𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙧. 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙝𝙞𝙙

6. Pretending It's Okay

The morning felt heavy as I arrived at Bella's house. Knocking on their door, Tita Valerie greeted me, and I wasted no time.

"Tita, masama po ba pakiramdam ni Belle?" I asked immediately, concern filling my voice.

She sighed, looking frustrated. "Ewan ko sa batang 'yun, ayaw lumabas ng kwarto. Sabi niya gusto raw niya mapag-isa. Bilin niya na huwag ko raw papasukin kahit sino."

I frowned, puzzled by her sudden isolation. "May sugat po yung kamay niya kagabi. Baka po dahil don?"

"I'll check later," she replied. "Pero sabi niya kahit ikaw or si Hailey pa dumating, ayaw raw niya."

My brows knitted in confusion. Had I done something wrong?

"Maybe she’s just not feeling well, Zayne. Baka gusto lang niya ng konting time alone. Balik ka nalang mamayang gabi. Baka okay na siya by then."

I nodded reluctantly. "May lakad po kasi ako mamaya, Tita. Baka bukas nalang po ako bumalik."

As I headed home, Mom greeted me the moment I stepped inside.

"Where's Bella?" she asked.

"Masama raw pakiramdam niya, ayaw lumabas ng kwarto," I said, a bit exasperated.

"Oh, I'll cook her favorite sinigang na hipon later. You’ll bring it over," Mom suggested.

"Ikaw na po magdala, Mom. May tatapusin lang po akong assignment."

Mom looked at me, her brows raised. "Nag-away ba kayo ni Bella?"

I sighed. "Hindi po. I don’t know what’s wrong, but maybe she really just needs some space."

But despite trying to reassure myself, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that I might’ve hurt her in some way.

🐬🐬🐬🐬

Bella’s heart felt heavier than ever as she trudged down to the living room. The worry was clear on her parents' faces the moment they saw her.

"Anong nangyari? Bakit magang-maga ang mga mata mo?" her mother asked, rushing to her side.

Her father joined them, concern etched deeply on his face. "Umiyak ka ba magdamag?"

Without a word, Bella walked over and embraced her mom tightly. “I just need a hug, Mom. Please don't ask me why.”

Her mother stroked her hair gently. "Oh, baby. Hug ka ni Mommy," she said, motioning for Bella’s dad to join. He wrapped his arms around them both, giving Bella the warmth she so desperately needed.

Despite being 18, Bella allowed herself to melt into their embrace, finding solace even for a brief moment. Her parents didn’t push her for answers. They simply let her be, allowing her the comfort of silence and support.

The day passed in a blur. After forcing herself to eat lunch, Bella retreated to her room, her heart heavy with emotions she couldn’t yet articulate. By dinner, she heard her Tita Cherrie’s voice echo from downstairs. But Bella had already asked her mother to excuse her from seeing anyone.

If she saw Tita Cherrie now, she feared her tears would betray her, showing just how fragile she truly felt.

The thought of facing Zayne and Hailey was too much to bear. Pretending that everything was fine, putting on a smile while her heart shattered inside—it would be torture. She needed time to build her strength, to gather the pieces of herself that felt scattered.

As she lay in bed, Bella wished, more than anything, that she wouldn’t have to see them again.