Alonna sighed.
Umirap ako. "You're probably tired of me. Aalis nalang ako-"
"No, no, no. I'm not!" hinila niya ako pabalik sa couch. "I believe you. But are you sure you heard him call her Jasmine? Not Anna or what?"
"Are you doubting me-"
"No, Niks. Naninigurado lang. You were drunk, right?"
"I know what I heard, Alonna. I was drunk, yes, but I heard the woman and he called her Jasmine!"
I pouted and cried. Hinablot ko ang tissue box sa kamay niya. She just watched me cry my balls out. Bagsak ang parehong balikat niya. Hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi pa siya naiirita na sa kaniya ang lagi kong takbuhan kapag may problema ako. I never cried this hard infront of her. I sobbed.
She sat beside me. "That motherfucker..."
I sobbed harder. "Don't call him that!"
"He just hurt you, Nichoella. What he did could be cheating- it is cheating!"
Pinunasan ko ang ilong ko.
"I just had dinner with Atlas, Lona..."
She pursed her lips.
Humugot siya ng hininga. "You know what? I'm gonna call Ruther!"
"What? Bakit?"
"He knows everything. Maybe we can ask him about that bitch Jasmine and your boyfriend."
I sighed.
Pinanood ko siyang tawagan ang matalik niyang kaibigan. I stared at the wall, my brain's drying up. I don't know what's the best thing to do right now. Obviously, I am mad. I have the right to be angry.
"How about Rashid? Does he know something?"
"Hindi ko alam."
"Hunter?"
"I bet he doesn't even have any idea."
"Dylan?"
"Alonna…" rinig ko ang halos pagsuko ni Ruther sa kabilang linya.
"Oh, ano? He's a Manzanilla, right? He must have ideas about this."
"I don't know, love. Ilang dekada na kami hindi nagkikita. I will try. Why are you asking about that, anyway..."
Nagkatinginan kami ni Alonna. She consciously turned off the speaker button and stood up. Umirap ako at sumandal sa sofa niya.
She didn't get any information from Ruther. I don't need it. Malinaw na siguro iyong kay Atlas. And it's probably true. At this point, I'm starting to not care about it. If he loves me, he will not risk something to lose me. And if he doesn't, then fine. It's not up to me.
Life goes that way.
Tatlong araw ang lumipas, wala akong narinig kay Hugo ni isang tuldok. Tulala ako habang nakatingin sa blangko niyang condo. I stopped messaging. I stopped begging for him to call. I should stop. At this point, I shouldn't beg.
Mom sipped on her coffee, smirking at me.
"Well, well... have you heard? The Carvajal's already on the loose."
Umangat ang tingin ko, natigil ang pag nguya. My father sighed and looked at me wearily. Confusion was all over my face.
"What do you mean?"
"They flew, hija. Abroad," she chuckled. "Just after the protest in front of their building."
Nahulog ang kutsara at tinidor galing sa kamay ko. My breath was faster than usual.
