"You sent Kaye home?" Billy whispered harshly.
Nakipag meet up si Vice kay Billy sa may bar para makapag usap sila ng kaibigan. Dahil sa nangyari ngayong gabi, having to choose between two women, Vice needed to de-stress, what better way than to drink alcohol. Again.
Tumango si Vice bago pinasa kay Billy yung inorder nya na scotch para dito, "Surprised?"
"Akala ko ba gusto mo si Kaye?"
"Gusto ko rin naman si Liz ah."
"Vice, what is this really about?"
Uminom muna si Vice before he twisted his body to face Billy, "Alam mo, during my one-on-one with Kaye... I was so sure na si Liz ang pauuwiin ko."
"What happened?"
"It's stupid." Natatawang sagot ni Vice at umiling.
"Brad, all your decisions so far have been reckless and stupid."
"Wow, salamat sa support ha."
"Ano nga nangyari? Bakit si Liz ang bumalik dito at hindi si Kaye?"
//
"Turn ko na ba?" natatawang tanong ni Kaye. Napatawa na lang din si Vice bago nya ni-lead si Kaye papunta sa grand circle ng museum.
When they arrived, Vice clicked his fingers once and the lights started to dim. May music din na nagsimulang tumugtog.
She may be the face I can't forget
"Can I have this dance?" mala gentleman na tanong ni Vice at niyuko pa ang ulo before offering his hand to Kaye.
The trace of pleasure or regret
Tinanggap naman ni Kaye yung kamay ni Vice. Her other hand was gently placed on his shoulder while Vice's other hand was on her back.
May be my treasure
Or the price I have to pay
They swayed slowly to the tune of the music.
Eye to eye.
She may be the song that summer sings
May be the chill that autumn brings
May be a hundred different things
Within the measure of a day
Vice smiled at her so Kaye bowed her head down because of the huge blush that crept up on her face.
He continued to stare at Kaye habang nag s-slow dance parin sila sa music.
She may be the beauty or the beast
May be the famine or the feast
May turn each day into a heaven or a hell
Nagulat na lang si Kaye at kinilig lalo nung sinabayan na ni Vice yung kanta while still holding her delicately so close to him, "She... maybe the mirror of my dreams." He winked as he sang this line.
The smile reflected in a stream
She may not be what she may seem
Inside her shell
During the instrumental bit in the song, Vice suddenly stopped them from dancing. He reached for Kaye's chin at tinilt ang ulo nito pataas so he can clearly see her face.
While maintaining eye contact with Kaye, he slowly reached for her lips.
The kiss lasted for almost a minute... Para naman nag stand still ang oras para sa kanilang dalawa, especially kay Kaye since ito ang first kiss niya with Vice.
When Vice opened his eyes when he pulled away, hindi mukha ni Kaye ang nakita nya.
"Karylle..." he breathed out unknowingly.
Ngumiti naman si Karylle at lalapitan sana ulit sya para halikan. Kahit na gusto ni Vice ay nag step back sya at ipinikit ulit ang mga mata.
When he opened his eyes again, bumalik na yung normal. It was Kaye again who was in front of him.
Para namang walang narinig si Kaye at nakangiti lang with a confused look on her face, probably wondering as to why Vice stepped away from her.
"Okay ka lang ba?" tanong ni Kaye kay Vice.
Vice nodded unconvincingly bago inakbayan si Kaye, "I think we should head back... It's getting quite late."
Kahit na halatang nalungkot si Kaye, she let it go dahil sa masaya naman sya sa naging turn out ng one-on-one nila ni Vice.
//
"Well, now that you've mentioned it, may hawig nga si Kaye at Karylle..."
"Iba pa rin talaga si Karylle eh." sagot naman ni Vice at yumuko to hide his kilig smile from his friend.
"You sent Kaye home dahil magkamukha sila ni Karylle?"
Vice rolled his eyes,"That's not it... Not all of it anyway."
"Eh bakit nga?"
Vice downed his scotch at humarap ulit kay Billy, "Me and Karylle, we have something special... Something na kahit ako hindi ko ma-describe... Basta ang alam ko lang, masaya ako kapag kasama ko sya."
