Loving a Believer

Chapter 22: Whispers of the Past

F A R A

When we arrived at the resort where the reunion of the Ramirez family would happen, Storm's cousins approached us. I could feel their strange stares at me—as usual. The reunion went well and was very enjoyable because everyone participated in their activities. They were so comfortable with each other. That was why they were not ashamed to express their happiness. Everybody was enjoying the event, especially when the cousins had to dance.

I kept laughing when they were forcing Storm to dance. It took longer for them to force him before he finally danced. They cheered for Storm. He was really good at dancing, even if there was a mixture of kidding in his dance. Sean, his cousin, joined him, so everyone burst into laughter. But their dance didn't last long.

It was my first time attending an event like this because my dad's family wasn't close as they were while my mom's relatives had their own lives in faraway places. In my twenty years of existence, it was just me, my mom, Dad, and Tyler.

The reunion ended with Storm's closing prayer.

"This is Fara, my wife," pakilala sa akin ni Storm sa ibang mga kamag-anak niya na ngayon ko lang nakita dahil naninirahan daw ang mga ito sa ibang bansa.

"Fara?" sabi ng isa sa mga ito nang may halong pagtataka. "I thought your fiance's name is Demi."

Hindi na ako nagulat sa sinabi nito. Ngunit hindi ko maiwasang manlumo dahil bukambibig ng mga relatives ni Storm si Demi. Sa tuwing ipapakilala niya ako, palagi nilang binabanggit ang pangalang Demi. What would I expect? They were lovers for three years.

Storm left me for a while because Alexander called him to fix the sound system. I was just quietly sitting at a table. The music's volume lowered, and it was a bad idea because I heard some of Storm's cousins at my back talking about me. They were at the other table.

"Akala ko ba hiwalay na sila ni Kuya Storm?"

"I don't know. I thought Kuya Storm was with Ate Demi."

"I thought so. I want Ate Demi than that browny-haired girl."

I knew that she was talking about me.

"Gusto ko rin na magkabalikan sila ni Kuya. Si Ate Demi naman kasi talaga ang mahal ni Kuya Storm."

Halos manlumo ako habang pinapakinggan ko ang pag-uusap nila. I swallowed hard to control my emotion and calmed down my system. They were wrong. Storm loves me, not Demi. I had to mark those words in my mind or else I would go back to my depression because of overthinking.

"She doesn't even know how to mingle with us, unlike Ate Demi."

"Correct! I have seen her IG; she has a lot of pictures with Kirby. I think there was something between them. Do you think she was flirting with her own best friend?"

What the―what did they just say? Me, flirting with Kirby? What kind of brain do they have? Kirby was just like a brother to me.

"I think so."

They laughed out loud. I felt my body shivered in anger. Nakakainsulto ang paraan ng pagtawa nila kaya hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili ko dahil napatayo ako at hinarap sila, dahilan para mapatigil sila at napatitig sa akin.