Hiding Behind the Lenses (Arte del Amor #3)

Chapter 17

The exhaustion that I'm feeling doesn't stop physically. It dug its roots to my soul, and I know that it is time to go. I may be a supermodel but I am definitely no superhuman.

For the entire duration of my ride back home, I was crying unconsolably. Buti at hindi na lang nagtanong ang driver ng sinasakyan ko.

I kept thinking about Mommy. I'm sure that I hurt her, and I never wanted that.

Ayaw ko siyang masaktan... kung kaya ko siyang saktan ay matagal ko na siyang sinuway.

I never thought I'd be capable of doing this to her.

There's this guilt... but I've never felt so redeemed and so free. But it is not enough. This is not yet freedom at most.

"Gemini?!" gulantang na salubong sa akin ni Khali pagbukas niya pa lang sa pintuan ng bahay nila.

Before she asked her questions, she didn't hesitate to embrace me first.

"Hindi ka man lang nagsabi. Sana ay pinaghanda ka namin ng welcome party ni Mama," sabi niya sa malumanay na boses.

Sinubukan niya ring tumawa para pagaanin ang sitwasyon, siguro ay napansin niya na ang namamaga kong mukha.

Alam niya rin na hindi naman ako uuwi dito nang basta-basta. Hinintay niya rin ang ilang araw bago ako naging handa na pag-usapan ito.

For months, there were no news about me leaving Manila and rebelling against the one and only Lorelei Costales.

Not until today.

All of the headlines are about me being replaced as the final walk in that runway show.

Some assumed that I quit, some say that I was really just replaced by someone better... while majority concluded that I ran away.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Gael who came barging in Khali's house.

They greeted each other, too.

Magkakilala sila? Well, syempre dahil kaibigan ko si Khali, pero hindi ko alam na nag-uusap sila.

Gael's physique changed a lot and he has matured as a person, but he's still the same brother to me as he was four years ago.

I can say so because before words came out of his mouth, he hugged me tighter than he ever did before.

Akala ko ay papagalitan niya ako, pero hindi na iyon ginawa.

Nagulat pa ako sa sinabi niya, "You could have just told me. I would have dragged you back home the moment you left back when you were sixteen."

Bumaling siya kay Khali, "You didn't tell me she was here."

She simply shrugged, "I don't go around telling others my bestfriend's secrets."

"Dude, I'm her brother."

It's true that I asked her to keep this a secret for now. I don't want people to come here, especially the media.

Pero hindi iyon ang issue dito, eh. Bakit magkakilala sila? They sound closer than I'd expect them to be.

"If Khali didn't tell you, who did? Bakit ka nandito?"

"When I read the news online, I just kinda knew that you'd go straight here."

Pinagtaasan ko sila ng kilay, "And you know Khali's house because?"

Khali conveniently excused herself to go to the kitchen to grab us something to eat.

My brother just giggled and shuffled my hair. Nawala na rin sa isip ko ang mga tanong ko tungkol sa kanilang dalawa.

"Does Gavin know?" tanong ko.