Empty Heart Under the Gray Sky (Love Facet Series #1)

Prologue

"Ms. Gonzales , Ms. Asuncion is on her way to your office" Inform ng secretary ko sa intercom ng  opisina ko.

"Okay, thank you Shasha" i said, before I hang-up.

"Girl!" high-pitched na bungad sa akin ni Danelle ng makapasok siya sa pinto ng office ko.

Hindi ko na siya tiningnan busy kasi ako sa pag-sketch ng gowns, at medyo busy din ang Amaranth's dahil may mga labas kaming bagong designs na limited editon.

"Problema mo?" walang tinging tanong ko sa kanya.

"Ang pogi kasi nito oh!" turo niya dun sa lalaki sa Magazine. inilapit niya pa sa akin ang magazine para makita ko ng malinaw.

"Crush mo? Ayaw mo na kay Caleb?" tanong ko sa kanya at itinuloy ko na ang pag-sketch ng gown ng isa kong client.

"Gaga, yan yung makaka-date mo mamaya" casual na sabi niya.

"Ano?!" ako naman ang naging high-pitched ngayon at napatigil sa pag-sketch.

"Gulat na gulat Anastasia Wren? Mommy mo nag-arrange ng date pinasasabi niya lang sakin" Sabi ni danelle at naupo na sa couch sa tapat ng office table ko.

"You know I don't do dates, Tsaka busy ako sa Amaranth's" pagdadahilan ko dito.

My mom would always pursue me to date and arrange dates natatakot daw kasi siya na tumanda akong dalaga dahil sa edad kong 27 ay NBSB pa rin ako. And she would always send Danelle para sabihin sakin na may date ako masyado niya ginagamit ang kaibigan ko sakin.

Isang rason lang naman ang dahilan ko kung bakit ayoko ng dates, It's because there's a person who already owns my heart hindi niya nga lang alam.

"Eh bakit kaba sakin nagrereklamo, spokeperson lang naman ako!" irap niya sakin.

"Sige na kasi pumunta kanalang, kukulitin ako ng mommy mo eh tsaka di kana lugi kay Archer Dela Cruz gwapo na magaling pa kumanta, kuha mo ko ng autograph ha" sabi niya at nagpuppy eyes pa.

"I already have plans with Hunter" I said.

"Hunter?, he's probably with caleb and flirting someone" she crossed her arms and pout her lips.

"He's in his office" pagtatanggol ko kay hunter.

"At malamang dun nagawa ng milagro yang bestfriend mo!" irap na sagot niya.

"Ayvah Danelle"

"Fine, I will not slander your bestfriend for now" irap na naman niya. "Alam mo di ko talaga makita kung anong nagustuhan mo dyan sa bestfriend mo, babaero, lasingero lahat na ata ng may ERO nasa kanya na!"

Danelle was the only person whom I talked about my feelings for my bestfriend—Hunter.

"Alam mo naman ang rason diba?" malumanay na sabi ko sa kanya, "Hindi niya ginusto kung ano siya ngayon Danelle, sobra siyang nasaktan sa past relationship niya"

I may not be in his situation, pero alam ko yung pakiramdam, maybe ganun talaga pagmahal mo yung isang tao twice yung sakit, masakit kasi nasasaktan siya but then wala naman akong magawa.

"Until when Aya?" seryosong tanong niya sa akin.

"What do you mean?" kunot noong tanong ko sa kanya.

"Until when are you going to be like that, loving him from a distance? and not minding about your own feelings"

Sa totoo lang I envy Danelle, She's very vocal sa feelings at thoughts niya, wala siyang paki kung anong sasabihin ng iba as long as masabi niya yung nararamdaman niya. Maybe if I were like her it is either Hunter and I had a chance or The two of us had gone our separate ways. But I am not brave as danelle, I chose to be silent, I chose to be on his side forever as his bestfriend.

"Maybe when these feelings fades" kibit balikat kong sagot sa kanya.

