I guess love can actually drive us insane. It's terrifiying at most times. I could attest that."She's still not answering her phone?" Ethan asked while driving the car to the cafe where my sister frequent. At least that's what her friends told me over the phone a while back.I puckered my lips as I shook my head. I also couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. It's been hours since my sister went missing in action. And we still couldn't track her. Pero hindi naman ako susuko sa paghahanap sa kanya. Kaya lang ay pagod na talaga ako sa ngayon. I felt like my body's about to give up any moment from now, but I didn't make it obvious to Ethan. Alam kong pagod na rin siya. The least I could do is to not stress him out more. Kahit na hindi ako sure kung anong ginagawa ko ngayon. Kasi sa totoo lang, hindi naman na dapat nandito si Ethan. This has nothing to do with him. And yet he's here—to help me find my sister. I heard him heave a deep breath as well. He then carefully pulled over near a
After the reconciliation with my sister, I called our parents to come over. I did not expect them to come right away. But they really did. Nagulat na lang ako na wala pang isang oras ay nakarating na sila sa rest house na kung saan kasalukuyang tumutuloy si Aye Zafie. Mom was hysterically sobbing as she tightly hugged Ate Zafie, apologizing for her shortcomings all over again. Dad was silently watching them but I know better. He's breaking down deep inside but he just wouldn't show it off.They were both worried for my sister. We all are. My heart tugged at the sight of them embracing one another as I stood from afar. I couldn't help but break into a small smile as I watch my little family slowly getting back together. I've longed for this ever since. Despite all the issues, the disappointments, the hatred, and the betrayals... I've always found my way to them. I've learned how to forgive my parents especially my mother who had made my teenage life worse than it could have been. T
The first time he saw her, he only thought that she was not even his type. Maarte, isip-bata, at mataray—all of these traits were just so far from his liking. Yet, here he is, looking at her with nothing but admiration and love, reflecting on the journey they've taken together. Ethan stood by the window, watching Zephyrine in the garden. The sun cast a golden glow over her, highlighting her hair as she tended to the flowers. He marvelled at how far they had come, both individually and together. He thought back to when he was just a playboy, flitting from one girl to another without a care. Meeting Zephyrine had changed everything. "Ethan," Zephyrine called out, breaking his reverie. "Are you just going to stand there and watch, or are you going to help me with these flowers?" Ethan smiled, walking over to join her. "Can't a man admire his beautiful wife in peace?" Zephyrine laughed, a sound that always filled Ethan with warmth. "You can, but I'd prefer if you also helped me pla
"Erin?" I heard my sister, Ate Zaf, call out from outside my bedroom. "What?" I lazily asked back. "I'm going out with my friends today." I pouted as I continued to draw in my sketchbook, choosing not to respond. It didn't take long before I heard her voice again. "Erin, alam kong naririnig mo 'ko. Huwag ka na'ng magtampo. I'll buy you your favorite Pepero pag-uwi ko," she coaxed, her promise making me smile despite myself. "Okay po!" I shouted back, hearing her groan in frustration which only made me laugh. I decided to stay in my room the entire day while my sister was out with her friends. Instead of going to the dining room, I had our helper deliver my meals. I even asked Ate Zaf to order my favorite burger and peach mango pie from Jollibee for merienda. As I ate, I scrolled through the P*******t app, searching for new makeup and outfit ideas. I wanted to show off a different look to my schoolmates when classes resumed. Last year, I embraced the hot chic aesthetic. For thi
