Three Men Plus She (Completed)

69 - Good Morning

Emily is in shocked and literally run-out of words while she is too embarrassed to look at Franco. She did not expect to see Franco home at this hour on a weekend. The youngest brother of Gabriel often comes home at sunrise during weekends.

"Hello, Emily," Franco said while waiting for Emily's reply.

"Himala ang aga mong umuwi, hindi ba kayo lumabas ni Grace after the party?" Emily asked.

"Grace and I had a fight," Franco sadly replied.

"Bakit? Anong nangyari, okay naman kayo kanina nung umalis kami ah," Emily asked.

"It is about her appointment as JAPC's publisher," Franco said.

"Oh akala ko ba tapos nyo na ang issue na yan. Sabi mo nagkaintindihan na kayo," Emily uttered.

"Akala ko rin, but apparently she heard someone commented on how undeserving she is as the publisher. I really don't know where those insecurities are coming from," Franco replied.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Emily said

"Not a bad idea, but I suggest that you change first," Franco said and he sees how Emily blushes on his comment. "Or perhaps we can talk about it later, magpahinga na muna tayo. I'm sure pareho natin kailangang magpahinga muna, nakakapagod ang araw na ito, right, Emily?" heard meaningfully uttered.

Emily just nodded because of embarrasement, "Excuse me, Franco," she said before she quickly walks to her room.

Only when she enters her room that she was able to breathe properly. She is not expecting Franco to learn her relationship with his brother that way. She took a deep sigh as she knows that from now on, there will be awkwardness each time she'll have an encounter with Franco.

She throws herself in her bed and closes her eyes. What happened between her and Gabriel was unplanned and yet she does not regret it because it was beautiful.

///

The ray of sunshine strikes at Gabriel's face, he immediately gets up when he checks on time and it is already passing seven in the morning. He promised Emily that they will leave for Bulacan before eight in the morning and he does not want to break that promise.

He quickly gets out of bed but abruptly halted when he realized his nakedness. Only then that he recalls what happened the previous night and he widely smiles remembering how beautiful that night was. He hurried on preparing himself for their trip to Bulacan. And in only less than thirty minutes he is ready on a trip for a lifetime.

He met Franco at the hallway on his way down the stairs, "Good morning, Kuya," Franco greeted him in an unusual cheerful tone. "Late ka na ba nakatulog, Kuya kaya mukhang tinanghali ka nang gising?" Franco asked and Gabriel could not understand why he felt a different meaning on his brother's comment.

"How's the party, anong oras natapos?" Gabriel asked to deliberately ignore Franco's meaningful comment.

"It was fun, halos midnight na ring natapos. Why did you leave early, ang daming naghahanap kay Emily," Franco said while they are on their way to the dining area.

"We have to leave, muntik nang masira yung party when the people mob the authors, lalo na si Emily, hanggang sa labas may nagpapapicture," Gabriel explained. "Saka tipsy na rin si TheLostGirl, ang dami kasing ipinainom ni Lizzie at ni Charry," he added.

"Ah kaya pala," are in Franco's thought but unintentionaly uttered out loud.

"What do you mean?" Gabriel said, "May nangyari ba?" he further asked.

"Hindi ko alam, Kuya, may nangyari ba?" Franco meaningfully asked.

"Ikaw nga ang tinatanong ko eh," Gabriel fiercely replied.