"Okaaaaay?"
"Tapos kami naman ni Kaye... We have something special too, but it's something less than what I have with Karylle."
"Ano to? Gagawin mong standard si Karylle?" Billy asked chuckling a little.
"Alam ko how stupid it sounds, pero isipin mo brad ha, kung wala makakapantay man lang kay Karylle for me, they're obviously not the girl for me."
"Si Liz ba mapapantayan si Karylle?"
"I don't know... But she deserves another shot, and plus, I really enjoyed her company tonight. She was honest. It's a good trait."
"Why? What did you talk about?"
"Naalala mo yung mga pasabog ni Karen bago sya umalis? I asked her about the restraining order issue... Turns out, totoo pala."
"Huh... Brave of her to admit that."
Nag agree naman si Vice bago umorder ng bagong round of drinks from the bartender.
"Speaking of honesty being a good trait... Nakausap mo na ba si Karylle tungkol sa sinabi rin ni Karen na secret meetings nya with Dingdong?"
Umasim naman ang mukha ni Vice sa mention ng pangalan ni Dingdong, "Hindi naman issue para sa'kin yun, alam ko namang hindi totoo."
"Brad, don't lie to me. Don't lie to yourself. Kilala mo yang bestfriend mo."
"Fine, tatanungin ko si Dong since bawal kong lapitan si Karylle."
//
Matapos magpahinga ni Toni, nagising sya na nasa kwarto pa rin nya sina Karylle at Anne. Nakaupo si Karylle sa armchair sa tabi, habang si Anne naman ay nakatayo sa may balcony. Toni took the oxygen mask off at napaupo, Karylle rushed to help her sit up pero she rejected her help.
"Karylle, kaya kong umupo mag-isa." Sabi naman ni Toni as politely as she could.
Anne stood next to Karylle at pareho lang nilang tiningnan si Toni.
"Guys? What's up?" sabi ni Toni, acting her normal, comical self again.
"Toni, what's going on?" puno ng pag alalang tanong ni Karylle at tinabihan si Toni sa may kama nito.
Anne looked down at her feet while swaying her upper body, finding the whole situation awkward.
"Anne, paano mo nalaman?" tanong ni Toni.
"I heard you speaking on the phone..."
"Sino pang nakakaalam?"
"Wag kang mag alala, wala naman akong sinabihan."
Toni breathed a sigh of relief bago ngumiti kay Anne, "Thank you so much."
She turned to Karylle naman ay hinaplos ang braso nito, "Thank you din kanina."
"Totoo nga? May sakit ka sa puso?"
"Heart failure. Matagal na, pero tulad lang ng lahat ng sakit, lumalala din."
"So ano? Anong mangyayari?"
Napansin ni Anne yung paglungkot ng mga mata ni Toni, so she talked for her.
"She's probably had some operations in the past to relieve the symptoms... Tapos ngayon she's currently on a lot of medication, pero dahil sa lumalala na yung sakit nya, nirereject na nung body nya yung mga gamot..."
"Can't you get better medications? Or maybe another operation?"
"I wish it was that easy." Toni smiled sadly before looking at Anne to ask for her help again.
"Sa case ni Toni, the next step would either be a heart transplant, pero that takes a long time, first, dahil mahirap mag hanap ng donor, and secondly mahirap din makahanap ng match."
"What happens if she doesn't get a heart transplant?"
Anne looked away kaya naintindihan na ni Karylle yung ibig sabihin nito.
"Nakaka depress naman tong conversation na to eh! Let's talk about something else, come on.. Dali na!" sabi ni Toni trying to enthuse the two.
"Are you going to tell Vice?"
"Anyare sa change topic 'te?" pilit na tumatawang sabi ni Toni.
Anne gave her a poker face kaya naman sinagot na lang nya yung tanong.
"Hindi na siguro."
"That's not fair, Toni."
"Anne, bakit kailangan ko pang sabihin?"
"What if he chooses to be with you?"