"Erin, come on! Make it fast, you're wasting our time." My sister shouted from downstairs. "Yes, coming!" I shouted back while putting on my sweater. "God, mahuhuli tayo sa flight natin dahil sa 'yo!" Sigaw na naman ni Ate Zaf. There's no need for her to shout kaya. At nakakairita na rin ang boses niya. "Iiwan na talaga kita, Zephyrine. Ang bagal mo talaga kumilos. " Naiinis na si Ate kaya bumaba na ako. Papunta na kami sa airport pero ang ingay pa rin ni Ate habang panay ang tingin sa relo niya. Pinapagalitan pa ako kasi nga ang bagal ko kumilos. Kung mahuhuli raw kami sa flight namin, iiwan niya talaga dito sa Manila. God, nakakairita eh paulit ulit lang naman ang sinasabi niya! "Ate, pwede bang manahimik ka muna? You're ruining our day. Umagang umaga sinisira mo ang mood ko. Chill ka lang, okay?" I told her. "Chill? Look at the time, it's almost ten! Alas onse ang flight natin!" Inis niyang hinagis sa direksyon ko ang travel pillow na hawak niya. "
My sister and I decided to go shopping the day after. We thought of buying gifts for Nana and Jam. I can't choose what to buy for Jam. Nakabili na kami ng mga damit at bag para kay Nana. Bumili rin si Ate Zaf ng dress and shoes for Jam. Pero wala pa rin akong maisip na gift for her!"Bagay kay Jam 'to." Itinuro ni Ate Zaf ang kulay pink na relo. It's so cute!"Omg, yes! I'll buy this for her." Pumila na kami ni Ate papunta sa counter para bayaran ang mga pinamili namin. Kaso nga lang, ang haba ng pila."God, bakit ba ang daming tao? Kailan pa kaya tayo makakaraos dito." Inis akong napapadyak. Pet peeve ko kasi ang pagpipila ng matagal."Marami talagang tao kasi nasa mall ka, Erin. Wala ka sa bundok.""I know. You don't have to talk about mountains. You're so random." I rolled my eyes.Hindi na nagsalita si Ate. When I looked at h
"Hey." A voice said behind me.I looked over my shoulder and saw my sister. "Ate Zaf." I gave her a small smile."I'm sorry about earlier, sissy." She said softly.I just nodded. Wala lang naman talaga 'yon sa 'kin. She was just stating the fact. And it's a good thing that she did not tolerated my behavior earlier.My sister sat down beside me. Nasa terrace kasi ako ng bahay nila Jam, pinapanood ang paglubog ng araw. This has been a habit of mine ever since bata ako. I love to watch the sunset."You never watched the sunset with me before. Ngayon lang." I smiled bitterly while remembering our childhood days. Naalala ko na umiyak ako ng umiyak noon dahil ayaw niya akong samahan sa seashore para manood ng sunset. Mas maganda kasi panoorin ang sunset kapag nasa tabing-dagat ka. Nagtampo ako sa kanya ng ilang araw no'n. I was really upset that time.
I woke up earlier than usual the next morning. I immediately got up to wash up and brush my teeth before I went downstairs. Nagugutom na 'ko kaya dumiretso ako sa kitchen ng bahay nila Jam. "Gising ka na pala, Zeph." Sambit ni Jam nang makita niya ako. Siya pala ang naghahanda ng agahan namin. Nasa garden siguro si Nana. "Yeah." I said, yawning. "Obviously." "It's too early for you to be grumpy." She told me before handing me a glass of hot chocolate. There were mallows, just exactly how I want my morning drink to be. "Thanks, Jam." I sat down on the chair. Nakatulala lang ako sa kisame habang uniinom ng hot chocolate. Ganito talaga ako kapag bagong gising, tutulala muna bago magising nang tuluyan ang diwa. "I'll help Nana to clean up the house," I told Jam who was busy scrambling some eggs for breakfast. She raised her brow at me. "Sure ka?" Tinaasan ko rin siya ng kilay. "Why? You don't think I can do it?" She shrugged. "Mayaman kayo, eh. Malay ko bang may alam kang gawai
The first time he saw her, he only thought that she was not even his type. Maarte, isip-bata, at mataray—all of these traits were just so far from his liking. Yet, here he is, looking at her with nothing but admiration and love, reflecting on the journey they've taken together. Ethan stood by the window, watching Zephyrine in the garden. The sun cast a golden glow over her, highlighting her hair as she tended to the flowers. He marvelled at how far they had come, both individually and together. He thought back to when he was just a playboy, flitting from one girl to another without a care. Meeting Zephyrine had changed everything. "Ethan," Zephyrine called out, breaking his reverie. "Are you just going to stand there and watch, or are you going to help me with these flowers?" Ethan smiled, walking over to join her. "Can't a man admire his beautiful wife in peace?" Zephyrine laughed, a sound that always filled Ethan with warmth. "You can, but I'd prefer if you also helped me pla
