HER : Unraveled // FayeYoko

Chapter Four

FAYE

It was a sunny afternoon, perfect for a day out. Lux and I decided to bond at the mall. After ng busy schedules ko ng umaga, I really needed this break.

"Let's go check out the new store," Lux suggested, her excitement contagious. We wandered around, checking out different shops, chatting about random things. It felt good to catch up with her.

"By the way," Lux said as we walked, "My fiancé will join us in an hour. I can't wait for you to meet her."

"Her?" We stopped for a moment. "Hindi ko pala nasabi sa'yo, my fiancé is a girl. Anak s'ya nung business partner ni Dad." Napatango-tango naman ako. Alam naman ng lahat na Lux likes girls, pero akala ko sa lalaki parin ang bagsak n'ya. Ang dami rin kasing naghahabol sa kanya na mga lalaki.

I smiled, though I felt a pang of anxiety. Meeting new people always made me a bit nervous. "Sure, I'm looking forward to it."

As we continued exploring, naisip kong mag-CR muna. "Lux, I'll just head to the bathroom. I'll be quick."

"Sige, I'll wait here," she replied, waving me off with a smile.

I hurried to the bathroom, relieved to have a moment alone. Pumasok ako sa cubicle at umupo sa toilet. The distant murmur of mall-goers outside provided a strange comfort. I finished up quickly and flushed, feeling a bit lighter. Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the cubicle.

And there she was.

Yoko stood by the sink, fixing her hair. Our eyes met in the mirror. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang sasabihin o gagawin. My heart pounded in my chest as I froze on the spot.

"Yoko," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

She turned to face me, her expression unreadable. "Faye..."

The air between us was thick with tension. I took a step closer, unsure of what to say. "Anong ginagawa mo dito?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied softly, her eyes searching mine.

For a moment, we just stood there, the silence stretching out. Then, without thinking, I closed the distance between us and kissed her. It was impulsive, desperate, but it felt right. She kissed me back, her hands tangling in my hair, and for a few precious moments, it was just the two of us, lost in each other.

But reality crashed back in. We pulled away, breathless, staring at each other. "I shouldn't have done that," I said, my voice shaking. "I'm sorry."

Yoko looked at me, pain flickering in her eyes. "Faye, we can't keep doing this. Hindi na 'to dapat maulit," saad n'ya at hindi makatingin sa akin.

I nodded, feeling the weight of her words. "I know. It's just... hard."

We stood there for a moment longer, then I took a step back. "I have to go. Someone is waiting for me."

"Someone?" Tanong nito. I looked at her eyes, at ramdam ko ang pagkalungkot nito. "My cousin."

She nodded, her expression resigned. "Take care, Faye."

With a heavy heart, I left the bathroom and headed back to Lux. Tahimik lang s'yang naghihintay while scrolling through her phone. "Hey, you took a while," she said, looking up with a smile.

"Yeah, sorry about that," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "So, where's your fiancé?"

"She's on her way," she said, glancing around. "Actually, she should be here any minute," she said, lumingon-lingon s'ya sa paligid.

As if on cue, I saw someone approaching us. My heart stopped when I realized it was Yoko. She looked just as shocked as I felt.

Lux turned to us, oblivious to the tension. "Oh, there you are! Faye, this is my fiancé, Yoko." Para akong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig.

We exchanged awkward glances, both trying to mask our surprise. "Hi, nice to meet you," I said, extending a hand.

Yoko hesitated for a second before taking it. "Nice to meet you too," she replied, forcing a smile.

Lux beamed, completely unaware of our history. "I'm so glad you two finally got to meet. Isn't this great?"

"Yeah, great," saad ko, hindi ko alam kung ano ba ang dapat ko i-react at maramdaman. Halo-halong emosyon ang nararamdaman ko ngayon.

Yoko is my cousin's fiancé?

What the fuck?

We stood there in an awkward silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air. I really couldn't believe what was happening. Yoko was Lux's fiancé. Para akong sinapak ng ilang beses sa nalaman ko.

We spent the next hour pretending not to know each other, making small talk and trying to act natural. The weight of unspoken words hung heavy in the air.

When Lux excused herself to take a call, Yoko and I were left alone. Tiningnan ko s'ya.

"You're... my cousin's fiancé?" Tiningnan n'ya lang ako. "H-how?" Napabuntong hininga s'ya at napapikit nang madiin.

"It was an arranged marriage," she said softly, avoiding my eyes.

"What?" My voice was barely a whisper, the shock evident on her face. Yoko took a deep breath. "My parents and Lux's parents arranged it. I didn't have much of a choice."

I felt my heart sink.

"I didn't know you two are cousins. Hindi ko nga rin alam na magkikita pa tayo after that night," saad n'ya. Binalot na kami ng katahimikan pagkatapos non hanggang sa bumalik si Lux.

Lux returned, her smile brightening the atmosphere. "Sorry about that! Ready to go?" We both just nodded.

As we walked, I couldn't help but steal glances at Yoko. The pain of knowing she was with someone else was almost unbearable, but I knew I had to let go.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. I tried to keep up appearances, but my mind was elsewhere, grappling with the reality of the situation. Yoko was with Lux, and there was nothing I could do about it.

As we parted ways, I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. Yoko and I had shared something special, but now it felt like a distant memory, overshadowed by the present.

I watched as Yoko and Lux walked away, hand in hand. The ache in my heart was unbearable, pero kailangan ko na s'yang bitawan.

Hindi ko lang alam kung paano.

I don't want to hurt Lux, mukhang may nararamdaman din s'ya kay Yoko. I saw it in her eyes, the way she talked to her, and the way she touched her.

Why does it feel imposible to let her go?