Kinabukasan, inihatid si Fresia ng ex nitong si Richard sa shop ni Mona. She was calling her friend last night, but she didn't answer. Mukhang abala ito sa pagmumumok. Kaninang umaga lamang nito nalaman ang nangyari sa lola ni Bullet. So now, she'll be going with Fresia to Pampanga.

Paniguradong kailangang-kailangan ito ni Bullet ngayon.

Tinawagan nila si Aika bago umalis pero ring lang nang ring ang phone nito. Same with Brandi. So they left them a message to tell them where they would be.

Naabutan nila si Mickey sa lobby ng ospital. May dala-dala itong pagkain. Ilang araw na raw kasing hindi kumakain si Bullet. Fresia looked so worried. It's sad to see the both of them in pain. Hindi pa man nagkakaayos ang dalawa, may panibago na namang problema.

Lola Dolores had been really weak.Natatakot siyang... 'wag naman sana. Lumapit siya sa reception at kumatok sa counter nang tatlong beses. Nginitian niya ang tao roon nang lapitan siya.

Iniabot ni Mickey ang paper bag kay Fresia. "Gusto mong ikaw na ang magbigay?"

Kita ang pag-aalangan sa mukha ng kaibigan niya.

"Baka kasi... baka kasi hindi nya ako kausapin."

Kinuha ni Felix ang kamay ni Fresia at inilagay doon ang paper bag. "He needs you right now."

"He's right," she agreed.

Nag-offer silang samahan ito kahit hanggang sa labas lang ng kwarto. And since Fresia was already very worried about Bullet, pumayag ito kahit may takot na i-reject ito ng lalaki.

"Good luck, Beh," bulong niya sa kaibigan bago ito pumasok ng kwarto.

Naiwan sila ni Mickey sa labas. Maya-maya, lumabas si Fresia, umiiyak.

"He didn't want to talk to me," Fresia told them.

"He was hurting. What did you expect?" she retorted. "You were like this a few days ago. Hindi ko nga alam kung ano ang sumapi sa 'yo at nagpunta ka rito."

"I read Fiona's diary." Naupo ito sa tabi niya at ikinwento ang mga nalaman nito tungkol kay Fiona. "I wanted to tell him everything, pero may ganitong nangyari. I know it will take time for him to be okay enough to listen. Willing naman akong maghintay."

"Actually, he was angry at you for a different reason," singit ni Mickey.

He then told them about Richard. Nakita raw ang dalawa ni Bullet. He was about to confront them when he received a distressed call from Manang Sinyang.

Their conversation was cut short when Bullet went out.

"Gusto ka raw kausapin ni Lola," sabi nito kay Fresia.

He looked like he hasn't showered or slept for days. Nakakaawa ang hitsura nito. Magulo ang buhok, mapupula ang mga mata... Mukha ring pumayat ito.

He must have been so devastated about what happened to his grandmother. Wala na kasi itong mga magulang. Si Lola Dolores na lamang ang naiwan sa buhay nito. At ngayon, hindi nila sigurado kung hanggang kailan na lamang iyon.

Lumapit siya at niyakap si Bullet. "Sorry," bulong niya.

She heard him sniff. Nang maghiwalay sila, tinanguan siya nito at saka kinausap si Mickey.

"Yosi tayo."

"Sige." Bumaling si Mickey sa kanila ni Fresia. "Yosi lang kami."

"Okay. Hoy Bullet, kumain ka, ha," pahabol niya.

Tumango lamang ito bago lumabas. Si Fresia naman, pumasok sa kwarto ng matanda. Naiwan siya roong mag-isa.

--

Maya-maya, dumating naman sina Aika at Felix. She tried to act casual around him, pero sa simpleng tingin nito, nanghihina ang mga tuhod niya. Ganoon ba talagang magka-crush kay Felix, nakakarayuma?

"Where's Bullet?" Aika asked, diverting her attention.

"Kasama ni Mickey sa labas, naninigarilyo."

Naupo ito sa tabi niya. Felix sat two seats away, inilabas ang phone at iyon ang kinalikot. Maybe he's checking with Angela or texting Andrea.

"Si Fresia?"

"Nasa loob. Did you get drunk last night? Hindi ko kayo ma-contact ni Brandi. Kagabi pa."

"Ah... yeah." Bigla itong nag-iwas ng tingin. "Lumabas kami nina Austin?"

"Kayong tatlo?"

"Kaming apat." Sinalubong nito ang tingin niya.

She nodded with comprehension. "Ah... double date."