After the reconciliation with my sister, I called our parents to come over. I did not expect them to come right away. But they really did. Nagulat na lang ako na wala pang isang oras ay nakarating na sila sa rest house na kung saan kasalukuyang tumutuloy si Aye Zafie. Mom was hysterically sobbing as she tightly hugged Ate Zafie, apologizing for her shortcomings all over again. Dad was silently watching them but I know better. He's breaking down deep inside but he just wouldn't show it off.They were both worried for my sister. We all are. My heart tugged at the sight of them embracing one another as I stood from afar. I couldn't help but break into a small smile as I watch my little family slowly getting back together. I've longed for this ever since. Despite all the issues, the disappointments, the hatred, and the betrayals... I've always found my way to them. I've learned how to forgive my parents especially my mother who had made my teenage life worse than it could have been. T
I guess love can actually drive us insane. It's terrifiying at most times. I could attest that."She's still not answering her phone?" Ethan asked while driving the car to the cafe where my sister frequent. At least that's what her friends told me over the phone a while back.I puckered my lips as I shook my head. I also couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. It's been hours since my sister went missing in action. And we still couldn't track her. Pero hindi naman ako susuko sa paghahanap sa kanya. Kaya lang ay pagod na talaga ako sa ngayon. I felt like my body's about to give up any moment from now, but I didn't make it obvious to Ethan. Alam kong pagod na rin siya. The least I could do is to not stress him out more. Kahit na hindi ako sure kung anong ginagawa ko ngayon. Kasi sa totoo lang, hindi naman na dapat nandito si Ethan. This has nothing to do with him. And yet he's here—to help me find my sister. I heard him heave a deep breath as well. He then carefully pulled over near a
"That wasn't your fault, okay? It was mine. I'm sorry." Ethan said repeatedly even if he didn't need to. "Let's stop putting the blame on ourselves, please. And stop apologizing. We just slept—that's all. Mom was just overreacting. Didn't know she had that attitude." Napailing na lang ako.Seriously? Siya talaga magdidikta sa aming dalawa na gawin nang official ang relasyon namin ni Ethan? That sounded so weird for me."Still... ako ang lalaki. I should've known that it would put you in the bad side."I rolled my eyes. "Duh? As if sleeping together is that big of a deal. We didn't even kiss. Inaantok na nga tayo pareho kagabi. OA talaga ng mom ko, for real. Don't worry about it that much. We won't rush things the way she wanted us to."He let out a deep sigh before nodding. He looked so stressed out about what happened. Mom's pressuring him, too. I wasn't mad at her, I was just pissed. Kaya nga kami umalis agad after breakfast. I didn't want to hear mom's opinions about Ethan and I an
"Love-" I was about to say something to Ethan but stopped when I realized what I just said. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang lumingon si Ethan sa 'kin. And his eyes widened as well. Of course, we're both shocked! He obviously heard what I just called him. Magkatabi lang naman kaming dalawa. Umawang ang labi nito at nagtatanong ang mga mata. "Did... did you just call me 'love'?" He asked, amused. I bit my lower lip. I didn't know what to say again! Pasmado talaga ang bibig ko at kung anu ano na lang ang lumalabas mula dito! Palaging nadudulas, eh. "I mean-" Umiwas ako ng tingin nang mapansing sumeryoso ang mukha nito. I'm never ready to talk about 'this' yet. Para akong kakapusan ng hininga kapag pag-uusapan namin ang relasyon namin or whatever. Kasi alam ko na kung saan 'to patungo, eh! As I said, I don't want to commit myself to Ethan for now. And I don't to disappoint or hurt him in any way. "Alam mo bang ilang beses ko nang pinangarap na tawagin mo rin ako ng ganoon, Zephyrine?"
