TBW Novella: Happy Ever After

HEA07

DAX

People can tell how long I waited but I never really counted. What always matters to me is what's currently right in front of me—the present. When she was gone in my life for three years, I tried to look back but it only brought pain and nostalgia. When I first met her, I looked forward to the future daydreaming that I would have the courage to tell her that I like her and it brought hope in me. Kung bibilangin ko ang mga taon na nagdaan simula nang makilala ko siya, maraming mag-iisip na isa akong tanga para maghintay sa isang tao na hindi sigurado sa'kin.

Archie and Gillian subtly told me that I should start seeing someone else and move on. My colleagues think that I'm already old enough to settle down. My friends tried to set me up with other girls hoping that I could move on from my past and finally realize to begin a new chapter with new characters in my life, but they were wrong. Because the truth they don't know is that even before my story started, the universe had already decided that I was written only for Tri.

She's my beginning, my middle, and my end. She was always part of my chapters because, in my heart and mind, she was never gone.

"Sa'n ka pupunta? Hating gabi na."

Nagulat ako nang lumabas ako ng kwarto ay narinig ko ang boses ni Helia. Pagkatapos kong ihatid si Tri sa kaniyang bahay halos dalawang oras na ang nakakalipas ay hindi na ako mapakali sa kwarto ko. Sinubukan kong matulog at ipagpabukas na lamang ang nais kong sabihin sa kaniya pero kahit ipikit ko ang aking mga mata ay gising naman ang diwa ko.

I looked at my phone screen just a few minutes ago before I exited my room and saw that it was already past three in the morning. Tahimik na ang paligid at sobrang dilim pa sa labas pero nagbabaka sakali akong gising pa si Tri.

"Why are you still awake?" Balik kong tanong.

Nginuso niya ang laptop sa center table at doon ko lang natanto na nag-e-edit siya ng mga pictures na kinuha niya kanina. Inikot niya ang kaniyang laptop upang makita ko ang ginagawa niya. I saw our picture—me and Tri. We were dancing, her face on my chest and my lips on her head. Helia captured it perfectly like we were the only couple there dancing.

"You want it printed?" Seryoso niyang tanong.

"And a softcopy of it." Sagot ko.

He nodded and I saw him smirked against the weak light coming from his screen. Dumiretso na ako sa pinto at lumabas. Hindi ko na narinig pa ulit nagsalita si Helia at alam ko na alam niya kung saan ako pupunta.

I put my hands inside the pocket of my jeans and touched the box. Nanuot ang lamig sa'king katawan nang humampas ang malamig na simoy ng hangin. Summer na pero dahil sa daming puno na nakapalibot sa baryo na ito ay malamig pa rin tuwing madaling araw.

I stopped on Tri's doorstep and took a deep breath. Her lights are out and I'm beginning to argue with myself whether to continue this or not. Maghihintay pa ba ako hanggang sumikat ang araw para hindi ko maistorbo ang tulog niya o hahayaan ko na lang siyang magalit sa'kin ngayon dahil ginising ko siya basta ang mahalaga ay lilipas din ang inis niya sa'kin?

The latter won. I knocked on her door.

First attempt, no one answered. Second attempt, still no response. Third, fourth, fifth, until on my tenth, the door creaked open. Namumungay pa ang kaniyang mga mata at tila wala pa siya sa kaniyang diwa nang buksan niya ang pinto at nakita ako.

"Dax?" Her bedroom voice makes me want to spread my arms around her and it creeps me out because I can't believe how someone can be this obsessed.

But I trust my obsession with her. It's the kind of obsession that wants to make sure she's always safe with me.