HER : Unraveled // FayeYoko

Chapter Twenty

FAYE

I was working on my paperwork again in my office, thanks to Wanwan for handling most of it lately. Hindi ko na halos maalala kung kailan ako naging busy ulit sa office—these past few weeks, I've just been trying to get through the days. Tatlong linggo na rin akong nanliligaw kay Yoko, at buti na lang, walang asungot na epal sa paligid.

Pero teka, nasaan nga ba si Lux? Matagal ko na siyang hindi nakikita—huling beses yata nung pumunta siya kay Yoko, may dalang bulaklak pa. Ano kaya ang nangyari sa kanya? Baka naman may sakit siya at hindi lang sinasabi?

Ang OA naman.

Nabaling ang isip ko nang may kumatok sa pinto. "You have a visitor," sabi ni Wanwan, peeking her head inside. "Sino naman?" tanong ko, pero bago pa siya makasagot, pumasok si Lux. She gave Wanwan a look, at agad namang lumabas si Wanwan ng office, leaving the two of us alone. There was a silence between us, parang may tension na hindi ko maipaliwanag.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I broke the silence. "Bakit nga pala wala kang paramdam?" I asked Lux. She sighed and looked away for a moment before answering. "Ahh, inasikaso ko lang 'yung tungkol sa pagcancel ng wedding." There was a hint of sadness in her voice as she continued, "Nakipag-usap din ako kay Tito at ipinaliwanag sa mga magulang ko ang lahat ng nangyari."

I nodded, understanding dawning on me. It must have been difficult for her to do all of that alone, lalo na’t alam kong matagal din s'yang naghanda para doon.

Nagbuntong-hininga si Lux, then smiled at me. "Babalik na ako sa Thailand, Faye," she started. Ramdam ko agad ang lungkot sa sinabi niya, kahit pa may ngiti sa labi niya. Despite everything, she's still my cousin, my best friend.

"Akala ko magstay ka pa nang matagal?" tanong ko, trying to hide the sadness in my voice. Umupo siya sa upuan sa harap ng desk ko. "Nandito lang naman ako para sa wedding dapat namin ni... you know," sabi niya, forcing a smile. Pero kahit anong pilit, kitang-kita ko pa rin ang lungkot sa mga mata niya. "I—I'm sorry," bulong ko, feeling a pang of guilt.

Ngumiti siya sa akin, and this time, it felt real. "That's okay, Faye. Mahirap din namang ikasal sa taong hindi ka mahal," she sighed. "Hays, unrequited love," sabi niya, trying to laugh it off, pero halata ang sakit sa tono niya. "I know I told you I wouldn’t give up on her," she admitted, finally meeting my gaze. "But when I saw how broken she was nung nalaman niyang... you know. Naramdaman ko kung gaano ka niya kamahal. And I never felt that kind of love from her, kahit anong pilit ko. Hindi niya talaga ako kayang mahalin," Lux confessed, tears starting to form in her eyes.

Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili ko, lumapit ako sa kanya at niyakap siya nang mahigpit. "I'm sorry for everything, Lux. Alam kong nasaktan kita nang sobra," I whispered, rubbing her back as she sobbed. "Ako nga dapat ang magsorry," she replied, pulling away from the hug. She held both of my hands, looking into my eyes with so much sincerity. "I'm sorry, Faye. For all the things I did wrong and for hurting you too." Ngumiti siya ulit, and we hugged again, tighter this time, as if trying to heal all the wounds between us.

Hinatid ko siya hanggang sa sasakyan niya. "Sure ka bang ayaw mo magpahatid sa airport?" I asked, genuinely concerned. She turned to me and smiled, "Hindi na, Faye. Baka mamiss mo lang ako lalo." I couldn't help but laugh at that, and playfully, I hit her arm. It felt so good to laugh with her again, to have things back to how they were—just us, no competition, no bitterness.

"I'll miss you, Lux," I said, hugging her one last time. "I'll miss you too," she replied, then kumalas kami sa yakap. Pinagbuksan na siya ng driver ng pinto ng kotse.

Bago siya sumakay, lumingon siya sa akin, may pilyong ngiti sa labi. "Kapag nalaman kong sinaktan mo si Yoko, hindi na talaga ako magdadalawang isip na agawin siya," she teased, making me laugh.

"I'll never hurt her, I promise you that," sagot ko with a firm tone, though there was a smile on my lips. Ngumiti siya, tumango, and finally, she got into the car. Watching her drive away, I couldn’t help but feel a mixture of relief and sadness.

"What? Lux left?" Yoko asked, her voice filled with surprise. Tinanguan ko lang siya habang nilalapag ko ang niluto kong pasta sa dining table. Kita ko ang saya sa mga mata niya nung makita niyang pasta ang hinanda ko.

"Bakit hindi man lang niya ako dinaanan?" she asked, pouting in the most adorable way. I giggled, feeling a warm wave of affection for her. "Baka daw mamiss mo siya at magselos ako," biro ko, and she just rolled her eyes.

Tinabihan ko siya at niyakap mula sa likod, resting my chin on her shoulder. "You know how much I love you, right?" I whispered softly, feeling her lean into my embrace.

Tumango siya at ngumiti sa akin. Kumuha siya ng pasta at nilagay sa plate naming dalawa, then she picked up a fork and twirled some pasta around it. "Say ahh," she said with a playful tone, feeding me the pasta. I opened my mouth, letting her feed me. "Hmm, ang sarap mo talaga magluto!" she said, giggling after she tasted it herself. I couldn’t help but smile at how adorable she looked.

I really love this woman.

I thought to myself. Looking at her now, in this moment, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be. She was everything I had ever wanted, and more. And I would never stop loving and adoring her.

After dinner, we cleaned up together, chatting about random things, laughing at the silliest jokes. It was such a simple, mundane moment, but it was perfect because it was with her. Nang matapos na kaming magligpit, tumungo kami sa sala, at nag-relax habang nagkukuwentuhan. She lay her head on my lap, and I stroked her hair gently.

"Faye," she started, her voice soft and serious, "I'm glad you didn't give up on us." I felt my heart swell at her words, and I leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Never," I replied, sincerity in every word. "I'll never give up on us, Yo."

She smiled, her eyes shining with emotion. "Good," she whispered, closing her eyes as she nestled closer to me. We stayed like that for a while, the silence between us comfortable and filled with unspoken promises.

Later that night, as we lay in bed, holding each other close, I felt a sense of peace. There were still challenges ahead, and I knew there would be moments when things wouldn’t be as perfect as they were now. But with Yoko by my side, I felt ready to face anything.

For the first time in a long time, I was genuinely happy. And as I drifted off to sleep, I couldn’t help but smile, knowing that this was just the beginning of something truly beautiful.