Natawa ng konti si Toni, "Alam naman nating hindi mangyayari yan." sabi ni Toni at nag glance sa side sa direksyon ni Karyle.
Karylle looked away dahil nahiya sya bigla. Anne walked over to sit in front of Toni, "I know Vice, he's a kind person, he won't belittle or favor you just because may sakit ka."
Natahimik silang tatlo, Karylle broke the silence.
"Why did you join the show?"
"Trip ko lang."
"No, seriously Toni?"
Napatingin si Toni sa mga kamay nya, she was fiddling with her hands dahil sa nerbyos.
"Gusto kong maging normal. I've done things in my life na I'm to have done kahit na may sakit ako... I graduated, I worked, I travelled, I went on dates... Pero hindi ko pa naranasan ang mainlove or yung feeling na may inlove sa'yo. "
"Ever?" sabi ni Karylle.
"Nope... So I thought, since bilang na lang din naman ang buhay ko, medyo mahirap makahanap ng love kung nasa real environment talaga ako..."
"It's why you joined The Bachelor... It's like an express love." Napangiti si Karylle kahit papano dahil na-cutean sya kahit papano sa reason ni Toni.
"I know it's not fair on you guys, pero sana maintindihan nyo."
Anne and Karylle turned to each other at nag ngitian na lang awkwardly. Sabay din silang napatayo dahil napansin din nila yung oras.
"Toni, we'll go ahead." Sabi ni Karylle at nakipag beso kay Toni, Anne did the same.
"Alam mo yung number naming if you need anything okay?" bilin ni Karylle.
"I'll come and check up on your regularly. And nah-uh, you can't stop me." Sabi naman ni Anne.
"Anne..."
"Doctor ako, it's my job."
The two blew flyings kisses kay Toni bago lumabas ng pinto. Nang makalabas sina Anne at Karylle, sabay silang napasandal sa pader at huminga ng malalim.
"Some people have crazy death wishes, pero si Toni, she just wants to fall in love and be loved." sabi ni Anne remembering what Toni said.
Si Karylle na wala parin sa sarili ay tumango na lang while looking at the floor. Mukhang malalim ang iniisip nito kaya hindi man nya narinig yung elevator.
"Good night, Vice." sabi ni Anne na kumindat kay Vice and then tapped Karylle on her shoulder before she left the two to go in her room.
Karylle looked over to her left at nakitang nakatayo si Vice with his hands in his jean pockets. He smiled at her awkwardly.
"You okay?" tanong ni Vice sa kanya.
Nakatulala lang si Karylle kay Vice kaya naman nag alala si Vice, lumapit ito kay Karylle at hinawakan sa magkabilang pisngi.
"Hey." nasabi ni Karylle ng maramdaman nya yung lambot ng kamay ni Vice sa mukha nya. She closed her eyes trying to seize the moment.
"Are you okay? Mukha kang lasing ah."
"Ikaw nga yung amoy alak dyan eh." Mahina namang sagot ni Karylle.
Vice ran his hands through her hair at niyakap ito ng mahigpit.
"Miss na kita."
Napasmile si Karylle sa pagka sweet ni Vice sa kanya. But then, something snapped in her mind so she pulled away tucking her hair back behind her ear.
Karylle cleared her throat before speaking, "Do you think-uhm, do you think... What do you think of Toni?"
Vice was caught off guard sa tanong ni Karylle, of all the questions na pwedeng itanong sa kanya ni Karylle at that moment, hindi nya inexpect yun. So he laughed. Tumigil din naman si Vice ng makitang seryoso parin ang itsura ni Karylle.
"Nakakatuwa sya."
"Maganda sya diba? Mabait? Friendly? Masarap kasama?"
"I guess?" sabi naman ni Vice na nalilito pa rin sa gustong ipahayag ni Karylle.
"Do you think you can fall in love with Toni?"
Vice had enough, "Bakit ba ganyan mga tanong mo?!" he said na parang naiinis.
Karylle leaned forward at hinalikan si Vice sa pisngi, "Mas deserve ka nya." sabi nya bago nag walk away from Vice.
//
A/N: 8 chapters left you guys! Thank you!!! 😘