Chapter 2

"TUMAYO ka diyan at umalis ka na." malamig na sabi niya. Hinawakan ni Mira ang kamay niya at hinagod ang likod niya.

"Zaphyra Yuanne! Pumasok ka sa kwarto mo!" sigaw ng kuya Zac niya sa kanya.

"Hon! Please usap tayo Hon!" pagsusumamo nito sa kanya.

"Umalis ka na rito Mr. Jimenez, wag kang magsimula ng gulo." sabi niya at diniinan ang 'Mr. Jimenez'.

"Hon!"

"I believe you're lost. Sino ang tinatawag mong 'Hon'?" natigilan si Pyros doon.

"Hoy! Umalis ka na raw! Mr. Jimenez!" sigaw naman kambal niya na galit na galit na.

"Zaph mag-usap muna tayo please..."

"Kuya Zio, please call the guard." sabi niya at muling tumakbo pabalik sa kwarto niya.

She still heard his voice, shouting and pleading.

She knows that she's not the only one hurt, Pyros loved her so much and she knows it. Alam niya na kahit si Pyros ang may kasalanan ay nasasaktan din ito, he's right that he had needs but she's there and he didn't ask her.

KINABUKASAN ay bumalik si Pyros sa Andrejez Residence, umaasang kausapin na siya ng dalaga. At tama nga ang desisyong bumalik siya dahil ngayon ay nag-uusap na sila.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," she said and made him confused.

"Why are you saying sorry?" he asked her.

"Because I didn't know you were unhappy, I should've known, sana mas maaga kita pinakawalan..." hindi niya napigilan ang pag-iyak niya.

"It's my fault I cheated." sabi naman niya and he caressed her cheeks. She tilted her head para hindi na siya mahawakan nito sa pisngi.

She looked at him and forced a smile. "Why?" she asked.

"I-I have needs Zaph, I'm very sorry," he replied and that tore her apart. Mas maiintidihan niya if there was no things like that.

"So, sa iba mo hiningi? Tanggap ko kung hindi ka masaya! Pero this is too much!" napataas ang boses niya at napayuko si Py. "I'm sorry, sorry, very sorry Zaph."

"I trusted you! I love you!" she shouted and burst into tears at napa-upo sa kalsada.

"Stand please." sabi ni Py sa kanya na lumuhod para pumantay sa kanya.

"I love you Pyros, but you're not happy anymore. It's painful but I'm letting you go." she caressed his cheeks and for the first and last time she kissed him.

Yeah, for those long years. It's their first kiss together and her first kiss. It was a long non-moving kiss until she stood up and get inside their house:

"You are the air I breathe Zaph, I'm sorry. Please don't leave me," he begged as she turned away from him.

"I am the air you breathe, oh I must be suffocating," she said and gets back inside.

Akala niya na porket hindi pa sila nakapag-halikan ay nagkulang na agad si Zaph. She's reserving her hanggang sa makasal sila, she wanted him to be her first at everything, except pain.

Maraming beses na sila nag-away and they also broke up. Pero hinahanap nila anv isa't isa, it's just maybe they are both unhealthy for each other. Siguro nga hangin nila ang isa't isa, and their problems are the polutions na naging dahilan para maging malayo ang loob nila sa isa't isa at siguro nga, Pyros got suffocated at naghanap siya ng fresh air instead of fixing each other, clearing the polution. Pero hindi, he became hesitant of his feelings. He chose to abandon the girl whose air is him. She suffocated him and he did to her too.

Their relationship became irrational at hindi na nila sinasabi ang problema sa isa't isa kahit meron na. They lost trust, not to each other but to their selves. Hinayaan nila na maging ganon at yung ang mali nilang nagawa.

They didn't fight for what is right. Humanap si Pyros ng sarili niyang saya. And he became too selfish not to tell her.

That is what wrecked their relationship apart. And that is what broke both of them.

The day she left...

He went to a bar, without any hope and only with regret.

"Bro!" bati sa kanya ni Sirius.

"Whiskey..." sabi niya sa bartender.

"Seems like this guy have a problem!" halakhak ng isa niya pang kaibigan, Zitron.

"Wala lang kayo magawa! Alis!" sigaw niya sa dalawa at humalagapak ang mga ito sa tawa.

"So? Ano na kayo ni Alexis?" tanong pa ni Zitron sa kanya.