Aika shook her head. "Hindi rin."

Magku-kumento pa sana siya nang biglang bumalik sina Bullet mula sa paninigarilyo. Kita niya ang pagkaasiwa ni Aika nang tabihan ito ni Mickey. They already knew about Aika's feelings towards him. Ramdam naman niyang mutual iyon. But Aika's acting a little off. May nangyari siguro kagabi. And by the looks of things, hindi maganda 'yong nangyari.

"Anong oras kayo nakauwi?" tanong nito sa kaibigan niya.

Aika pretended to not hear anything. Si Mickey, nakatingin lamang dito, naghihintay ng sagot. Nang hindi na siya makatagal, siniko na niya si Aika. "Hoy, Beh, tinatanong ka."

Tumikhim ito. "Late."

"Ah." Mickey, sensing that Aika didn't want to talk, moved to the seat next to Bullet.

She interrogated Aika, but her friend wouldn't tell! Base sa ekspresyon ng mukha nito, mukhang nakakairita ang nangyari kagabi. Did Mickey flirt with other women at the club? Halata sa mukha ni Aika ang inis at selos, e. It could only mean that, right?

Before anyone could verify her conclusion, Fresia bursted out of the room, crying. Patakbo siyang lumapit nang bigla itong manlumo sa sahig. Bullet must have known what it meant because he ran inside.

Maya-maya pa, may mga nurse at doktor na nagsidatingan.

After a while, Lola Dolores was pronounced dead.

--

Bullet cried like a lost child. Fresia cried with him. Awang-awa siya sa dalawang parehong mugtong-mugto na ang mga mata kaiiyak. She couldn't take the sadness. It was suffocating her. So, she offered to get some of Fresia's things para lang makalayo sandali.

"Aiks, sama ka?"

Umiling si Aika. "Dito na lang muna ako. Ikuha mo na lang din ako ng damit."

"Okay."

She went to her car and didn't even notice that Felix followed her outside. Napansin lamang niya ang lalaki nang pasakay na siya ng kotse. She must have been to preoccupied.

"Samahan na kita."

"Hindi na. Kaya ko naman na."

Maybe he didn't clearly hear that she said no. Binuksan kasi nito ang pintuan ng passenger's seat nang buksan niya ang pinto sa side niya.

He went in and fastened his seatbelt.

"I'm insisting," he said, which made her groan. She had no choice but to drive back to Manila with him. Kung tatanggi kasi siya o mag-iinarte, iisipin nitong may problema sa pagitan nila. Of course, he already sensed that, but she doesn't want him to ask. Ayaw niya sa confrontations.

They rode for about an hour in silence. Nang hindi na siya makatagal, nagpatugtog siya ng music.

'Cause I can't make you love me

If you don't

You can't make your heart feel

Something t—

Tumikhim siya, inilipat ang estasyon ng radyo.

--and I can't think

Scared to death to say

I love her

And I got all that I need

Right here in the passenger's se—

She glanced at him. Kung napansin man nitong naiilang siya sa mga kanta, hindi nito ipinahalata. His eyes were still on the road.

She continued changing stations.

Just once

Can we figure out what we keep doing wrong—

Switch.

In places no one will find

All your feelings so deep inside

Deep in—

...

Right from the start

You were a thief, you stole my heart

And I, your willing victi—

...

I love you

Please say you love me t—

Bumuntong-hininga siya at pinatay ang radyo.

"Walang magandang kanta," himutok niya.

Felix didn't comment. He was awfully silent, it makes her uneasy, lalo na't alam niya kung gaano ito kadaldal.

--

Tumigil sila sa isang gas station sa NLEX. And then, they parked for a while because Felix wanted to buy coffee. Hinayaan niya ito para makapag-isa siya sa kotse kahit sandali. Why does it ache to be in the same space with him? Dahil ba pakiramdam niya ay magkalayo ang loob nilang dalawa ngayon? She should have insisted to go alone. Why can't she just tell him no? Why does her resolve weaken when he's around?

Napapitlag siya nang may biglang kumatok sa bintana ng kotse. He's back already?

She unlocked the door.

Pagkapasok nito, iniabot nito ang isang kape sa kanya bago ito nag-seatbelt.

He also handed her a small paper bag. May laman iyong donuts. She didn't even realize how hungry she was until she took a bite. Saka lang niya naalalang hindi pa nga pala sila kumakain simula kanina.

She gave him the bag of donuts back. Sandali silang nagkatinginan bago nito iyon kinuha.

