Is that so?" Ervic's arrival was right on cue. He was smiling widely as he lowered a metal bucket teeming with bottled liquor onto the table. "Let me guess — you're here to ask me to be the best man at your wedding."

Seriously? What gave these guys the idea na ikakasal na kami ni Vren?

"No freaking way." Francis slammed his glass down. "Ikaw, best man ni Vren? Kung meron mang kukunin na best man si Vren, ako 'yon. Right, bro?"

"You wish. Mira, tell everyone at this table that you prefer me to be Vren's best man." Kinindatan ako ni Gabe.

"Quit bugging Mira, you dolt." Xander swatted his arm jokingly. "It's the groom who chooses the best man, not the bride. Besides, there's still Vince — obviously, he'll get the role. But I do want to know one thing. Kailan ba ang kasal niyo ni Mira, bro?"

Stop the wedding talk! I want to scream at them. Ni hindi pa nga nagpo-propose sa akin ang jowa ko!

"The wedding talk will be later," Vren said in a strangely calm voice coupled with a twisted smile on his face, "after Ervic tells us what the fuck got into him that caused him to pounce on Bella behind my back."

Silence ensued. Biglang natahimik ang buong tropa, habang ako naman ay napatakip na lamang ng mukha. Just like that, my boyfriend had dropped the bomb.

"Teka lang, bro. Bakit naman biglang napunta kay Bella ang usapan?" Francis asked, looking astonished.

"Well, France, you see... We recently learned that Bella has a son." Kalmado pero napakaseryoso pa rin ng tono ng pananalita ni Vren. "And this filthy traitor right here, who went for my then-girlfriend while I was busy at work, happened to be the father." He stared at Ervic, obviously daring him to deny everything.

"May anak si Bella?" Xander exclaimed.

"What the fuck, Erv?" Gabe turned to Ervic. "How could you?"

"I-it was an accident!" Ervic had finally found his voice, which came out tremulous. "Hindi namin sinasadya ni Bella ang nangyari! At mas lalong hindi ko alam na nabuntis ko siya!"

The story came rushing out of him — how one night in December, years ago, he saw Ate Bella right here in Blue Cavern, moping because her relationship with Vren was falling apart.

"Bella was in pieces. She said you didn't even have a minute for her. Masyado ka na raw subsob sa trabaho. I joined her, trying to comfort her, and we had too much to drink... That was it, Vren, I swear. Just a one-night stand. Hindi naging kami ni Bella dahil wala naman akong intensyon na agawin sa'yo ang girlfriend mo. Ni hindi na nga ulit kami nagkita matapos ang gabing 'yon."

"But you two still cheated on me," Vren replied, his expression stony. "You made a fucking fool out of me. You know how much I detest looking like a fool, don't you?"

It finally happened — the very thing we came here for. Vren rose from his seat and hastily made his way towards Ervic. I let out a muffled scream, and the next thing I saw was the latter already sprawled on the floor. His nose was bloody, but he was too startled to do anything about it just yet.

"Come on, Mira." Vren took my hand, his expression that of grim satisfaction. "Let's get out of here."