I tried so hard not to fall for him pero wala eh #marupok. 

"Stupid" she said na ikinasama ng tingin ko sa kanya. "Sometimes we need to be selfish to protect us from hurting, and sometimes we need to be greedy for our own happiness, with what you are doing Aya you will end up getting hurt."

"Im not brave as y-"

"You're just being unfair to yourself, you chose him over your own happiness and feelings." she cuts me off.

"But when I'm with him I'm happy Danelle" I replied

"Yes you are happy being with him but it will soon end Aya, If he finds the love of his life you will be left behind"

"But he said he will marry m—"

"But that was just mere words Aya, Okay, lets say you have reached that certain age, but the question is would be the two of you still single by that time?, we can't predict what is ahead of us, so if I were you, I will tell him about my feelings, If he does feel the same edi goods, and if not make him fall at pag hindi pa rin talaga maybe its time to move-on and wait for the person who is really meant for us." she cutted me off again.

Tama nga siguro si Danelle, I should confess what I feel to hunter, magsisinungaling ako kung sasabihin kong hindi ko hinangad na maging girlfriend at asawa niya maybe it's already time to think for myself.

"Girl, I gotta go I have some errands pa eh, bye love ya!, But in case you changed your mind at gusto mo ng makipag-date kay Archer Dela Cruz, I already send you the details, and yung autograph ko ha!" she said as she pushed the glass door of my office, I just smiled at her and mouthed 'thank you' at tinanguan nya lang ako.

'I can do this' paulit-ulit na itinatatak ko sa isip ko, I was bothered by what Danelle and I's conversation a while a go, wala din pumapasok na ideas sa isip ko para sa current project ng Amaranth's kaya naisipan kong puntahan nalang si hunter, at sana kayanin ko umamin sa kanya mamaya.

"Hi Joy" ngiting bati ko sa secretary ni hunter "Andyan ba si hunter?"

"Ay opo maam Aya, Nasa opisina po si Engineer De Guzman" ngiting sabi niya sa akin.

"Sige, salamat Joy" ngiti ko dito at naglakad na sa papunta sa opisina ni hunter, nakahawak nako sa door knob ng pintuan ni hunter ng hingal na hingal dumating si Joy at tumingin sakin at parang may sasabihin pero binuksan ko pa din ang pintuan, Napatigil naman ako sa nakita ko.

"Maam nakalimutan ko pong sabihin may bisita—"  napahawak naman sa bibig si Joy ng makita niya din si hunter, nakatalikod ito at may kahilakang babae, hawak hawak niya ang isang hita ng babae sa may bandang bewang niya. Napatigil lang sila ng marinig ang pagsasalita ni Joy.

"Aya" gulat ni hunter ng makita ako kaya Napaayos sila ng pwesto. he was not expecting me to come at nagsisisi akong hindi ko siya ininform bago ako nagpunta dito.

Nagpalitan lang kami ng tingin ni hunter, he doesn't know how to react. Napadako naman ang tingin ko doon sa babae.

"Nice to see you again Aya" ngiti niya at gumilid sa tabi ni hunter.

Parang binuhusan ako ng malamig na tubig ng makilala ko kung sino yung babae, It was hunter's first love and also the one who broke his heart. Matagal na siyang wala, bakit kailangan niya pang bumalik.

"R-Ruth" I felt something was stuck in my throat but I manage to call her name.

My eyes turns to hunter's, He's expressionless na nakatitig sakin, meaning ba nito sila na ulit. Ang tanga ko.

"I- I'm here to invite you for lunch, but I think you're busy so maybe next time nalang" I fake a smile, then I turn my back and and still trying to hold my tears, narinig ko pa na tumawag si hunter but I don't dare to look back.

Now I know the answer, tama nga si danelle in the end masasaktan at masasaktan lang din ako.

Ruth is his first love, and maybe she will always be the love of his life.