Lipstick Stains

III - Sa'yo

I sat on my desk, buried in paperwork but I wasn't exactly working. Not when my thoughts are all over the place and I'm pissed as hell.

"Risa, kumalma ka nga." Trillanes placed a hand on my shoulder to calm me down.

"Baka wala lang 'yun. Bumisita lang." Chel was here to comfort me too.

News of Kit visiting the president spread like wildfire. Apparently, a bystander saw Kit leaving the building with Leni in tow and decided that shooting a video of them would be fun.

I burst into tears at the thought of the two of them together. "Sabi niya sa'kin there wasn't anyone else. Na hindi niya kayang magmahal ng iba. So sino 'yung pangit na 'yun at bakit siya nando'n?" I almost shouted.

"Diba kilala mo 'yun? You used to be colleagues." Chel inquired.

"Pwes hindi ko na siya kilala ngayon." I buried my head in my arms. Chel and Trilly's comforting hands rubbed my back.

"Nababaliw na ako." I sobbed. "I miss her, sobra sobra. Ang sakit sakit pero miss na miss ko na siya."

Wala pang official statement si Leni or her team at hindi rin daw siya macontact nila Chel personally. Reporters were swarming the palace gates trying to corner the president into revealing the truth.

Leila entered the room and she saw me crying. "Iniiyakan mo 'yung balita? O 'yung pag-reject mo sa kanya nang paulit-ulit even when she tried her hardest to win you over?"

"Ano'ng balita?" I asked.

Leila motioned to the TV that she just turned on."Look."

"President Robredo and I are..." said Kit, surrounded by reporters as he was ambushed outside the palace gates.

I held my breath and stood up.

"Good friends. Nothing more, nothing less. Nagpunta ako sa condo nila for work purposes and she asked me to give her a ride papunta sa palace because she had to take care of a few things."

"Sir, wala po bang PSG si President Robredo or staff na pwedeng gumawa ng mga bagay na 'to for her?"

"Sorry ha. This is ridiculous. I AM one of her PSGs. President Robredo and I are not dating, have not dated, and will not be dating. She has made that very clear."

She has made that very clear.

What the hell does that mean? Made what clear?  Ano'ng sinasabi nitong kiti-kiting 'to?

"Ris...ayan na nilinaw na. Stop overthinking things and go get your girl." Trilly had my bag in his hand and offered it to me.

"I don't think kailangan pa." Chel said.

I looked at him confused. "Why? What do you mean?"

He pointed outside where the presidential van just arrived. Bumaba si Leni, followed by her staff. May dala siyang envelope. The press followed her, swarming and surrounding her kaya hirap siyang makapasok.

"Ma'am Risa! Si President Robredo is outside po. Sabi niyo po 'wag siyang papasukin." My staff opened the door panicking.

"Let her in." I told them.

Kalma, Risa. She's your ex-girlfriend. Hindi mo naman siya first time makikita. Not since you rejected her through text.

"Leni..." I exhaled as she walked inside. Her eyes were bloodshot at ang dark ng eyebags niya halatang hindi pa siya natutulog.