First Love, Last Love [PUBLISHED] | ✅

Sneak Peek: Playing with Fire

I'm starting a new story and kind of writing full time now. You can follow Louisa' story alongside Aicelle's. I'll upload weekly from now on. Thanks! See you there!

ITS BEEN A WHILE, hindi pa nalelate ever si Jethro sa usapan nila. He was always on time, he always made it on time unlike her na palagi nitong hinihintay. Ngayon niya lang naranasan na maghintay para sa nobyo, mula noong college ay ito na ang palaging nag-aabang sa kanya, nag-aabang na matapos sa klase, matapos mag-aral, matapos magbasa, matapos gumawa ng projects. In short, palagi si Jethro ang last priority. He didn't mind, sabi nga nito ay worth it naman na hintayin siya pero lately parang napapagod na ito. It has been five years since they got together, first boyfriend, first kiss, first everything, as in lahat. She loves him, totoo yun pero madami lang talagang mga bagay na kailangan mauna kaysa sa puso niya.

Louisa is a consistent honor student mula bata siya, she always excelled in almost every single thing that she did. She made sure na hindi siya mahuhuli sa kahit na ano. Palagi naman kasi siyang nakikipagkompitensya sa mga kapatid niya. Siya ang middle child, at siya lang ang hindi sumunod sa yapak ng pamilya patungo sa medisina. Natatawa nga sila minsan ng kaibigan niyang si Mati na parang dapat palit sila ng pamilya, Mati's family wanted her to be a lawyer and Lou's family wanted her to be a doctor. She fought for this, alam ng lahat yun. She's a scholar para lang walang masabi ang pamilya niya. They're slowly accepting the fact pero syempre madami pa ding kontra. They said that it was tradition, as if naman lahat ng tradition nasusunod diba? They're in modern times already, people should be able to make choices now.

Looking back, Jethro was the first person other than her friends who supported her dream. He will help her in college and study out with her or just give her space kasi mas sanay siyang mag-aral mag-isa. Noong nakapasok siya sa law school it became harder especially since Jethro found work na din. They were always apart at sa minsan nilang pagkikita ay nakadukdok pa din siya sa pag-aaral. She made him her last priority again after promising for a million times na magbibigay siya ng madaming time.

"Hey," umupo si Jethro sa upuan sa harap niya. It's been two weeks since they last saw each other, it's been two weeks since they last talked. "Kanina ka pa? Sorry. Traffic."

"It's okay." Tumango lang si Lou, she has to understand like all those times na iniintindi siya ni Jethro. Hinanap niya lang yung halik nito sa tuwing magkikita sila. He seemed so bland now. Siguro kasalanan niya nga. He's waited too much.

"Jet," she smiled as she tried to touch his hand pero casually ay iniiwas nito ang kamay. He sat upright, looking at her straight in the eyes. Umayos na lang din siya ng upo. He seems too distant now. "Wala na akong classes. You want to go out of town?"

"Ah, is it that time again? May oras ka na uli para sa akin?" He smirked pero hindi na lang pinansin iyon ni Louisa. She's hurt him a lot of times, may karapatan naman itong magalit sa kanya. Maybe this is why he's looking for love and attention from someone else. Yes, he's been cheating and she's known now for a while pero handa siya g patawarin ito, she's been unfair with her time too. Siya siguro ang may kasalanan kaya nagloko ito.

"Sorry na, Finals kasi kaya hindi ako makareply o makatawag, alam mo naman na ang taas ng kailangan kong i-maintain na grades para sa scholarship." Gusto niyang maglambing pero parang hindi na gagana. Tama siguro ang mga kaibigan niya, kailangan na siguro niyang bumitaw din pero ayaw niya, her Jethro tried so hard for her before kaya tama lang na subukan din niya, diba?

"Bullshit." He said in a low tone na silang dalawa lang ang makakarinig. Nasa labas sila hg paborito nilang restaurant, buti na lang wala pa din masyadong tao. Pwede naman niyang puntahan ito sa pad nito pero ayaw niya kasi mas comforting ang lugar na ito. This was where they had their first kiss. "You never had time, last priority naman ako palagi."

"Kaya ka ba nag-cheat?" Nilingon siya nito. His eyes full of shock. Was he expecting her not to know?

"Alam mo?" He asked. Matagal na niyang alam, nakita sila ng isa niyang kaibigan na papasok sa isang hotel. It broke her heart pero naisip niyang kasalanan naman siguro din niya. She didn't give him enough of her time.

