She's the Real Challenge

49: The Newlyweds

All Sage could do was stare at her with his mouth agape. 'Di niya alam kung anong unang sasabihin pero nagwala ang puso niya nang magtama ang mga mata nila. Four years of not seeing her was not able to deter his feelings.

Walang kupas ang ganda ni Ken pero pati 'yong pagkainit ng dugo nito kay Sage, wala ring kupas. "Why are you even here?" she asked, still not letting go of his collar.

"'Di mo ba 'ko na-miss, Kendra?" Sage smiled cockily, showing both of his dimples. He missed annoying her too.

Someone cleared her throat beside them. "Guys, may kinakasal pa, pwedeng later na lang 'yang touching reunion n'yo?" sabi ni Heidi habang pinandidilatan sila ng mata.

"Hindi kita na-miss, buwisit!" Ken spat before returning to her seat.

Sage sat in one of the chairs and watched as the wedding continued. He couldn't focus on the ceremony 'cause his eyes kept wandering back to the maid of honor. 'Di na siya makapaghintay na makausap si Ken. Napakarami niya kasing tanong.

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride ," the priest finally announced. Sage joined the applause that filled the garden as the newlyweds shared a sweet kiss.

Nakita niyang tumayo si Ken at lumabas ng hardin pero 'di niya muna ito hinabol. Kailangan niya munang mag-sorry sa mga bagong kasal matapos niyang gumawa ng eksena kanina.

The groom seemed to be preoccupied with some guests a few feet away when Sage approached Lily. "Congrats, Lily! I'm really sorry about earlier," he smiled awkwardly, still embarrassed about mistakenly trying to stop their wedding. "It was so rude and stupid."

"Don't worry about it, Sage. Good to know that you aren't in love with my new husband," Lily replied with a giggle. "I'm so happy you could attend my wedding but it seems like you thought I was marrying someone else."

Napahawak si Sage sa batok. "Uh, yeah. Gano'n nga."

"I knew it!" Lily squealed. "It's Kendra, right? OMG, matagal ko na kayong shini-ship."

"What? Ba't mo naman kami shini-ship?"

"'Cause it's so obvious that you like each other! Ang cute n'yo pareho habang nagpapanggap na hindi n'yo gusto ang isa't isa pero nakaka-frustrate din, to be honest."

"Wait, you think she likes me? Sinabi niya ba 'yon sa 'yo?"

"Well, hindi niya explicitly sinabi pero hindi mo ba naramdamang gusto ka rin niya?" Lily sighed. "She is stubborn but maybe if you didn't disappear after Kendrick—wait, Kendrick! You haven't met him."

Lily took his arm and dragged him towards the groom who just finished talking to an elderly couple. "Sage, meet Kendrick, the love of my life."

"Nice to meet you," Sage said as they shook hands. Lily's new husband was a bit taller than him. He had angular features and his eyes were exactly like Kendra's.

"It's great to finally meet you, Sage," Kendrick replied with a smile. "My wife and my sister seem to have very different opinions about you. Malalaman ko na rin kung sinong nagsasabi ng totoo."

Sage's eyes widened when a realization hit him. "Ikaw 'yong kasama ni Ken sa picture!" Naalala niya ang litrato sa kwarto ni Ken, the one where she had the most genuine smile. Buong akala niya, ex-boyfriend ni Kendra ang nasa picture na 'yon.

"At ikaw 'yong nanligaw sa asawa ko kahit 'yong kapatid ko ang gusto mo," Kendrick responded in jest. "Also, do you really have to call her Ken? Ako kasi talaga 'yong Ken. It's kinda weird."

"Well, Lily never considered me as a love interest. So no'ng nakita ko 'yong flowers na may card, akala ko, galing kay Kendra 'yon. It really looked like her handwriting," Sage said. "At si Kendra rin naman ng may gustong 'Ken' ang itawag sa kanya. Nakasanayan ko lang, pasensya na."

"It is actually her handwriting. She wrote it but in essence, sa 'kin nga galing 'yon. And don't apologize, my sister was probably insistent on using my name to guilt Lily into not dating other guys," Kendrick said.

