A S H Y

WINTER PARK was not totally cold. And looking around, nakita ko siyang nakaupo sa isang bench. Agad akong lumapit sa kanya.

"I was expecting you to reject my invitation, but still you came."

Umupo ako sa kaniyang tabi. "Tungkol saan ba ang pag-uusapan natin?"

"Everything."

"Tungkol ba ito kay Amber?"

Tumayo siya at inayos ang sarili. "Hindi tayo rito mag-uusap. We both need some privacy."

Tumayo na rin ako at sumunod sa kanya. We've got into his car. I took a deep breath, at ganoon din siya.

"Too heavy, isn't it?"

"Kung tungkol ito kay Amber, I'm very sorry for that incident," pagsisimula ko. "Hindi ko ginusto ang mawala siya sa buhay mo. Konsensya ko pa rin iyon."

"Biglaan ang nangyari sa kanya," sagot niya. "Don't say sorry, hindi mo iyon kasalanan."

"We had our arguments before."

"We argued more than many times. She attempted to kill herself with a knife in front of me. She was actually depressed. I even tried to reach her again, to fixed every messed she have done. But instead of being free again, she ended her life."

"Condolence."

Nilingon niya ako at ganoon din ako. At habang nakatingin sa kanya, hapdi ay hindi ko maiwasan. Iniwan ko siya noon tapos iniwan siya ulit nang babaeng akala niya ay hindi siya iiwanan.
Too damn!

Muli niyang ibinalik ang tingin sa manibela ng sasakyan. "Swear to God, minahal ko rin si Amber."

"I understand."

"What's on your mind now, Ash?"

"I really felt sorry."

"Napaano ba tayong dalawa, Ashleigh?" Hindi ako sumagot.

"I can't even pictured out kung bakit agad kang bumitaw sa dating tayo noon." Pasimple ko siyang nilingon.

"You ran away." I lowered my head.

"I did it for my sake."

"I know." Muli kong ibinalik ang tingin sa kanya. Pero hindi siya tumingin sa akin. "Someone manipulated you, the reason you left me."

Kinain ako sa sobrang hiya. Ang dami kong sinaktan, at isa na siya roon.

"May iba ka na bang mahal?" Hinintay ko siyang tumingin sa akin, at hindi nagtagal ay ginawa niya iyon.

"I saw you last night. He kissed you, twice."

Gusto kong itanong sa kanya kung paano niya kami nakita. Pero hindi na iyon mahalaga sa akin. Not a big deal.

"That means nothing to me."

"Talaga ba?"

"Mahal ko siya dahil matalik ko siyang kaibigan."

"Mahal mo ba siya ng higit pa?"

"May pinagkaiba sa pagitan ng 'gusto' at 'mahal.'"

He stopped for a moment and thought. "Kaya ba hindi mo siya nagawang halikan pabalik?"

"Do you want to know something about label? We were just a friend."

"Hindi ba pwedeng iwasan na lamang siya?"

"Dahil ba ito sa ginawa niya?"

"Dahil hindi ako sanay na makita kang masaya sa iba." I was trying to escaped, but he suddenly holds my hand. On that moment, I was freezing.

"If you think this is not right, let me do the right thing for you, for us." He was holding me so tight. "Just tell me if you are ready."

"You will be fail again," sagot ko.

"That's not true."

"You do." Agad kong binuksan ang pinto at lumabas ng sasakyan. Umalis ako na hindi siya nililingon.

What for? Para saktan ulit namin ang isa't-isa? Hindi siya nag-iisip. Magsisisi siya ulit sa kaniyang gagawin, kaya't hindi pwede.

---
R A I N

"Do you like it?" tanong ko sa nakaupong si Kim. It has been fitted perfectly. She looked like a doll.

"I like this one," ngumiti siya. "Thank you, Rain."

Nang maisuot na niya ang sapatos, tumayo ako at ganoon din maging siya.

"Just continue doing your passion. My support is on."

"Thanks a lot, Rain." There were stars behind her smile. "Marami ka ng ginawa para sa akin, and this is too much."

"I just wanted you to be happy."

Pasimple siyang lumapit sa akin at hinawakan ang aking braso. "I'm always happy, Rain."

She began to put her arms around my neck. "Ikaw lang, sapat na."

She kissed me softly, and I did it back hardly. I tasted her mouth and I like it. As she was kissing me more, mas diniinan ko pa ang pagkakahalik sa kanya until we fell down on the same bed. At mas ramdam ko ang pagiging agresibo sa kanya.

Ngunit natinag na lamang ako nang maalala ang imahe ng isang weird na babae. I suddenly parted from her at agad na tumayo.

"Why we stopped?" she asked in a flirty voice. I rather fixed myself and tried to calm down.

"I need to go now." Pero ang totoo, iba ang nasa isip ko. Ibang babae.

"How about us?"

"I like it, Kim." Sandali ko siyang nilingon at agad din namang umalis.

**
A S H Y

Ito ang araw ng kanilang alis, at heto kami ngayon- magkakasama sa Airport. They will be having a short business vacation in London.

