Sallie's POV

"Sexy mo," sabi sa akin ni Chris nang papalapit ako sa kanya sa beach. Nakaupo siya sa buhanginan habang nakasuot ng board shorts at naka-shades kahit hapon na. Kitang-kita ang magandang katawan habang nakatukod ang dalawang siko sa buhangin. Kung titingnan nga ang hitsura ni Chris, para siyang mga guwapong surfer na nakikita ko sa magazine.

Umayos siya ng upo at dumampot ng beer tapos ay uminom. Mag-a – ala singko na rin ng hapon at nag-uumpisa ng dumami ang tao sa beach. Dito gagawin sa harap ng Hotel Jasmine ang anniversary party at meron din sa loob sa loob ng hotel.

"Para hindi halatang broken hearted," sagot ko at naupo sa tabi niya. Hindi ko pinapansin ang mga lalaking tumitingin sa gawi ko. Tumingin lang sila ng tumingin. Marami naman sa paligid ang naka two piece bathing suit hindi lang ako.

"Technically you are not broken hearted. You chose to be broken hearted," natatawang sagot niya sa akin at inabutan ako ng beer. Dinampot ni Chris ang tuwalya at itinaklob sa katawan ko. Taka akong tumingin sa kanya. "Men are staring at you like they wanted to have a taste of you. You are a walking sin." Natatawang sagot niya.

Natawa ako at napailing. Tiningnan ko ang paligid ko at nakita ko ngang ilang mga lalaki doon at nakatingin nga sa akin.

"Bayaan mo silang maglaway," sabi ko at inalis ko ang tuwalyang inilagay ni Chris. Pinabayaan kong nakabuyangyang ang katawan kong two piece bathing suit lang ang suot. Natatawa siyang naiiling at tumungga sa hawak na beer.

"It's your choice. Sabi ko naman sa 'yo puwede ka namang maging masaya. Gusto ka niya. Gusto mo siya. Pinipilit mo lang na may problema." Sagot ni Chris.

Napahinga ako ng malalim. "But I will hurt Bianca. Hindi ko kayang gawin iyon."

"Hindi mo pa ba siya sinasaktan 'niyang lagay na 'yan? She is treating you like a good friend but she didn't know your past with Armel. You kissed, you had sex. Isn't that called betrayal?" Nakataas ang kilay niya. Naramdaman kong inakbayan niya ako at niyakap palapit sa kanya. "You are my friend and I hate to see you like that. Miserable. Ganoon talaga. There are people who are meant to be hurt."

Umiling lang ako at yumuko. Ayoko ng umiyak. I need to move on. Pero natawa din ako. Ilang beses ko na bang sinabi sa sarili ko na mag – move on na. Pero hindi ko din naman magawa.

"Chris, I have a question to you. Do you like me? I mean, we've known each other for three years. I am just wondering if it came to your mind to get serious with me. Boyfriend and girlfriend stuff," ngumiti pa ako sa kanya nang sabihin iyon.

Nakita kong napatitig sa akin si Chris.

"You're asking me that right now?" naninigurong tanong niya.

"Yeah." Hinawakan ko ang kamay niya at lalong dumikit sa kanya. "I know you like me. Hindi ko lang alam kung bakit hindi mo ako niligawan."

Huminga siya ng malalim at tumingin sa dagat. Marahang niyang hinaplos-haplos ang kamay ko.

"Because I know you love someone else."

Takang napatingin ako sa kanya. Paano niya malalaman 'yun, wala naman akong pinagsabihan ng tungkol kay Armel?

Ngumiti siyang tumingin sa akin tapos ay hinalikan pa ang kamay ko.

"I know you love someone else, Sallie. I tried to express my feelings for you pero hindi mo napapansin ang mga effort ko. So, wala na lang. Pinalipas ko na lang. Hanggang sa ngayon, I don't feel anything for you at all. Siguro nga attracted lang ako sa iyo. Mababaw na feelings lang. Because you're pretty. There is no question about that. And you are determined to be on top. I admire you for that."

Natawa ako at uminom sa beer na hawak ko.

"Kung tayo na lang kaya? Subukan natin? Malay mo naman," I know I sounded desperate. Kasi iyon naman talaga ang nararamdaman ko. Desperado na akong mawala ang sakit na nararamdaman ko kaya kahit sino ngayon ay willing kong samahan para lang mawala ang sakit na ito.

"Shut up, Sallie. I don't want to be your rebound boy," natatawang sagot niya.

Natawa din ako sa naisip ko. "Wala lang. Naisip ko lang. Sorry. Gusto ko lang mawala sa sistema ko si Armel," at napahinga ako ng malalim at tumingin sa paligid tapos ay lumayo sa kanya. "Anyways, maraming cute boys sa paligid. Siguradong makakuha naman ako diyan sa mga iyan."

Sumeryoso ng mukha si Chris at masamang tumingin sa akin. "Stop it. You're just going to make the situation worse. Chill ka lang. Don't do things that you're going to regret in the end."

Hindi na ako kumibo at tumingin na lang din ako sa dagat. Ang ganda – ganda talaga dito. Napakatahimik ng dagat. Sana ganoon na lang din ang buhay ko. Tahimik. Walang gulo. Wala akong iniisip na ganito.

