"Baby wake up..." bulong ni Travis bago sumiksik sakanyang leeg. "Your phone is ringing..."

She groaned. "Ehhh! Ayoko inaantok pa ko."

He chuckled, biting her neck. Ang kamay nito ay dumausdos patungo sa hubad niyang tyan.

"Travis, stop it." Awat niya sa kamay nito nang akmang bababa pa iyon.

Pilit siyang bumangon paupo at inabot ang cellphone niya sa ibabaw ng bedside table na walang humpay ang pag-tunog.

"Hello, Gift." It was Brooke.

"What?!" She replied, half annoyed.

"Sorry to wake you up, but I just wanna remind you that you'll be attending the outreach program for street children today."

"Oh shoot!" Natampal niya ang kaniyang noo nang maalalang naka-oo siya kay Brooke tungkol sa bagay na iyon.

"I'm really very sorry, Gift. Kung wala lang akong dapat asikasuhin sa major subject ko ako ang pupunta to represent our sorority. Si Shanna naman cannot be reached, Cassidy is very busy-"

"Yeah yeah yeah." Putol niya sa sinasabi nito. "I'll go."

Binabaan na niya ito ng telepono bago pa makasagot pabalik. Napasinghap siya nang hilahin ni Travis ang bewang niya sanhi upang bumagsak siya sa ibabaw nito.

"Aalis ka?" He kissed her cheek.

"Yeah. Yung Vanderbilt Outreach Program pupuntahan ko." Hindi niya mapigilan ang mag pakawala ng hikab.

Natawa naman ito at marahang hinaplos ang kaniyang pisngi. "Sorry, pinuyat kita kagabi. I didn't know you'll go somewhere today."

Nanulis ang nguso niya, bago pa niya mapigilan ang kaniyang sarili ay kusa ng tumulo ang kaniyang mga luha.

"Babe?" Agad na nag-alala si Travis.

"Gusto ko pang mag-sleep. Pero hindi pwede, I hate it." Yumakap siya dito at sumiksik sa leeg nito, she continued crying.

Naramdaman naman niya ang pag-pulupot ng braso nito sa bewang niya, he started stroking her hair trying to comfort her.

Hindi ito nag-salita. That's one thing people don't know about her, iyakin siya. Kapag may isang bagay siya na gustong gawin at hindi niya makuha o magawa ay umiiyak siya.

At alam ni Travis iyon.

"You're still my baby, Gift." He kissed the top of her head repeatedly. "Gusto mo ba samahan kita?"

Umiling si Gift at parang batang dumaing. "Gusto kong matulog, Travis."

"Sige, mamaya matulog ka ng mahimbing pag-uwi."

"Ehhh!! Mamaya pa yun!" Iyak parin nito.

"Gift, sandali lang naman yung outreach program." Malambing nitong sabi bago iangat ang kanyang mukha upang punasan ang mga luha roon. "Sasamahan kita."

"Hindi na kailangan." Nakanguso nitong sabi.

Natatawang paulit-ulit na dinampian niya ng halik ang labi nito.

"Travis!"

She tried getting off his grip but he didn't let her. Pinaulanan siya nito ng mumunting halik sa kanyang buong mukha.

She giggled when he playfully bit her cheek and kissed it afterwards.

"Wag ka ng umiyak, sasamahan kita." Hinalikan nito ang kaniyang noo bago siya ngitian.

"Tapos may kapalit?"

"Next time..." he grinned. "Pagod ka eh, tapos antok na antok pa. Kawawa naman ang baby ko."

She rolled her eyes. Travis annoys her most of the time, but sometimes she feels like Travis is the only one who can go along with her shifting moods.

SINAMAHAN SIYA ni Travis sa outreach program, nang makarating sila doon ay naroon na ang ibang representatives ng ibang sorority at fraternity.

Agad niyang inirapan si Paulina nang makita niya itong matalim na nakatingin sakanya, all in pink habang nag-didistribute ng mga school supplies sa mga bata.

"Antok ako." Bulong niya kay Travis nang hapitin nito ang bewang niya.

Agad naman itong natawa at hinalikan siya sa sentido.

Kahit inaantok ay pinilit ni Gift na gampanan ang tungkulin nuya bilang representative ng sorority nila. Ayaw niya, but she doesn't want her sorority to gain a bad reputation either.

She helped on the distribution of goods. And Travis helped her, discreetly. Sa kabilang panig ng event ay naroon si Lance.

Lance was her former boyfriend who cheated on her several times and dumped her in the end. Muli ay nakaramdam siya ng galit sakanyang puso nang makita niyang nakamasid ito sakanya.

She tried avoiding him. Dahil lalo lamang siyang naiinis and God knows kung ano ang maaari niyang magawa dahil sa pagkainis na iyon.

When the program ended, she refused the invitation of the school administration to have a little chitchat over lunch with her fellow students. All because she wanted to go home and sleep all day.

Dahil wala siyang dalang sasakyan ay inantay niya si Travis nang sabihin nitong kukunin nito ang sasakyan na pinarada nito sa di kalayuan.

She's patiently waiting for him when a voice called out her name.

"Gift..."

She froze for a second before she forced herself to turn around and see Lance standing meters away from her.

"Hi." He smiled reluctantly, crossing a space between them.

She hated hypocrisy, so she didn't bothered pretending. Tinaasan niya ito ng kilay, letting him know that she doesn't want him to get near her.

