Fatima Riarte only had one cardinal rule. And it's to never fall in love with her friend, Rigo Riorson.
Despite the meaningful glances and the silent pleas of the heart, their relationship never materialized.
Not until that one night.
But when a mis...
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Chapter 11
Sincere Apologies
Fatima didn't know how long they've been avoiding each other, but it was long enough that people had begun to notice. All their close friends would ask if there was something going on because every time the other was around, hindi pumupunta ang isa.
"So, nag-away nga kayo?" Abe asked her. Nakaupo silang dalawa ngayon sa med library dahil gusto ni Abe na tahimik. She didn't really have much of a choice since the main library was near the project area where Rigo and Jachin, and probably Amara would be around.
After that night, she didn't have the face to show to Rigo. At alam niya ring iniiwasan siya nito dahil hindi ito dumadalaw sa dorm niya o nagtetext man lang. There was even an instance that Fatima ran out of fruits because she was too busy with work and school that she didn't have the time to buy, and without Rigo bringing her some, wala nang natira sa fridge niya by the time it was Friday.
She sat on the floor in front of her opened fridge and cried for almost half an hour.
"I think. . ." she answered hesitantly. "Okay, fine. Oo, nag-away kami."
"Dahil?" Abe pushed, looking at her like she was some bacteria under a microscope. "You can't tell me a story without the details, Fats."
"Ikaw kaya mapilit na nagpapakwento!"
A few students shushed them kaya agad na tumahimik si Fatima at ibinaba ang ulo. "'Di ba dapat nag-aaral ka na?"
Abe's eyes fleeted from her to the thick, unopened book in front of him. He was supposed to be studying. But then again, mas gusto niyang makinig sa hinaing ni Fatima. Pwede naman siyang mag-speed read mamaya bago ang klase niya.
"Pwede namang mamaya," he shrugged. "Now, go. What happened?"
None of them knew what happened to Rigo and Fatima early last year. None of them knew how the both of them willingly crossed the boundary of being just friends to something more.
And no one knows why it ended.
She's not about to tell Abe right now dahil wala naman 'yong kinalaman sa naging reaksyon ni Rigo kagabi. "Nagalit lang siya kasi hindi ko sinabi na pumunta ako sa ospital."
Kumunot ang noo ni Abe. "Bakit? Akala ko for your check up 'yon?"
Fatima scratched the side of her neck. "Uh, kasi, natakot ako since I bled."
"You what?" Abe couldn't help but raise his voice. And even when they were shushed again, hindi ito bumaba. "And wala kang pinagsabihan?" Minasahe nito ang sentido nito bago bumaling ulit kay Fatima.
"Ayoko naman kasing mag-alala rin kayo. You were busy kasi may evening class ka. Si Jachin naman at Rigo may project na ginagawa and I don't want-I don't want to bother anyone else."