"Don't even mention that name." sabi niya habang nilalagok ang unang whiskey niya.

"Hmm... Mukang nalaman na ni Zaph ah." He froze at what Sirius said kaya mas naging seryoso ang usapan nila.

"It-It sucks, she left me," sabi niya, "Isa pa!".

"Malamang iiwan ka non, niloko mo eh." sabi ni Sirius at umiling. Binatukan naman siya ni Zitron. "You're not helping!" singhal nito.

"What help can I do? The damage have been done! Para namang hindi natin siya sinabihan dati!" sabi naman ni Sirius at umalis sa tabi nila.

Siruis Clein Levistre, liked Zaphyra noon pa. He has always been there for Zaph, he tried to pursue Zaph noong one time na naghiwalay si Zaph at Py, kahit na labag ito sa bro code nila. He's a great man, the kindest among them three and he is also handsome. The finest jawline, red lips na mala Donny Pangilinan, his blue eyes, and a pointed nose. And the accent when he speaks in English, perks on being half-British.

And Zitron Rie Jung, he's the happy go lucky kind of guy, of course, the happiest, he's the peacemaker at any fight. He is half Korean, and that made him more attractive. Honestly speaking, he's the most handsome of the three and he's the most approachable. But he's a bit of a playboy.

AFTER a long flight, their family's private plane landed in the airport of one of the busiest cities in the world, New York City.

Their stay here will be more like a vacation and a time to fix herself.

"Why did we come here kung sa Australia tayo nag-ma-migrate?" she asked her Kuya Zio who accompanied her.

"I don't know, not my orders 'Lil sis." her Kuya said while getting their luggage in the baggage area of the airport. He carried them and only gave Zaph the lightest luggage.

"Kuya..." she warned him, but he didn't care and started walking towards the exit of the airport.

"Hey! Wait up!" she shouted at humabol sa kuya niya. Suddenly something popped up in her mind.

"Kuya, How are you and ate pat?" she asked and smirked when she saw him sighed. Ooh, he's still chasing her? she thought.

"She found someone else," he said and that made her worry about her brother. "She said, she needed time to breathe, why to find another?" he pointed out and his face darkened.

"I'm sorry that I asked," she replied and forced a smile, trying to lighten up the atmosphere.

Her Kuya Zio is heartbroken. Who would leave a guy like Zaphirio Andejez? He's intelligent and a very caring person. Not to mention, handsome.

When they arrived at Zio's Condo in New York, she immediately plopped down the bed in the guest room. She still have jet lag and she need rest, she didn't have the chance to sleep on the aeroplane because she was busy using her laptop and typing another update for her blog.

She closed her heavy eyes and little by little let the darkness eat her.

HE woke up in his bed because of his own smell, he stinks and he reeks of liquor. He even looks like a man whose business closed down and he can't find a job.

He cursed when he started to move, his body aches and he feels so heavy. He didn't even remember heading home last night.

He stood up from the bed lazily and went to his bathroom for a hot shower, he needs it because it's good for an aching body and because he stinks.

When he finished, he wore a white v-neck t-shirt and his shorts. And when he got out of his room he was shocked at the discovery, it's his friends, Zitron is watching on his television and Sirius is cooking their breakfast.

"Good morning bro, you are heavy and my body aches." Zitron even massaged his arms acting really hurt.

"Why are you two even here?" he asked and looked at them seriously.

"Wala man lang pasalamat! At 'good morning'!" singhal naman ni Siruis habang nagluluto ng pagkain nila.

A moment later he received a text message... He creased his brows, reading what he received. It is a message from Mira.

She may never come back, in the meantime, She's in New York and this is the only help I could give you.

-Mira

He stilled when he finished reading the message. His friends didn't seem to notice him. Why would Mira help me? he asked himself. Who would help a jerk like him? But Mira did, maybe because Mira knew what Zaph really feels and he can feel it too.

A week after...

He was standing in front of Zio's unit and left a bouquet of flowers. Her favourite, daisies.

He pressed the doorbell and ran as fast as he can to the corner where Zaph won't see him...

AND AS she opens the door, she is confused and looked around the hallway but she didn't see anyone. She picked up the flowers and smiled. Whoever gave this, it's so sweet and I wish to see him. Sabi niya sa isip niya.

While hiding he felt that she smiled and that made him feel good. At least I can still make her smile. He smiled but he became startled when Zio came out of the elevator and saw him. He can see anger in his eyes kaya napayuko na lamang siya.

