Pakiramdam ni Red ay sasabog ang ulo niya dahil sa mga nalaman niya. Not only did she know the real story of what happened before, she also learned that Troy and Vince are actually brothers.

"Troy?!"

Vince nodded. "Yes. Troy."

"P-Pero—It's impossible, Vince. Villacruz ka, Aragonza sya. It can't be!"

"Villacruz was my mother's last name," paliwanag nito.

Lumayo siya rito. "I don't believe it!"

"It's the truth, whether you like it or not," he insisted. "Your father really did lose on a poker game, to my father. He put the company as collateral and he lost."

Napasapo siya. "So hindi totoong may ibang babae si dad?"

"Totoo. And he's wasting his money on that woman. My father felt like he had to do something about it. He said that he'd rather have your father lose everything to him, than to have him give everything to that woman on a silver platter. They were planning on merging the companies, so my father had to protect his business and your father's."

"And he didn't even bother telling me?"

"He didn't want to get you involved."

"Well, I am involved! Buhay ko yung pinaikot nyo!"

"It's not like that."

"It's exactly like that!"

Vince sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I know you might think that it's too late, but I still want you to know the truth. You can choose to forgive us or not, but you have to understand that we did what we did because of you."

"Bullshit."

"It's not bullshit and you know it. What's bullshit is the fact that you repeatedly push us away. Vico cares about you. Troy cares about you. I care about you. Why can't you let go of the idea that you're alone? Hindi ka nag-iisa, Red. But you will soon be, if you won't change that goddamn attitude of yours!"

He's right and they both know it. But she finds it so hard to let go. Pakiramdam niya'y namanipula na naman siya.

"Vico came crying to me earlier. He said that you wanted to let him go."

Parang may bumikig sa lalamunan niya at the mention of her cousin.

"He wanted out," depensa niya.

"No, Red. He didn't."

--

Gulong-gulo pa rin si Red. Hindi muna siya umuwi. Baka hindi niya kayanin kapag nakita niyang wala na ang mga gamit ni Vico sa bahay. She can't face any of them right now. Nagpunta na lamang siya sa isang bar sa Makati. Maybe the alcolhol will help.

Too bad she has no one to drink with. But that didn't stop her from drowning herself with alcohol. Nakaupo sya sa mismong bar, at kada tungga ay humihingi siya sa bartender ng kasunod. Some men offered her drinks but she declined.

"I can buy my own drink," she told one guy.

"Kahit malasing ako, hindi pa rin kita papatulan," sabi naman niya sa isang lalaking hindi niya nagustuhan ang hitsura.

"I'm rich," the balding man proudly announced.

"I'm richer," sagot niya.

"Are you with someone?"

"Yes. Myself. And she won't like you either."

Tumawa ito nang malakas, drawing the attention to them.

"You're funny! I like you!"

"It's amusing how you find my insults funny," she told him.

"Let me buy you a drink," he offered. "C'mon. Kahit isa lang."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

 Hinawakan siya nito sa braso. "I insist."

"Ano ba! No means no!"

"Dude, she said no. Leave her alone!" singit ng isang lalaki. He's tall and handsome... and awfully familiar. The annoying man left.

"What are you doing here, Mitch?"

Ngayon lang ulit sila nagkita nito. The last time, if her memory serves her correctly, was when he asked her to let Vico go... which she didn't do. Iniisip niya kung coincidence lang ba na makita niya ito ngayong pinakawalan na niya si Vico.

Mitch asked the bartender for a drink.

"Night out lang with friends," sagot nito.

Mas lalaki itong kumilos kay Vico. Kung hindi nga lang malakas ang radar niya ay hindi niya mahahalatang bakla ito. Some girls don't care about him being gay. Same with Vico. Yung iba kasi, basta gwapo, go.

He ordered another drink saka siya nito inaya sa isang table.

"I heard about what you did," he told her.

"Are you here to thank me?"

"No." He drank the alcohol with one gulp. "Vico called me. He's been crying all day."

"Tears of joy, no doubt."

"He's miserable, Red. I've never seen him so upset."

That was news to her. Since day 1, Vico made it clear that he didn't want to work with her. Na napipilitan lamang ito. Ngayon namang handa na siyang pakawalan ito, saka naman nito gustong mag-stay.

"He's just in shock. Tell him not to worry. I won't cancel your trip."

"You don't get it, do you?" Mitch sighed. "He was upset because he thought that he wasn't good enough to stay. You told him that if things didn't work out between you and Troy, you will go after him. He thought you asked him to resign because of that. And now he's punishing himself."

"I let him go because it's what he wants."

