DDLFM #1: The Journalist's Secret

CHAPTER TWO

ONE CALL AWAY

TW: Attempted suicide

IT'S the second day after seeing the picture of Evan giving his 'best friend' a bouquet of red roses while kissing her ring finger.

Kahit isang message ay wala siyang natanggap mula kay Evan. Annika can't help but check their conversation in chatting apps constantly.

Mahirap paniwalaan na kinaya ni Evan na hindi siya kausapin kahit sa chat man lang. Mahina itong natawa ngunit ang totoo ay awang-awa na siya sa sarili niya.

Hindi niya alam kung anong gagawin, may parte sakaniya na gusto niya itong i-confront ngunit ayaw niyang masaktan siya sa isasagot nito. Sanay siyang sinasaktan at ilang beses niya na 'yong na pagdaraanan pero hindi niya inakalang gagawin iyon ni Evan sa kaniya.

She was scrolling on social media when she heard a knock on her door. Hindi niya muna ito binuksan kung 'di ay itinuoon niya ang kaniyang mata sa screen na katabi ng pintuan.

Evan is knocking on the door.

Suddenly, her heart starts to jump from happiness. Gusto niyang tawanan ang sarili niya, niloko na nga masaya pa siya. She smiled bitterly before opening the door.

"Babe..." Evan looked at her with pleading eyes. He's aware of the picture that's been going around their school.

Annika must've seen it.

Kumunot ang noo ni Annika at tiningnan si Evan sa mata.

"Why are you acting like that?" Annika asked with a smile on her face.

Yes, she decided to let it slide. Sounds dumb but she can't see her future self without Evan. Annika was so invested with Evan which made her forget that she also has her own life.

She needs to pretend that she didn't see anything and wait for him to confess what he did. "What's the problem, babe?" Gustong pumalakpak ni Annika dahil napaka galing niyang aktres.

Evan's brow twitched.

"N-nothing?" Akala ni Evan ay hindi nakita ni Annika ang litrato kaya naman ay kahit kaunti, gumaan ang kaniyang pakiramdam.

His heart is beating so fast, ayaw niyang mahuli.

Kahit nagloko ito ay ayaw niyang pakawalan si Annika and he's glad that she didn't see it but little did he know that Annika was just pretending.

How could she not know, when everyone's been telling her about it.

Pinapasok niya si Evan at pina-upo sa couch.

Kaunti na lang ay masusuka siya sa nakikita, parang walang ginawa si Evan kung makaakto ito.

They laughed and talked about things but when Evan started to talk about the 'family dinner', Annika's mood changed.

Ang plano niya sana ay patawarin ang lalaki. Seeing him try so hard to hide what really happened makes Annika sick to her stomach. Napag tanto niyang hindi niya pa pala ganon ka kilala ang kaniyang nobyo. 

"Evan..." Marahang tiningnan ni Annika ang nobyo. "Just this once... I'll let it slide," she said in a serious tone.

Her eyes looked tired yet it was full of unexplainable emotions.

Annika didn't specify it, pero alam ni Evan kung ano ang pinapahiwatig nito. That moment, he realized that she saw it.

Namutla ang mukha ni Evan, bumalik ang kaba niya.

He bit his lower lip and tried to look for her eyes but Annika couldn't make eye contact with him. Gusto niya itong sampalin at sigawan.

Even though she loathes him for what he did, tatanggapin niya parin ito. Whenever those pleading eyes look at her she can't help but stay with him.