To break her reality bound by rules, Letizia impulsively participates in a project communicating with a stranger and shares the life she desires behind the name "Juliette". Can she keep up with the lies about her perfect story and not fall for the m...
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***
ILANG beses pa akong napalunok habang nakatitig kay David. I looked at my shaking hands then back at his face. I never mentioned anything about Rome to him so I understood why he was asking me these questions.
"Um . . . a friend."
Nagtagpo lalo ang kilay niya. "Friend? Really?"
I wasn't fond of his response. Kahit best friend ko pa siya, I felt off with him questioning if Rome was a friend. Parang bata pa rin ang pagtrato niya sa akin. It does make sense considering I was a child that was closed to being locked away from society. No one knew my existence to call me a friend.
Nagkrus ang mga braso ko. "Why won't I have another friend, David?"
"I'm your best friend, Letizia. You know I worry too much about your safety. You're in a foreign country." Naupo siya sa tabi ko at inabot ang kamay ko. I let him lift my hand to clap with his hand multiple times.
"But I'm fine. I can make friends, too, David."
"Do you really know this person?" He rested his head on my shoulder. At dahil mas matangkad siya sa akin, medyo binaba pa niya ang kaniyang katawan. He also stopped playing with our hands.
"We're only talking over the emails. I don't know him in person."
"More reason why I'm worried about this exchange, Letizia."
I took a deep breath. This time, I started clapping his hand with mine. His hands were warm . . . That was it. If anyone would see our position right now, I would be certain that they would think we're in a relationship, but that would be false. Kahit na magkalingkis ang mga kamay namin at nakasandal kami sa isa't isa, I just felt safe and comfortable with my best friend's presence.
"It's part of a project, David. I'm just helping them out. Besides, wala naman masama sa ginagawa ko."
Huminga nang malalim si David at pinaglingkis ang aming mga kamay. "I will always want you to be safe, Letizia. So please promise me that you'll be very careful with talking to that person."
"I promise." I squeezed his hand back. "I promise that once we find my mother, I will end this and we'll go home."
"Thank you for your promise, Letizia," he exclaimed.
There was a sudden pang on my chest as I said those words. I didn't understood the severity of my own words towards myself . . . until it was too late.
***
THE next day, nagpunta kami sa PG dahil gusto raw talaga matikman ni David ang pagkain doon. Nakita niya kasi ang mga tarpaulin at ads nang nasa hotel kami. He was intrigued about the Filipino fast food chain—both the food and service.