"Galit ka sa 'kin?" hindi niya napigilang itanong.

"What gave it away?" he asked back.

"Ay? Bakit?"

He leaned back on his seat and sighed. "I don't know if you don't really know or if you're just pretending that you don't."

Bumaling ito sa kanya. His gaze spiked up her heartbeat.

"I told you that I want to be serious with you... but you didn't take me seriously."

Napalunok siya, alanganing ngumiti. "Maybe this is not the right time to talk—"

"I know this isn't the right time. But when are we ever going to talk about it, Mona, kung palagi mo naman akong iniiwasan?"

"Hala... hindi kaya kita iniiwasan."

"Be honest with me."

"Hindi talaga, Beh! Nagkataon lang naman. Bakit naman kita iiwasan?" She laughed nervously. "Busy lang talaga ako lately. Saka alam mo namang nagkaproblema sina Fresia, di ba? Tapos biglang ganito pa. Syempre, aasikasuhin ko muna 'yong friend ko bago ako makipag-date."

Mukhang hindi ito naniwala. Hindi naman kasi talaga kapani-paniwala ang dahilan niya. Umiiwas naman talaga siya. But Felix didn't argue. He didn't call out her lie.

Bumuntong-hininga lamang ito at sinabing, "Fine. If you say so."

--

Una nilang pinuntahan ang bahay ni Aika. Mukhang na-inform na si Yaya Norma beforehand dahil naka-ready na ang mga damit ng kaibigan niya. Next, they went to Fresia's apartment to get a few clothes. Sa daan na lamang sila bibili ng toiletries.

They also went to her apartment. Felix stayed in the car while she gets some clothes, for known reasons.

Pagbalik niya ng kotse, sa driver's seat na nakapwesto si Felix.

"Ako na ang magda-drive pabalik."

She shrugged. "Okay."

"Can we stop by my house first?"

She said okay because she didn't think much about it. Kukuha lamang naman ito ng ilang damit tapos babalik na sila ng Pampanga. What she didn't realize was they'll be driving to his house and his house was just beside his parent's... which means...

It was already too late to tell him to turn the car around.

Nakita niya sa may gate ang isang babaeng maganda ang tindig. Simpleng t-shirt at shorts lang na pambahay ang suot nito pero lutang pa rin ang kagandahan at kaseksihan nito. She already knew who the woman was, naturally. Instinct na rin siguro.

She heard Felix draw a sharp breath.

"What is she doing here?" he muttered.

"Andrea?" she asked.

Tumango si Felix.

Ipinarada nito ang sasakyan sa tapat ni Andrea. When he got out and the light inside went on, agad na napako ang tingin ni Andrea sa kanya. Ewan ba niya kung bakit bigla siyang pinanlamigan.

The car's door closed and the light inside went off, but Andrea's stare lingered.

Lumapit si Felix dito at may sinabi. Sandaling nabaling sa lalaki ang atensyon ni Andrea. Mahinahon itong sumagot kay Felix tapos ay hinawakan ito sa braso at hinila papasok ng bahay.

She waited inside the car for a few minutes, looking out the window like an idiot. Mukhang nag-uusap pa nang masinsinan ang dalawa kaya natatagalan si Felix. Was Andrea asking about her? What did Felix say? Did they even mention her? Baka naman nakalimutan na siya ng dalawa?

Maya-maya, lumabas si Felix. He leaned on her window. Inirolyo niya iyon pababa.

"Ready ka na?"

"Actually... she said she wanted to come with."

Nahulog ang mga balikat niya. "Oh..."

"Sorry."

"Okay lang." She forced a smile. "Lipat na lang ako sa backseat."

Tumingin ito sa kanya nang mataman. "Okay lang ba talaga sa 'yo?"

"Oo naman! Why won't it be okay? I'm sure she also wants to be there for Bullet. They know each other, di ba?"

"Mona, I meant—"

"Is it okay?" she heard a woman's voice from behind Felix. Felix straightened up. Andrea already changed her clothes. Naka-pantalon na ito at itim na blouse.

"Yeah..." she said weakly.

Lumapit ito sa kanya habang inilalagay ni Felix ang isang bag sa trunk. She went out of the car, suddenly feeling a little bloated even though she hadn't eaten a proper meal that day.

"Hi!" Andrea held out her hand. "I'm Andrea."

Inabot niya ang kamay nito. "Hello. I'm Mona."

"It's nice to meet you," sabi ni Andrea sa kanya, habang bumabaon ang mga kuko nito sa kamay niya.