NAPALUNOK AKO NANG marinig ko na tama pala ang sinabi niya. Napatingin ako sa harap ng kotse niya. Bigla akong nanghina at bigla kong naramdaman ang panginginig ng mga kamay ko.
"Bakit? Nagbibiro ka lang, 'di ba?"
"Does my face looks like I'm joking around?"
Salubong ang mga kilay ko nang tignan ko siya. Hindi pa rin siya nakatingin sa 'kin. Naka-focus pa rin siya sa pagmamaneho niya.
"Makikipag-break ka sa 'kin habang nagda-drive ka? Hindi mo nga ako matignan nang diretso tapos makikipag-break ka."
Pinunasan ko ang mga luhang mabilis na tumulo sa mga pisngi ko nang marinig ko na gusto niyang makipag-break sa 'kin.
Tinigil niya ang pagmamaneho sa gilid ng kalsada at tinignan ako nang diretso sa mga mata ko. Napaiyak ako. Nakikita ko na kasi ngayon na hindi talaga siya nagbibiro. Ano ba'ng nasa isip niya at makikipag-break siya sa 'kin?
"Damon, bakit? May nagawa ba 'kong masama? Nagalit ka ba sa 'kin sa nangyari kahapon? S
Damon's POVI WIPED MY tears and I quickly melted. I put my head on the bar counter and cried. I cried so much like a kid that everyone could hear. Ramdam ko 'yong bigat ng dibdib ko. If this was what Emma had felt when I told her I want to break up with her, I didn't think apologizing to her was enough to heal this kind of hurt that I was also feeling right now.I felt my mother caressing my back and she sat in another bar stool."What is happening, Damon? Why are you crying, son?"I looked up to see her. I wiped my tears again like a teenage boy. "Mom, I broke up with Emma."Her worried face made me want to kill myself for hurting Emma."I broke up with her, Mom. I just broke up with her."She touched her chest while giving me that questioning look. "Why did you do that? I love that girl so much, Damon. Why did you hurt her?"I
Damon's POV After two years... New York City, U.S.A. "WHY ARE WE here, Marco?" I hated this place. I've never been inside a club after I encountered a car accident four years ago. It was my choice not to go in this kind of place anymore, but because my friend needed a companion, I was dragged in here. I ignored the flirtatious stares of women around us. The hell I care. They were not Emma. Not like Emma. "I just needed a distraction, idiot." I looked at him and I knew he was not okay. I knew why. His father wanted him to marry a woman he did not even know in the first place. The woman was the daughter of his father's friend. An arranged marriage for business merging. I pitied him. He was going to marry a woman he did not even know. Where was his freedom of finding and choosing the woman he wanted to marry someday? As for m
"YOU DID GREAT, Emma!" Masayang bati sa akin ni Melanie Dereje, ang Editor-in-Chief ng Feature People Magazine. I was a journalist now. Thanks to Tita Estela. Hindi talaga niya ako binitawan. She made sure that I will finished my two semesters and now I was working. I owed it to her. She was kind. I promised her that we will still see each other and last week nga lang ay nagkita kami. Ang laki nang pinagbago ng buhay ko. Nag-decide na akong tumira sa isang condo unit dito sa Makati para hindi hassle dahil dito ang office ng pinagtatrabahuan ko. Pumupunta ako kay tita kapag hindi na ako busy. Natutuwa nga rin ako kay Jeanne kasi sila na ni Andy. Two years na sila at masayang-masaya sila. Kung... kung may bagay man na hindi nagbago sa akin, 'yon 'yong nararamdaman ng puso ko. I certainly tried it. I tried accepting suitors last year kaso wala. Dalawa lang lagi ang nangyayari. Hindi ko gusto 'yong personality ng manliligaw ko o ka
Damon's POV"WELCOME HOME, MY son!" I was greeted by my mother when I stepped inside our mansion.Finally, after two years, nandito na ulit ako. I will no longer hide from everyone. I was so happy that I got to fix myself. That I didn't depend on my parents. To anyone around me.She caressed the left side of my face. She was looking at me intently. I could see how she was stopping herself from crying. This was the first time she saw my new old face after the laser treatment that was done to me and I knew that she was happy that finally, I moved on."You're so handsome, Damon. I've always imagine that I'll be seeing you again without a scar on your left cheek. I'm so happy that you finally took back a piece of yours. I am so proud of what you've done for yourself."She hugged me. I caught my father looking at me seriously."