"Yeah," tumango siya. "I've known for a while. Her name's Hannah, right?"

"Pero ganyan ka kakalmado?" Sabi nito. Siguro nga masyado siyang kalmado, baka dahil ilang beses na niyang inulit-ulit sa utak niya kung ano ang kailangan niyang gawin na hindi na siya maiyak sa harap nito. She cried loads of tears dahil doon, hindi naman siya robot. "Iba ka din."

"It was my fault. I never gave you time. I always put you on hold." She sighed. "Pero sana alam mo na mahal kita."

"Okay, mahal mo ako. Okay. I'll believe you-" he said before stopping, carefully thinking about his next line.

"You should. Mahal naman talaga kita. Come back to me." Sabi niya dito, he didn't want him to second guess. "I will forget this and I will let it go. Bumalik ka lang uli."

"Lou," he shook his head. Was she really losing him?

Tama ba itong ginagawa niya? Should she really forget? Kasi for the first time in a while ay tumigil siyang mag-aral at umabsent siya sa klase dahil sa sakit na naramdaman niya noong malaman niya iyon. Tapos ngayon siya pa ang magmamakaawa na balikan siya? How shameless is she right now? Pero mas masakit pa din kasi na mawala si Jethro dahil kasalanan naman niya. He looked for love and affection elsewhere kasi hindi niya maibigay ito dito.

"Then marry me." Nagulat siya sa sinabi ni Jethro. "I will drop Hannah if you marry me."

"Jethro, 23 pa lang tayo." She said, they have a huge world in front of them tapos gusto na nito ng kasal? "Hindi ba masyado pa tayong bata?"

"Kaya ko naman na buhayin ka, hindi mo na kailangan na magtrabaho at all. You can get as many maids as you want, buy as many clothes as you want, kaya ko ibigay lahat yun sayo." Oo, mayaman ito at alam niya naman na kayang-kaya nga nitong gawin ang lahat ng sinabi nito. He can provide for her so well pero pangarap niya ito, pinaglaban niya ito ng sobra para lang bitawan niya.

"Alam mo naman na pangarap ko to." She sounded so desperate. Ayaw niyang sukuan ang pangarap niya.

"Hindi ko naman sinabi na bitawan mo eh, pakasalan mo lang ako tapos ituloy mo lang uli." As if napakadali ng hinihingi nito. Kasal ang kapalit ng pagtigil nito sa pambababae? Enough na ba yun na kapalit ng pangarap niya? Will she settle to have him but lose that dream of being a lawyer?

"But that comes with having a family," she stopped. "Kailan mo gustong magkaanak Jet?"

"After we get married, it'll come. The earlier the better." Nagliwanag ang mukha nito. He was shining brighter than he did from the moment he came. He wanted a child right away, pangarap din naman niyang maging nanay pero not when there's this unexplored world right in front of her, not at 23, not yet.

"P-pero ang dami ko pang hindi nagagawa. Ang dami ko pang hindi nakikita all on my own. I may be distant and I may have no time pero alam mo naman na mahal kita diba? Hindi ba pwedeng hintayin mo na lang muna ako? Matatapos ko din naman to eh." She pleaded. Mahal niya si Jethro pero mahirap talikuran ang pangarap. "I only have two years to go. Let's just get engaged pero after na tayo magpakasal. We can do that, right?"

"Tapos ano, ung Bar naman? Tapos yung career mo? Why do I always end up as your last priority?" His voice evidently louder now kaya may mga tumitingin na sa kanila.

"Hindi naman Jet pero diba I should fulfill my dreams too?" She asked. He's fulfilled his, hindi na ba siya entitled din doon?

"It's marriage or we break up." He said flatly, parang walang paki kahit na break up ang piliin niya habang siya ay kulang na lang ay lumuhod at magmakaawa.

"Jet naman," she grabbed his hand. Ayaw niyang pakawalan ang kamay nito. She's held in to him through so much na parang binubutas ang dibdib niya sa sakit ngayon. She's breaking her own heart now pero ano bang dapat niyang gawin?

"I've waited long enough for you Lou. I think it's time I left." he took his hand then stood up and left. She was left there clutching her chest, sobrang sakit. Sobrang sakit.
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Hi guys! There are currently 2 chapters up! Hope you can swing by and support it! Thanks! ❤️

🙋🏻‍♀️: psychedelic26