Tila nakuha naman nito ang ipinahihiwatig niya, he stopped and sighed. Licking the bottom of his lips. "Look, I'm sorry for being such a jerk. But I know you knew, Gift why we can't be together. Even if I wanted to. Hell knows how much I wanted to love you-"

"But you cheated, instead." She cut him off and sneered a little. "Lance, whatever you say it will all fall down to the idea that you just make a fool out of me. For two years, Lance. Well hell knows too how much I would've given myself to you!"

"Gift, I didn't mean to hurt you..." He blew an air. "Okay, that may seem very common but that's really what I wanna say. I'll always treasure you, Gift. To everything that you've done for me-"

"Minahal mo ba ko, Lance?" Matapang niyang sinalubong ang mga mata nito.

"I love you, Gift." He smiled softly. "Ang akala ko alam mo na, but it seems like...."

"Alam ang alin?!" She snapped.

Ngumiti ito at umiling. "We'll talk again some other time..."

Napako siya sakanyang kinatatayuan nang humakbang itong muli papalapit sakanya bago yumuko at halikan ang gilid ng kaniyang labi. "I'm sorry..."

"Sorry will never be enough, Lance." Matigas niyang sabi bago umatras at humakbang papalayo dito.

Nang talikuran niya ito ay agad niyang nakita ang sasakyan ni Travis, mabilis siyang tumakbo roon at pumasok sa loob.

Tahimik lamang sila ni Travis habang nasa byahe, hindi siya sanay na tahimik ito why Travis always have something to say.

"Trav?" Lingon niya dito.

Hindi ito nag-salita at nanatiling nasa daan ang tingin.

"I hate it, Trav..." She groaned, placing her feet above the dashboard and reclined her seat. "I hate, Lance."

Hindi niya alam kung bakit niya sinabi iyon dito. Travis is Lance's best friend. Si Travis ang unang naging kaibigan ni Lance simula nang lumipat ito sa Pilipinas. Somehow, they shared the same attitude.

"But I hate myself more, because I almost gave him myself." Nakagat niya ang kaniyang ibabang labi.

Doon siya nilingon ni Travis ng isang matalim na tingin. Sandali lamang iyon at agad na bumaling sa daan. "That's why you're on pill."

Tumango siya. "Oo, been on pill for awhile. Kasi iniisip ko nun baka kaya nambababae si Lance dahil hindi niya magawa sakin yung mga ginagawa niya sa ibang babae..."

Hindi ito muling umimik.

"Little did I know, that crazy night back in December will lead me to you..."

"Will lead you back to me..." He corrected. "You've always been mine, Gift."

Her heart took a flip. Bumangon siya sa pagkakasandal at umayos ng upo bago ito balingan. "I'm no one's. What happened between us, Travis is something that shouldn't happened-"

"You don't have to rub it in, Gift." His jaw clenched.

That night back in December, kung saan niya sinundan si Lance sa isang bar at nahuli ito roon na may kasamang ibang babae. Noong gabing iyon niya nilunod ang sarili niya sa alak. And it was Travis who accompanied her in pain.

She woke up the next morning, naked next to Travis. By then she just realized that her first night just happened. She thought she's quick to leave Travis' unit but when she opened the bedroom's door she saw Jaxon.

Leading her to another deal. Why Jaxon just bribed him that he'll tell everyone that she slept with Travis if he didn't get anything in return. So fine, she gave him a ticket for something.

Sinubukan niyang iwasan si Travis, he just didn't let her. Until that night at the sorority house, where they were videoed. Na siyang dahilan kung bakit ulit siya naglalakad pabalik dito.

It's like a yoyo, na kahit gaano pa kalayong bitiw babalik at babalik parin. And she find it alarming...

"Paano kaya kung hindi mo ko niloko noon?" Wala sa sarili niyang tanong. "Ano kaya tayo ngayon?"

Nakita niyang sandali itong natigilan bago mawala ang ekspresyon sa mukha nito.

"Funny, that boys in my life just came to hurt my feelings." She let out a humorless laugh. "Baka ganoon talaga, Travis? My dad didn't love me, I'm the reason why my mom died. Maybe he's right, I was born an evil. My mother died giving birth to me. I'm cruel. Ikaw, si Lance...  funny but maybe I don't deserved to be loved."

"Gift that's not true-"

"Hindi ko kasi maintindihan..." Her voice broke, nangilid ang mainit na luha sakanyang mga mata. "Si Lance. Hindi naman ako masama sakanya. Pero bakit paulit-ulit niya kong niloko?"

Nakagat niya ang ibabang labi upang pigilan ang pagbayo ng emosyon sakanyang dibdib.

"Ikaw? You knew how I'm genuinely in love with you. But you cheated on me... you manage to break my teenage heart." Pinahid niya ang mga luha sakanyang pisngi. "Had I known that you were friends with Lance before we happened, sana hindi nalang... kasi alam mo naniniwala ako sa kasabihan na birds with the same feathers flock together. Ikaw, si Lance... pareho lang kayo Travis eh... sinaktan niyo lang ako. Why I did nothing but to spare you some love in me..."

Itinigil nito ang sasakyan at binalingan siya. There's something in his eyes that pains her even more.

"Am I really not worth for anyone's love?" She smiled bitterly. "But everything is in the past now, you're a douchebag. I've learned my lesson now."

Nanatili lamang itong nakatingin sakanya, tila ba may gusto itong sabihin but something is stopping him.

"What's between us now? I'm not gonna deny, I'm enjoying it. This is something new to me and I wont lie, I don't want this to stop." She sniffed and turned in him. "I just want to ask you a favor, Travis..."

"Gift-"

"I'm not gonna ask you to love me, kasi alam kong mahihirapan ka." Pagak siyang natawa. "But can you please give me a bit of respect, just please I don't wanna share my man."