p.s. last chapter of 'Aisle' :>
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Though Leni's mind was clouded by alcohol, she somehow managed to stand unsteadily in front of the apartment door. She raised her hand and knocked three times, a deep sigh escaping her lips as she did.
"Please, open the door.."
The act felt heavy, like she was bearing the weight of the world on her shoulders. She leaned against the doorframe, waiting for a response, her thoughts muddled by the drink coursing through her veins.
"Who's-"
The younger woman was taken aback when she opened the door and found her former lover standing there, clearly intoxicated. They stood there for several moments, their gazes locked on each other, neither speaking a word. The air between them was thick with tension, the weight of their history hanging heavy in the silence.
"Leni.."
Leni felt a pang of bittersweet nostalgia. She had missed that voice, missed hearing her name spoken by those lips. But the coldness in the Risa's tone stung, a sharp contrast to the warmth she had once felt. The sound echoed in her mind, leaving a hollow feeling in her chest, like a reminder of what had been lost and could not be recovered.
"Risa.. p-pangga, I know it's too late for me to apologize but I'm sorry. I know sobra akong naging tanga."
Leni's sudden collapse to her knees sent a shock through Risa's system. She could see the tears streaming down her face, and she instinctively reached out to help, grabbing her arms and trying to pull her up to her feet. She knew that her lover was intoxicated, and her heart ached at the sight of her in such a state. "Come on, Leni. What are you doing?" she urged, gently tugging at her arms.
"I'm sorry, Risa.. a-akala ko makakaya ko.. akala ko makakaya ko na wala ka na saakin. Ang hirap, Risa. Sobrang hirap."
"Leni," Risa tried to pull the older woman to stand. "Leni, stand up."
"I'm sorry, Risa.."
As Risa held onto her former lover, she felt a wave of sadness wash over her, and tears stung at her own eyes. She had told herself that she had moved on, that she was in a good place now. But the sight of her former lover, distraught and drunk, and the memories that flooded back, made her realize how deeply she still cared. The words her lover was spewing pained her heart, stirring up old wounds and hurts that she thought she had finally put behind her.
"Mama told me everything." Risa lowered herself to her knees, matching her Leni's position on the floor. Her heart ached for the woman in front of her, and she could feel her own eyes fill with unshed tears. "I understand," Risa said softly. "I understand why you did it." The words left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she knew they were true. Leni knew the pain her lover had endured, the weight of regret and guilt that had led her to this point.
The words hung in the air, heavy with hope and desperation. Leni looked up at Risa, pleading with her eyes, her voice cracking as she asked the question. "Is there still a chance?" Those three words cut straight to her heart, reopening old wounds and stoking the embers of the love she had tried to forget. She met her former lover's gaze, tears welling up in her own eyes, and for a moment, she was silent.
"Leni, you're still married.."
Her former lover's voice was filled with anguish as she spoke. "Do you think I'm happy with him?" she sobbed, the words coming out in a choked whisper. "Do you know that I'm always wishing na sana ikaw ang kasama ko ngayon? That you and I should have been together now and not him and I.." Each word felt like a dagger to her heart, a reminder of the love they had lost and the path they could have taken together.
Suddenly, the beeping of a phone broke through the tense silence, jolting them both out of the moment. Risa's eyes shot to the device clutched in Leni's hand, and she could feel the disappointment settling in her chest as she watched her reach for the phone. "You should go now," Risa spoke up, her words heavy with resignation. "He must be waiting for you." She forced herself to look away, not wanting to see the confirmation on her former lover's face that her words were true. She doesn't want to believe it. She doesn't want to see it.
"Risa.."
The words slipped out before she could stop them, a desperate attempt to mask the pain that had surged up within her. "Someone is also waiting for me," Risa said, her voice cool and unfeeling. "You should really go now." She knew that the thought of her with someone else would hurt her former lover, and the guilt twisted in her gut, but she was too far gone to take the words back.
The question hung in the air, a loaded landmine that threatened to explode with emotions. Leni looked at her expectantly, a mix of hope and worry in her eyes. "Do you love him?" She wanted to hear her say no, to break the news that she had been hoping for. But Risa remained silent, the words catching in her throat.
Then a man's voice echoed through the apartment, breaking the charged silence. "Who's there, Love?" Leni's gaze dropped as the familiar voice cut through the air, and she whispered softly, "It must be him."
With a heavy heart, Risa helped her former lover to stand, the weight of their unresolved feelings hanging heavily in the air. She whispered another apology, her voice thick with emotion as the sound of a man's voice echoed through the apartment. Her own heart aching as she realized that they were stuck in this tangled web with no easy way out.
The time for confessions and declarations of love was long past, and now all that remained was the acceptance of the harsh reality they faced. Leni knew at that moment that their story had reached its end, the final chapter closing on their hopes and dreams. They had loved each other deeply, but fate had pulled them in different directions, leaving them with only the bitter-sweet memories of what could have been.
Their once bright future now overshadowed by the presence of others in their lives. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but there was no turning back now.
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