"And fuck me," narinig kong bulalas ni Chris at nakatingin sa mga taong papunta sa lugar namin.

"Why?" takang tanong ko.

Inginuso lang niya ang tinitingnan niya at para akong kinapos ng paghinga sa nakita ko. Si Bianca iyon. Naka two piece bathing suit at papalapit sa lugar namin. Nakangiti agad siya at kumakaway.

"Shit. What is she doing here?" takang tanong ko. Natataranta ako, Alam ko ay hindi pupunta ito. Nandito rin ba si Armel?

"Hi. Sallie!" bati agad niya nang makalapit sa amin at humalik sa pisngi ko. Pakiramdam ko at nanlamig ako sa ginawa niya. Kumaway din ito kay Chris.

"H – hi. What are you doing here?" tanong ko at napatingin ako kay Chris.

"We just came here. Me and Armel. Rex told me you'll be here," sabi nito at naglatag ng tuwalya sa buhanginan at tumabi sa amin.

Nagkatinginan ulit kami ni Chris. Makakaya ko pa bang magtagal dito at kasama si Bianca? Sobra naman 'to. Kung sabihin ko na kaya sa kanya na ako ang dating girlfriend ni Armel. Para hindi na siya mabait sa akin. Para magalit na siya sa aki. Sobrang nagi – guilty na kasi ako.

"Until when are you both gonna stay here? I hope you can attend my wedding," masayang sabi pa niya.

"I don't think I can. I'll be back to Toronto in a few days," agad kong sagot.

Nakita kong lumungkot ang mukha ni Bianca. "What? Sayang naman. Pati boyfriend mo kasama mo na din aalis?" sabi niya at tumingin pa kay Chris.

Natawa si Chris. "Actually, she is not my girlfriend. We are just friends," pagtatama ni Chris. Gusto kong pagalitan ang lalaking ito. Bakit ngayon pa niya sinabi ang totoo?

Nakita ko ang pagkagulat sa mukha ni Bianca. "Really? But you look good together. I thought you are really a couple." Sabi pa niya habang nagpapalit-palit ng tingin sa amin.

Nagkunwa akong tumingin sa beers namin kaya tumayo ako.

"I'll just get us some beers. I'll be back," sabi ko at hindi ko na hinintay na magsalita si Chris. Dire – diretso na akong umalis doon. I can't stay there. The guilt is killing me. I can't even look at Bianca's eye after what happened to Armel and me.

———————
Chris' POV

Bianca was smiling while looking at Sallie walking away from us then she looked at me. I smiled at her. Sallie was right. Bianca is a good person. Now I know what she feels. She was regretting everything because she cannot hurt a good soul like Bianca.

"I really like her. You know I've heard that she used to work in Boulevard Suites and she worked hard to be on top. I admire people like that." She took the bottle of beer that I gave her.

I chuckled. "You didn't know what kind of sacrifices she did just to reach for her dreams. She gave up everything for it."

Bianca gave me a puzzled look. "Did something happened to her?"

"I am not in the position to say what happened to her. Let's just say that she was broken. She didn't want to talk about it." I smiled at her again. I could see that she was interested with Sallie. "Cheers?" I raised the bottle and waited for her response.

She raised her bottle and we both drank from our beers. Suddenly, her smile was getting off from her face. She was just looking at the calm sea and the beautiful setting sun.

"So, how's the wedding prep? Stressful?" I tried to open a topic that I know will have her interest. Ang tagal naman ni Sallie. I don't know what topic I should talk with her.

"Wedding prep?" She smiled bitterly. "You know, I don't know if it's cold feet. But I am having second thoughts of getting married."

Sumeryoso akong napatingin sa kanya. "But you're getting married in less than two weeks. Maybe it's just the stress."

She shook her head and took a deep breath. "I can feel that my fiancé is slipping away."

I swallowed hard and looked at where Sallie went. Does Bianca knew something?

"I thought that I had fixed him. He was a broken man when I came in his life and I tried everything to help him cope up with a bad break up. And I thought I did." Ngumiti siya ng pilit sa akin. "Sorry. I shouldn't have telling you this. I don't know. I find you nice and easy to talk with. Kaya siguro sobrang close 'nyo ni Sallie."

"Unsolicited advice, your fiancè is not a thing that can be fixed. He has his own mind. He has his own feelings. If you feel that something has changed, than for sure something is changed. You just need to find it out." I wanted to tell her everything but I am not in the liberty to say it. Problema ito ni Armel. Siya ang dapat na umayos nito.

Napahinga ng malalim si Bianca at ngumiti. Napatingin sa likuran ko at napangiti.

"Looks like Sallie found a date for tonight," ang bilis nagbago ng persona ni Bianca. Biglang balik ang pagiging bubbly niya at tumayo tapos ay sinalubong si Sallie na may kasamang lalaki. Siguro ay nakilala nito sa bar.

I was shaking my head while looking at them. Two women both in love with the same man. If Armel was here, I am going to give him a hard punch in the face so he could use his head properly.

And he could see that he was hurting this two beautiful women.