"Since aalis muna kami, wala munang Tiara na titingin sa'yo," my girl smiled. "Ingatan mo ang sarili mo, Madisson."

"And don't worry, Ash," Adams said. "You will be always safe here."

"Mag-iingat kayo," sagot ko. "Just let me know kung nasa London na kayo."

"Ikaw ang mag-iingat." Nagsimulang mang-inis si Tyra. "Kasi balita ko, nagkita ulit kayong dalawa ni Rain."

Adams smiled, at ganoon din ako. Tyra took a deep breath as she was changing her mood. Malungkot siya at ganoon din maging ako.

"We're gonna go now," sabi niya. Tumango lang ako bilang tugon, at agad niya naman akong niyakap ng mahigpit. Hindi nagtagal at umalis na rin sila. I slowly turned back and walked away.

"Miss Ashleigh," tawag sa akin ng isang staff pagkapasok ko sa shop. "May ipinapaabot sa inyo."

She was extending a box. I gave her a look knowing about it, at umiling lamang siya. Ipinatong ko ito sa itaas ng mesa, at sa aking palagay ay nagkamali lamang ang staff.

"Ipinapabigay po iyan sa'yo, Miss," sabi ng guard. And since walang card or handwritten na naka-attached, gusto ko pa rin malaman ang pangalan ng sender.

"At sino naman siya?"

"Hindi nagbigay ng pangalan," muling sagot ng guwardiya. "Pero pinapasabi niya na para iyan sa'yo."

Napaisip ako. Talagang walang nagbibigay sa akin ng patago.

"Okay." Kinuha ko ang box at dinala sa loob ng office. Naka-sealed with red ribbon ang naturang kahon. Binuksan ko iyon though hindi ako sigurado, nagbabakasakaling nasa loob ang kasagutan.

So weird.

A pair of black shoes with lace ang bumungad sa akin. I checked the back side of it, and it was size of eight. I remembered someone who bought it the last time I saw Rain. Pero imposible na maging siya. Isinukat ko iyon at sakto naman sa akin.

"Beautiful."

Isinuot ko iyon ng walang pag-alinlangan. I waited days beyond days at umaasa na babalik ang sender ng sapatos. At sa paghihintay, I used it daily.

Someone came sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon. Ito ang taong gusto kong makita't makausap muli.

"So, you worked here?" She was wearing an elegant dress with classy attitude.

"Welcome here," sabi ko. "Hindi ko alam kung bakit ka naparito. It's been a while since we've met sa Private Jail."

She smiled, "Old days."

"So, kumusta ka na?"

"Too complicated."

"I see. And, what do you want to talk to?"

"About life."

"Coffee, outside?"

"No, thanks. Isa pa, hindi rin naman ako rito magtatagal."

I nodded. "And Kim? I'm sorry if hindi na ako nakabalik sa'yo noon." I was trying to expand my explanation, pero agad siyang nagsalita.

"Matagal na iyon, and it's okay." Ibinaling ko ang aking tingin sa aking ginagawa.

"Nagkita ba kayo ulit?" I turned my head back.

"He bought me a pair of shoes, at alam kong dito yun galing."

Tumango ako, "Yeah. We met here once."

Her eyes went down, and I even saw it.

"I like your shoes," she simply smiled. "Too much expensive, isn't it?" It sounds like she knew about the shoes I was wearing.

"Si Rain din ba ang nagbigay niyan sa'yo?"

Ano ba ang gusto niyang mangyari?

"Lahat ng sapatos dito, e talagang mahal," she smiled sarcastically. "I know you can't buy something costly."

I smirked. "If you think napakamahal ng sapatos na ito, remember, you were not the only one who can bought anything."

Ayoko sana siyang sagutin pero sadyang nainis lang ako sa kaniyang sinabi. She would ever thought na hindi ko afford ang kahit anong bagay.

"Anyway, he bought two pairs of shoes." Her eyes began to round. "They were sizes of seven and eight. I knew your size, and he knows mine."

She didn't move nor showing any reactions. "Siguro nga siya ang nagpaabot nito sa akin. And if ever na siya nga, let me thank him."

She blinked her eyes and smiled. "To be honest, ganoon ka pa rin. At kagaya ng dati, no changes. No class. Inelegant. At kahit ano man ang suotin mo, walang babagay sa'yo."

"I don't even need to change. Hindi ko iyon kailangan. Ang mahalaga, may mga tao pa rin na hindi nagbabago. Too complicated ba? You were the reason behind that complications." Nginitian ko siya at umalis na rin. Hindi ko ginamit iyong proper decorum ko in handling negative situation pero hindi ko gusto iyong inasta niya.

The moment I saw her, she talked to me like someone else. She's nagging her eyes, acting so arrogant. I'm anyone to her. Too obvious. Binago siya ng panahon at kinain ng makamundong gawa. Iba ang nagagawa ng pera. Lahat pwedeng magbago. Lastly, the truth speaks louder, and I saw it through her actions.