"Honestly," Louise looked at Lianna intently. "I was rooting for you guys to push through."
"I know, Iyay. I—" Lianna's voice quaked. "I think everyone did, si Rina lang naman hindi."
"Iyaaaaaaaay! Am here!" Lianna's eyes widened, that voice was something she'd known all too well. And before it was too late, the person in question entered and Lianna dropped the call.
"Li—"
"Iyaaaaay! Hi, Mare!" Rina beckoned for a kiss whilst Louise made sure that the person she was FaceTiming with was alright.
"Wala na pala 'yung kausap ko, good."
Rina looked bewildered, curious as to who was on the other end of the call. "Sino ba 'yun? Mukhang may ka-heart-to-heart talk ka ah."
"Wala. Basta!" Louise muttered nonchalantly.
"I've been thinking..."
Louise knew what that look was. Rina wasn't up to any good. "No," Rina gave Louise a sid-eye. "But—"
"That look and that look alone is only tied to Lianna. I don't care. GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER, NO!"
Rina winced, but her cat-like eyes remained mellow. "She's coming home. Sabi niya sa Viber group!"
"I want to surprise her, Iyay," Stubborn as she always was, Rina persisted. "I do it all the time, I did it during her 40th birthday and she tweeted on the eve of her natal day that she was at her happiest..."
"I wanna make her feel happy again, Iyay."
"Rina, I love you and I love Lianna... but you can't do this. You can't do this according to your happiness scale. Do you want the truth?"
Rina's pained eyes seemed obvious. "Yes."
"I was just talking to Lianna and she was a sobbing mess. Lianna fucking Carmen was a sobbing mess and you did that. You did that, Ri. Because you're hot and cold. Because it's been decades and you still want your relationship according to your liking and not what's proper for the both of you!"
"Rina. You're married. Lianna's divorced. The woman only has her pride. You cannot be her person and sleep with your husband at the end of the day! Make it clear where you stand because God knows she loves you beyond herself. Goddamnit, umayos ka naman kasi nasasaktan 'yung tao."
Louise had seemingly hit Rina where it truly hurts. But she didn't care; hell she'd do it again if need be. The game was being played and the game was Lianna's heart.
"How do I keep her in my life and make her feel special and still be loyal to our friendship, Iyay? How do you do that?"
Louise knew the answer. "You don't. You don't get to treat her as special and then unfollow her or block her. Be lukewarm, Rina. Luke fucking warm."
Louise and Rina sat side-by-side as the latter ruminated on her best friend's take. Everything that Louise said was against her heart's will, but it made sense. One side shall be picked and she was never going to divorce her husband and she was never going to marry Lianna.