"Which was stupid. Imposibleng makalimutan ko 'yong crush ko since preschool," Lily added and gave Kendrick a peck on his cheek. "There was obviously a big misunderstanding. How about we clear them up while we walk to the reception?"

"Is that okay with you guys? Maglalakad na lang papunta sa reception, may third wheel pa kayo." After the stir he caused at the ceremony, Sage didn't want to further bother the newlyweds.

"Just think of this as payback for all the times na ako ang third wheel sa inyo ni Kendra." Lily grinned.

"It wasn't like that! Hindi naman kami naging couple so you were never a third wheel," Sage defended.

"That's a shame, I've always thought that you were perfect for each other." Lily sighed. "But more on that later, start asking, Sage. The sooner we clear up this misunderstanding, the sooner you can resume your love story, right?"

"Lily, that's not—"

"Don't ruin this, Babe," Lily interrupted Kendrick and gave him a glare. "Ask away," she continued, turning to Sage.

Seeing how Lily glared at Kendrick and how insistent she was in clarifying things, Sage decided that it was better to go with Lily's mischief. "So, how come I never knew about Kendrick? Niligawan kita for months, I had no idea you had someone else."

"You see, I was like you. I didn't want to admit that I was in love, kahit seventeen years 'ko nang crush 'to." She pinched Kendrick's cheek.

"We never got a chance to meet because I was in a coma for three years," Kendrick said.

"Naaalala mo 'yong gabi na iniwan ko kayo ni Kendra sa bar ni Mr. Ringo?" Lily asked.

Sage nodded. Of course, he remembered. 'Di niya makakalimutan ang gabing 'yon.

"That was when he woke up from the coma. Kendra and I left to see him but when we returned, you were gone and I had no idea why you left. Kendra refused to talk about you, umiirap lang siya 'pag nababanggit ang pangalan mo," Lily said.

Sage ran his hand through his hair as he tried to digest the new information. "That's... a lot to take in. If you don't mind me asking, bakit ka na-coma?" tanong niya kay Kendrick.

"I was involved in a car accident with my sister." The sadness seeped out of his voice. "Hindi niya kasalanan 'yon pero matagal niyang sinisi ang sarili niya."

Ilang segundo silang natahimik bago magtanong ulit si Sage. "'Yon din ba ang dahilan kung bakit siya na-disown ng parents n'yo?"

Kendrick nodded. "She had always been a rebel, kahit noong bata pa siya. So she wasn't exactly the favorite child. It was very unfair of my parents to blame her but I couldn't defend her at that time."

"But everything's okay now, right? Nagising ka na mula sa coma so dapat okay na sila ng parents mo."

"'Di ko masabing okay na talaga sila pero may improvement, I guess. Anyway, since you did declare your love for her a while ago, I trust that you'll treat her right. Kung ayaw niya sa'yo, 'wag mo siyang pipilitin at kung piliin ka man niya, 'wag mo siyang sasaktan. Black belter din ako," seryosong sabi ni Kendrick.

"I'm no martial arts expert but I'll find way to make you pay if you hurt my best friend," dagdag ni Lily na may kasamang matamis na ngiti.

* * *

Kendrick excused himself to go to the restroom so Sage continued walking with Lily until they reached the reception area. It was another elegant garden full of colorful flowers and ornate water features.

"There she is. Kung may mga tanong ka pa, mabuti nang sa kanya mo na itanong," Lily said as she pointed her best friend who was about ten meters away.

Mula sa kinatatayuan niya, nakita ni Sage si Kendra. She was sitting on a nearby bench, laughing while ruffling the hair of an adorable little boy, who seemed to be just as happy as Kendra.

The scene made him smile. "Sino 'yong kasama ni Ken?" he asked.

"Oh, that's Max," Lily answered.

"He's cute. Whose kid is he?"

"Hulaan mo." A mischievous grin appeared on the bride's lips. "Bibigyan kita ng clue: Max was born nine months after you left."