"He doesn't want that. Tuwing pakikiusapan ko syang iwanan ka, he would tell me that he can't. Because you need him. Because he's all you have. He doesn't want you to be alone. I just don't understand why he cares about you so much when you don't even care about him."

Gusto niyang sabihing mali ito. Gusto niyang sabihing may pakialam siya kay Vico. But the words got stuck in her throat, along with the tears she couldn't shed.

"When you told him that we can't get married, I asked him to choose between you and me. You know what he'd to me? You can live without me. Red can't. But I can't live without you, so please don't make me choose."

Hindi na bumalik si Mitch sa mga kaibigan nito. Tahimik lang silang umiinom. He offered to take her home, magta-taxi sila dahil pareho silang nakainom. Hindi na ito bumaba ng taxi nang makarating sila sa bahay niya. But he did say something before the taxi leaves.

"I don't hold any grudge against you, Red, but please stop hurting your cousin."

--

She was still looking for the key from her purse when the door opened. Vico's inside. He made a sad face. Siya naman ay bigla na lamang naiyak.

"Come here, you bitch." He opened his arms to her. Patakbo naman siyang yumakap dito.

"I'm sorry!" she told him. It must have been her drunk self that's apologizing.

"Sorry din! I couldn't write that resignation letter!" sabi nito habang umiiyak.

"I don't want you to. Don't leave me, Vico."

He kissed the top of her head. "I won't. Mauumay ka sa existence ko, I promise!"

He cupped her face. Pareho silang mapula na ang ilong kaiiyak.

"Do you want a drink?"

"Gaga, lasing na 'ko," sagot niya.

"Bakit? Alak lang ba ang pwedeng inumin?"

Isinarado nito ang pinto at saka siya inalalayan paupo sa sofa. Saka ito nagpunta sa kusina para ipagtimpla siya ng kape. Nagtimpla rin ito para sa sarili nito. He sat down next to her. Siya naman ay tinanggal ang heels at ipitanong ang mga paa sa sofa. Saka siya humilig kay Vico.

"I met Mitch at the bar," she told him.

"I know. He told me."

"Okay na kami."

"I know." Umakbay ito sa kanya. "Did he ask you?"

"Ask me what?"

Bumuntong-hininga ito. "I guess not."

Lumayo ito ng bahagya para humarap sa kanya. Hinawakan nito ang tigkabila niyang balikat.

"Red... will you be my... maid-of-honor?"

Napamaang siya kay Vico.

"W-What?"

"Mitch asked me to marry him."

For reasons unknown to her, bigla na lamang siyang napahagulhol. Inalo siya nito kaagad.

"Kasasabi mo lang na hindi ka aalis, tapos magpapakasal ka!" she lamented.

"Red, hindi naman ako mawawala e. I'll just be married."

"Sira ka ba? After the wedding, you'll start a family. And then you'll slowly get rid of me!"

"Gaga, umayos ka nga! I'm not going to get rid of you. Besides, even if I'd want to, I'm sure na hindi mo hahayaang mangyari yun."

"Talaga. Gagawin kong miserable ang buhay mo."

Vico laughed. "Enough with the empty threats, couz." Niyakap siya nito. "Don't worry. You won't be alone anymore, I promise."

--

Kinabukasan, nagising siya na mugto ang mata at masakit ang ulo. The first thing she did, after getting up, is to check if Vico's still in his room. Nang wala na ito sa higaan ay agad siyang nag-panic.

"Vico!"

"In the bathroom!" sigaw nito mula sa ibaba.

She smiled to herself. She was glad he was still around, in spite of everything. Hinintay niyang matapos si Vico sa paliligo, then she took a bath while he cooked their breakfast.

"Hindi tayo papasok?" tanong nito sa kanya.

"My eyes are puffy," dahilan niya.

Tumawa lamang ito.

"Fine. But you still need to get dressed. We're going somewhere."

Sumunod naman siya agad. She even let him choose her outfit. Syempre, hindi kulay pula. Vico's so tired of that color. Pagkabihis ay agad na silang lumabas dahil sabi nito ay hinihintay na sila ng sundo.

She should have known na ang susundo sa kanila ay either si Vince or Troy. Or even both.

She pulled at the hem of Vico's shirt.

"I called the deal off already," paalala niya rito.

Napansin niyang iisa lamang ang sasakyan na nakahanda. So that means na sa iisang sasakyan silang apat sasakay. Define torture?

"Sa unahan ako," sabi ni Vico sabay takbo papunta sa passenger's seat. Troy opened the backseat's door for her. Si Vince naman ay sumakay sa driver's seat. Troy slid next to her. She made sure that there's an ample space between them.

"Uhm, where are we going?" she asked.

Vince looked at her from the rearview mirror.

"We're going to see your dad."