"NAALALA mo pa ba 'yong tinanong mo sa akin noon kung naranasan ko na bang magmahal? At sumagot ako ng oo. You kept insisting to know who the guy was. Sumama pa nga 'yong loob mo sa akin kasi ang sabi mo, naglilihim na ako sa 'yo, when the truth was I couldn't tell it to you then because it was you, Jake. I couldn't tell you everything that involves my heart because I knew you wouldn't appreciate that anyway. Dahil hindi naman pagmamahal ng isang Lea ang kailangan mo gaya nang parati mong pinamumukha sa akin. Kundi pagmamahal ng isang Leandra." Sa wakas ay pag-amin na ni Lea.
Pinagmasdan niya ang pagrehistro ng pagkabigla sa mga mata ni Jake. "I'm in love with you, Jake. I've been in love with you since we were young. And I didn't know what got into me when something happened between us. All I knew was that I wanted you to love me even for just that night. Dahil ang sakit-sakit na, Jake. Patawarin mo ako." Pumiyok ang boses ni Lea. "Kasalanan ko ang nangyari."
"Leandra-"
"Utang na loob naman, Leandra is dead, Jake! She's been dead for years! Tama na! I'm still alive but you always make me feel as good as dead!" Ayaw man ni Lea ay hindi pa rin niya napigilan ang pagtaas ng boses. Dahil sa kalagayan ay mas naging emotional siya ngayon. "Hirap na hirap na ako. Didn't you promise me years ago that you will never make me feel lonely? But you always make me feel that way whenever you treat me as someone else. You broke your promise, Jake. Ihinto na natin ito, please. For the past years, I've lived in Leandra's shadow. At ayoko na. I can't pretend to be her for the rest of my life just to save your heart from pain. It's time we put an end to all this. Nasasaktan na rin kasi ako.
"Ako naman, Jake. Ako naman 'yong isalba mo." Bumakas ang pagmamakaawa sa boses ni Lea. "I can't always be there to save you because I need to be saved, too. Ayoko nang mabuhay bilang kapatid mo." Pumatak ang mga luha niya. "Lalo na ngayon. Ayokong ibang pagkatao ko ang kalalakhan ng magiging anak ko. Ayokong dumating sa punto na magtatanong siya sa akin kung sino ba ako, kung si Lea pa rin ba o si Leandra na dahil kahit ako nalimutan ko na ang totoo.
"Ako 'to. Si Lea. At hindi ako isang anino, Jake. This time, I want to try to be me again especially now that I'm..." Mariing naipikit ni Lea ang mga mata. "I'm pregnant, Jake. And please, don't ask me who the father is. Because I've never slept with anyone except you."
Natulala si Jake.
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In A Town We Both Call Home
Romance"If love for you meant letting go, then I'm sorry. Because for me, it means holding on." (Spin-off po ito ng Don't Let Me Go, Diana) Jake was once the luckiest man in the world. May isang gaya kasi ng best friend niyang si Lea ang nagmahal sa kanya...
