Searching the Stars (Montereal Series #1)

[23]

"Eros!"

Sumigaw si Marie at dali-daling nilapitan ang kapatid na nabaril sa binti. 1 shot was fired at him. Ngunit mukhang daplis lang naman. Agad din naman siyang pinaligiran ng mga pulis.

"Fuck, why did you do that!" Marie says as Eros looked at his wound.

"Eros Fortez, inaaresto ka namin sa salang kidnapping..."

Every noise blocked my ear. My hand flew to my mouth as I saw him lifelessly bleeding.

Si Sander...

He saved us?

"Assholes! Dalhin niyo muna ang kapatid ko sa hospital, bago niyo gawin 'yan!" sigaw ni Marie.

Lumapit ako sa kanya, tumawag naman agad si Trent ng ambulance. Like me, he also looked scared and shaken.

Nanginginig ang mga kamay kong inabot ang kamay niya at hinigpitan ang hawak dito. Ang bilis na niyang nawawalan ng dugo... I didn't know how else to stop it...

Bukas pa ang mga mata niya. He's slowly trying to catch his breath. Sinubukan naman niyang habulin ang hininga niya.

"Mags..." I heard him utter.

"Shh. Wag ka muna magsalita. We'll get you to a hospital, okay? Lumaban ka, Sander. Wag kang pipikit, okay? Trust me, you'll get through this." I said to him, sinubukan niya naman ngumiti sa akin.

Agad naman din dumating ang ambulance, hinayaan ko naman na dalhin siya ng mga ito. Sumunod nalang kami ni Trent sa hospital ng mga Montereal na pagmamay-ari ng Tito niya.

We were outside, waiting for news about Sander. Suot ko ang jacket ni Trent dahil halos mahubaran na ako sa ginawa na pambaboy ni Eros sa akin...

The scene replayed in my head.

How he violated me... how he touched me when I helplessly begged him not to. Kung paano ako nagmakaawa na tigilan niya, but he didn't stop. He still did it anyway. Ginawa niya.. dahil gusto niya.

And then the shots were fired.

Napapikit ako ng mariin, remembering everything that happened earlier.

Bakit ganoon?

Akala ko ba masaya na? Bakit lumala?

"Tria..." Mahinang tawag ni Trent.

Nakasandal ako sa kanya. His hands were on my shoulders, holding me for support. Nakita ko kung gaano din siya nataranta kanina. How he looked so scared. Kung gaano kapagod ang mga mata niya ngayon.

"I'm sorry..." he cried. "I'm sorry, none of this would've happened if only I—"

I held his hand tightly. Pinalis ko ang mga luha sa mukha niya.

"Shh. Wala kang kasalanan, okay? This is all on Eros. You only tried to save me. Kayong dalawa ni Sander. You saved me. Si Eros ang bumaril sa kanya. Si Eros ang nambaboy sa akin..."

I felt tears trickling down my cheeks as I uttered the last lines. Nanginginig pa rin ang mga kamay ko tuwing naalala yun.

Gusto ko nalang mawala sa utak ko yun...

Pero paano?

Trent's lips were shaking but he still held my hand. We both took deep breaths to calm ourselves. We have to be strong. We have to endure the pain.

"Tria! Trent!"

Dumating sina Mommy kasama sina Tita Priscilla, Tito Emmanuel at si Santi. They looked so worried as they looked at us. Mommy hugged me, habang niyakap din ni Tita Priscilla si Trent.