"Pyros, make sure you take care of her. Never do a thing that would hurt her, just love her and that's enough for me to trust you." Zio told him on the day that Zaph agreed to be his girlfriend.

"What are you doing here?" Zio asked, maintaining his cold and dark aura.

"I-I wanted to see her-" he didn't finish his sentence when Zio said something.

"Mag-usap tayo, pero hindi dito." sabi nito sa malamig niyang boses at muling naglakad papunta sa elevator, sumunod nalang siya rito. Nakakabingi ang katahimikan nilang dalawa ngunit hindi niya alam kung ano ang sasabihin nang muling nagsalita si Zio.

"Stop sending her flowers every day, my unit is becoming a flower shop," Zio said with a serious face.

"How did you know?" he creased his forehead and asked him.

"Tayo tayo lang ang nakakaalam ng paborito niyang bulaklak Pyros. And why would our brothers leave flowers on the front door if they can knock and get inside." It wasn't a question, it was a statement of truth. He stayed silent for that, barely composing himself to say something.

"I will let you talk to her Pyros only if she agrees," napatingin siya sa binata at sakto naman na tumunog ang elavator. "Communication is everything, or else you'll fully lose each other," Zio said when Pyros got out of the elevator and he pressed the button to close the elevator and go up again.

THE next day Zio messages him the place where he could meet her. It's an Italian Restaurant, Zaph likes Italian foods so he thanked Zio for finding a good place.

He waited for her and she came, there was an awkward silence between the both of them that made Pyros uneasy.

He wanted to ask her something after they eat but it doesn't come out of his mouth.

"You want to say something, speak." It wasn't a statement from her, it was more of a command.

He cleared his throat and, "Uhm, do you want to go somewhere else?"

"And where would that be?" she asked her and he told her his plans for their last night together.

She actually felt disappointed when he said that it will be their last night together. She felt sad that he doesn't want to patch things up, he said he wanted them to talk and she is clearly waiting for an explanation.

When they arrived at the place that he wanted to go to with her, he was happy that she agreed to talk to him.

It was a moment of happiness as well as sadness for both of them.

They are laughing like there's no tomorrow and they are talking about both of their happy, epic, and embarrassing moments together. The time that Pyros is a shy boy who asked her to be his date on prom.

But at a sudden point, they just stop and became serious. He reached out for her hand and held it. She is confused about what he's doing but she let him hold her, she didn't feel being uncomfortable being around him.

"I'm sorry that I chose to find my needs from another person and not from you. It's just I felt like you don't really love me," he said as a tear rolled down his cheeks. "I am selfish for that, and I admit it. I don't want to blame you because you didn't do anything," another tear escaped his eyes, and Zaph dried them and nodded at him. "Please give me another chance Zaph, please let me help you heal the wounds I made, please let me help you fix this. Just don't push me away, you are my air Zaph." he looked at her intently with those pleading and teary eyes.

She looked back at his eyes and wiped his tears, "Of course I'm giving you a chance! But only as friends, that is the only chance I could give you, I'm giving you a chance because I know in my heart that you're the only line who can fix me Pyros. And if you're going to ask me and beg me to forgive you, I already forgave you Pyros, because I do understand that it's partly my fault." she said and forced a smile, but she just can't stop her sobs until she cried her heart out. And with that she felt Pyros hugging him tighter and tighter, she missed his hugs where she felt safe and protected.

"I'm sorry Hon," he said and she felt him smile at her. They stayed like that for a long time, being comfortable in each other's arms.

But disappointment never left their minds. He's disappointed at himself as well as Zaph to herself. Maybe they had to end like that and start off as friends again.

After their dramatic moment, they laughed.

"Ang drama naman," she said between giggles.

"Yeah." he agreed but he isn't laughing anymore, he's smiling and looking intently at her. Like she's the only girl he's ever seen, it looks like he doesn't care about any other girl.

He is staring at her while she's laughing, it's been a long time since I saw her laugh like this. He said in his mind and with her laughing, he can't help but smile.

"Thank you," he said that made her look at him confused. "...for giving me a chance," he added and caressed her cheeks, and because of that she felt a bit awkward so, she turned her face away from him.

"Let's go?" she shifted her gaze somewhere else and he felt that she is feeling uncomfortable so he agreed.