ALAM KONG NAGUGULUHAN NA KAYO. PERO.MAS LALO KAYO.MAGUGULUHAN NGAYON. HAHA. BUT WE'LL GET THERE. ONE BY ONE , MALILIWANAGAN DIN KAYO, SOON. NASA MADILIM NA PART PA TAYO, E. HAHA.

WIN HIS HEART

She was abruptly awoken of a crackling sound outside Rake's room. Sinuot niya agad ang damit na nakita sa likod ng pinto ng marinig niya ang pagkasunod sunod na pagbabasag nito.

She knew he's drunk. Rake used to throw things when he's not in his usual sense, and sometimes he's violent too. That's how he release his emotions, and this is how he wanted to forget everything for a moment.

Ano naman kaya ang nangyari this time?

When she opened the door. She saw him at the terrace. Ericka carefully walked to comfort him. She tiptoed her feet, dahil na din sa mga nagkalat na basag basag na bagay sa sahig.

Napayakap si'ya sa sarili niya ng maramdaman niya ang simoy ng hangin mula sa labas. It felt like home to her, dahan dahan napalingon si Rake ng maramdaman nito ang presensya niya.

She heard him heaved out a sharp breath. "You're impossible." sabi nito.

"Yes, kahit paulit ulit mo akong itaboy palayo. Hindi padin ako titigil kung magpapaksal ka kay Laura."

"I told you already I won't follow you. Papakasalan ko padin si'ya kahit anong pigil ang gagawin mo."

She stared at him, suddenly forgetting that he's Rake for a moment. He looked so wasted, gulo gulo na din ang buhok nito. Namamaga din ang mata nito na nagpagulat sa kanya.

He's crying?

Tumawa si Rake ng mapakla ng mabasa nito ang isip niya.

"Now you see me." he said.

"What happened?" parang hindi ito ang Rake na kasama niya kanina. Hindi ang Rake na nagbanta sa kanya. He's different. He looked a freaking human detoriated.

He's worst. She never saw him like this before.

Tumalikod si Rake sa kanya at lumakad papasok. Agad naman sumunod si Ericka. Nanlaki ang mata niya nang baliwalain nito ang natatapakan na bubog.

"Rake! Can you freaking stop?!" sigaw niya.

Tila wala naman ito narinig, patuloy pa din sa paglakad hanggang sa nakarating ito sa kusina at kumuha ng panibagong alak sa refrigerator.

Mukhang may ideya na si Ericka kung anong nangyari dito. Agad si'yang lumapit kay Rake at hinila ito upang mapaharap sa kanya. She pushed his black t-shirt upward, at napanganga na lang si'ya ng makita ang mga sugat nito sa katawan.

It looked like someone slash him randomly on his body. It's still bleeding, pero hindi na sobra. Of course, she knew this well. This is their world. The very dark world na hindi nila pwedeng ipagsabi sa iba.

Ericka was a member of this club since she was still a teenager. At the of eighteen to be exact. Pero si Rake? He's new to this. He joined this two years ago, na para sa kanya ay baguhan pa din.

Bago si'ya iwan ni Rake nalaman niya na nasa iisang organization lang pala sila. But they never talk about it, because it's one of the rules. Kahit hindi na active si Ericka she respected it somehow, tumaas kasi ranking niya when she she got promoted despite of her stubborn attitude and she burned one of their branches.

But still, loyal si'ya kay Greg, ito na ang pinagsisilbihan niya ngayon. Ito na ang tumutulong sa kanya ngayon. Because she wanted to move on with this chapter of her life. And he's always there to help her.

Tinaboy ni Rake ang kamay niya. "Get the hell out of here, Quinn."

"They're here?" inda niya sa sinabi nito.

Lumakad si Rake palayo at umupo sa sofa na parang walang iniindang sakit. He opened his beer.

"I freaking asked you, Rake. I said are they here?"

"I did this to myself."

"Wala kang maloloko dito." Tumayo si Ericka sa tapat ni Rake. He's not looking at her. "You know, I don't care if they did that to you. Labas ako sa mga gusto mong gawin sa buhay mo. But all I want to know if they're here?"

Umangat ang mukha ni Rake at matalim na tumingin sa kanya. "Bakit? May tinataguan ka ba?"

She slowly swallowed. "You don't know anything."

"I know everything, Quinn." ngisi nito. "Lahat ng baho mo. Pati mga kasalanan mo, alam ko. That's why they're calling you a sinner, a bitch."

"Nope, Rake. You know something not everything." sabi niya, at naalala nanaman ang nangyari dalawang taon.

She unconsciously rubbed her tummy.

"Believe me, Ericka." saad ni Rake at itinunnga nanaman ang alak. "We shouldn't be talking about this, it's against their rules."

"You don't need to be loyal to them. Walang nakakarinig satin ngayon."

"We never know."

Napabuntong hininga si Ericka. "You're weird when you're drunk, Rake. Ang sarap mo lunurin sa alak ngayon para lang kausapin mo ako ng mahaba."

"I don't want to talk about you, or them.. Quinn.. Because like them, you are still mystery."

"I'm not mystery. It's just I only choose the words I want to say."

Rake didn't know about her position. At hindi din alam ni Rake na may responsibilidad din si'ya once na malaman ng mga tao doon, na andito si'ya.

Remember James? Yung nagbigay sa kanya ng letter? He's a member too. She didn't know though, paano nito nalaman na nakarating na si'ya. Pero alam naman niya na hindi nito ipagkakalat iyon.

Madami si'ya kakilala doon, na ikekwento pa lang sa pinakamataas ay ihaharang na. Hindi niya din kaya magmulti tasking sa ngayon.

Revenge and doing that job? She would choose revenge first. Dahil kailangan ng mga tao sa buhay ni Rake makatikim nito.

She kneeled infront of Rake. Tinanggal niya ang bote na hawak nito at isinampa ang kamay sa tuhod nito.

Hinawakan naman niya ang kamay nito at pinalig sa pisngi niya. "I am here, Rake. Andito ako para tulungan ka. Whatever your reason from joining it----"

"I lost a son, Ericka." napatigil si'ya sa sinabi nito.

He lost a son? May nagsabi na ba kay Rake na namatayan sila ng anak? O sa ibang babae ito?

Napahawak ulit si'ya sa tyan niya. "So you lost a baby..." sabi niya. "But I'm here now. Hindi mo na sila kailangan. I'm here to tke away the pain. The memories. The agony... I'm here to help you move on.. To make them pay, whoever the people that's responsible by the lost of your precious one."

Pumikit si Ericka. Because she felt talking to herself. Saying that, for herself. She's not sorry for him. He should be the one, sorry for her.

Napayuko si Rake at napatingala naman si Ericka. Watching Rake like that, was a simple triumph for her. One person's weakness is absolutely her strength. She would always take advantage to it because she needed that to be one step's ahead.

"Let me, Rake. You know, that's why I'm here." pang aalo niya dito.

"That's why you're here.." ulit nito.

"I need you to tell me, that you need me first."

"I need you, Ericka..." Iniangat ni Rake ang kamay niya at hinalikan habang nakapikit padin ang mata nito.

"I want to clean myself. Bath with me.." yaya nito sa kanya.

Hindi na nagdalawang isip si Ericka. Hinila niya ang kamay ni Rake papuntang banyo. Inadjust niya ang tubig at iniwan si Rake para kumuha ng first aid kit sa natamong sugat nito.

She couldn't hide her smile, though. Because one of the things to win this game was to get his heart, and he finally let her.