"Are you feeling better now?" Ethan asked me, but I didn't look at him. Namamanhid ang labi ko nang dahil sa kanya! "Hey. I'm sorry. I was just tempted to kiss you." I groaned. "Ugh. Can you please just shut up? Masyado ka nang nakadagdag sa problema ko sa buhay." "I'm sorry, okay? I just wanted you to feel better through my kisses." Tingnan mo nga 'to at binibiro na naman ako! "Tumahimik ka na lang, please. Tama na kaka-mention tungkol sa kiss na 'yan!" Naiirita kong sambit. At tawang tawa naman si gago. Ang sarap talaga nitong suntukin, eh. Hindi ko na ulit pa pinakinggan ang mga pinagsasabi niyang hindi magandang pakinggan para sa 'kin. Mahawaan pa ako sa kaharutan niya. "Hoy. Kung gusto mo talaga ako, samahan mo nga ako sa loob ng house nila mommy." Paghahamon ko sa kanya. I thought he was going to say no but he immediately offered his hand to me. "Take my hand and hold on to it tightly. I'll always be by your side, no matter what happens." I rolled my eyes after hearing
"Hey, you can do this." Ethan told me as he gently hold my hand. We were in front of my parents' house and I am feeling a little nervous to get inside. Actually, halo halo ang emosyon ko ngayon. A part of me hated the fact that my parents were not really caring and nice to me ever since. They were blinded by their fame. They enjoyed their spot under the limelight. They caused me both emotional and mental damages. I could feel anger boiling up in my heart again just by thinking every cruel thing my parents put me in, so I tried to execute the breathing exercises for me to calm down. I can't be like this right now. I needed to get things done. I needed to fight against my own monsters. "Masama ba ang pakiramdam mo? Let's just go back when you're ready to face them again, Erin. You need to compose yourself first, okay? Please don't push yourself too hard. May nakalaang oras para sa lahat ng bagay. There's no need to rush." Ethan tried to make me feel better with all tho
"Hey, I'll just buy something downstairs." I told Ivory who's now busy with the report that she had to do as the president of the student council. "You sure you're okay to go out alone?" She asked. "I'm a hundred percent sure." "Okay." She replied with a nod. Her eyes didn't leave the screen of her computer. "Wala kang ipapabili?" Tanong ko. "Nothing. Just be safe. Diyan ka lang sa baba, ah." I nodded and made my to the convenience store. When I was inside the elevator, I had a hard time composing myself. Ang daming tao sa loob, siksikan pa. I almost couldn't breath, not only because it was crowded inside but because I was triggered by that traumatic memory I had in Cebu when I went out alone.This is so tiresome. Lagi na lang ganito nararamdaman ko every time I try to do my usual routine alone. I am already breathing heavily and was about to get back to the unit dahil sa takot kong baka maulit na naman '
I was waiting for Axi and Ivory to come back from the lavatory. I was so hungry that I didn't mind going there with them. Besides, I have a feeling that I am already starting to hate going to lavatories, rest rooms or comfort rooms because of Ethan and Wry. So, I just minded my own business and ate lunch since I am really hungry. As in, for real nagugutom na talaga ako. Ang dami ko ngang biniling pagkain, eh! I don't eat a lot but whenever I'm stressed out, I would unintentionally eat a little bit more. I already had two cups of rice and two pieces of fried chicken. I felt so full but still had a can of a carbonated drink. I also am planning on buying hash browns. "I know you're here." A familiar voice spoke that I almost spit out my drink. What the heck?! I had a sudden mix of emotions inside and I hated it. I don't want to be in my whirlpool of thoughts and become vulnerable again. Hindi na ako magiging marupok, I promised that to myself. And I will protect