Emma "EMMA, DAMON MONTESOIR agreed to have an interview for our magazine issue. He told me that he's free today. Can you go to his resort now? He sent me the address. Nandoon daw kasi siya. I think that place is a good location for the interview," nakatingin lang ako kay Ms. Dereje nang sabihin niya 'yon. He agreed. I was going to interview him today. Sa resort. Doon sa lugar kung saan kami huling naging masaya. Dalawang taon na ang lumipas pero sobrang sakit pa rin talaga. Tandang-tanda ko ang huli kong sinabi sa kaniya. Na ayaw ko na siyang makita pero trabaho ko ang pinag-uusapan dito. I wanted to be professional at kailangan kong i-set aside ang personal kong buhay sa trabaho ko. Ayokong pumalya sa gagawin kong interview. I'm going to interview the man who broke my heart two years ago. Tumikhim ako. "Okay, Ma'am. I'm ready. I've already come up with questions but what subject do you have
EmmaHINDI KO ALAM kung ako lang ba ang nakakaramdam ng tension sa aming dalawa.Seryoso siyang tumango. Saglit ko siyang sinuyod ng tingin. Nakasuot siya ng polo shirt at khaki shorts na pinaresan niya ng tsinelas. Kahit saang anggulo hindi ko na nakikita 'yong Damon na ilang beses nakiusap sa akin na tanggapin ko siya sa kabila nang aksidenteng nangyari sa kaniya. Para nga akong nakatingin sa taong punong-puno ng tiwala sa sarili. Wala nang bakas ng hiya at pag-aalinlangan. Pakiramdam ko nakaharap ako sa Damon na sikat na modelo noon."I'm ready," seryosong sagot niya.Tumango ako at inilabas ko ang audio recorder ko. Pinatong ko sa mesa na nasa gitna naming dalawa. Huminga ulit ako nang malalim at nag-focus sa journal na naglalaman ng mga tanong."Many people were surprised when you got into a car accident resulting to the end of your modeling career. What can you say about it?"
Damon's POVTHIS IS HOW Damon Montesoir Fixes His Dark ShadowDamon Montesoir is an international model who was involved in a car accident resulted to the end of his modeling career and now he's back as a photographer who just recently won the International Photography Award in London. We may say a lot of things about him, but we didn't really know what actually happened why he chose to hide after the accident.During the interview, I felt how he succeeded to change himself. I felt his perseverance to build himself after hiding from the media, from the people, and from everyone around him. I felt how he has changed from what the media portrayed to him before---a womanizer. He learned his lesson. Maybe maturity and life experiences taught him a lot of things.Everyone has been dying to know if he is going to come back in modeling and he always said that he is no longer coming back
EMMA"THANKS, RUSS. I enjoyed our dinner," nakangiting sabi ko nang pagbuksan ako ni Russelle palabas ng kotse niya.Pumayag akong mag-dinner kaming dalawa dahil sa success ng feature article ko patungkol kay Damon. Hindi ko alam kung nabasa na ba niya 'yong article na sinulat ko. Halos kinabahan ako habang sinusulat ko 'yon. Isang buwan na rin ang nakalipas. Na-promote na ako as associate editor at sobrang natutuwa ako sa panibagong achievement na narating ko.Malinaw na rin kay Russelle na hanggang magkaibigan lang kami."You're welcome, Emma. I'm happy you enjoyed our dinner. See you tomorrow. Congrats again. I'm proud of you."Nginitian ko siya. "Thank you, Russ. See you tomorrow."Hinatid ko siya ng tingin hanggang sa makalayo na ang kotseng sinasakyan niya.Nang humarap ako papasok sa tinutuluyan ko ay ganoon na lang ang gulat ko nang makita ko si Damon na nakatitig sa akin habang nakasandal sa harap ng kotse niya. T