Before The Last Sunset [Before Trilogy #1]

29

"I felt like I was living a different person's life in my own body."

Her voice wavered at she continued to tell her story. Summer looked ahead, not wanting to meet my gaze. She probably thought that I pitied her or thought so little of her being. But that wasn't the case at all. 

Summer was a strong woman. I never doubted that. 

I just didn't realize her strength had stemmed from all the battles she had to face. 

I continued to remain quiet at she took occasional pauses in between speaking. I knew this must've been hard for her as well. It took bravery to confess her struggles and I was thankful that she told me. Although it was hard seeing her hurt like this, I still wanted to listen. I owed her that. She had listened to me without hesitations in my lowest and I would gladly do the same for her. 

"Our father treated us so harshly. The verbal and emotional abuse he brought into our lives was scarring. My mother...she was just the same as him. She was never like that before, you know? I don't know if it was because of my father's influence, or maybe she was just finally showing her true colors." 

She sighed deeply and quickly wiped away her tears. I could see her start to tremble as she recalled her family life. I slowly inched my hand towards hers, interlacing our fingers together. I saw her lips part in shock by the gesture. My thumb ran over her knuckles lightly as I hoped that it would calmed her a bit. 

"Nakikinig lang ako," I reassured her. 

She squeezed my hand slightly before continuing. "I envied Ate Savannah for not receiving that treatment from them. She had everything while I barely had anything. But I don't hate her at all, you know I love that girl to death. It's just...I wished things could be different. I wish that I too, had it easy just like her."

Summer and Savannah's bond was very unique to me at first. I thought that her sister was naturally the sweeter one and it was just in Summer's nature to be composed. There was a deeper reason why Summer seemed so distant to her. It made sense now. 

"Remember when you told me that my wishes were heard and I said it was a blessing and a curse?" I nodded, recalling that day on the Ferris wheel. "I wished that one day, Sav and I could exchange lives. I wanted to feel what she felt. I wanted to be loved by my parents. That did happen, but at the expense of Ate suffering. I felt so horrible for even thinking that I wanted to take her place. She didn't deserve to receive double of the treatment I had. It was fine for me to suffer, but not Savannah. Not when she's already going through a pregnancy."

"Hindi ba sinubukan ng mga magulang mo na makipag-ayos sa Ate mo?" tinanong ko. 

Umiling siya. "They wanted to see her to convince her to change her mind. They still wanted her to lose the baby. Savannah didn't allow that to happen. Even if it was hard for her, she distanced herself from them. It even got so bad, she was forced to stay here. Our uncle offered his place for her to stay and she immediately made the move. When she left, the attention was on me." 

"Then you must've been happy. You got what you've wanted," I commented. 

"I may have gotten the love and attention of my parents, but at what cost? My sister going through a pregnancy alone? Her working hard to provide for herself and her baby?" She bitterly smiled. "I have lived every single day since the day she left in guilt. I couldn't be happy for finally being loved when I knew it only happened because she wasn't. She needed me, especially right now. She had always been there for me but I can't do the same for her without disappointing my parents." 

She was stuck in the middle. I knew how it felt because I was in her position before. Maybe that's why it was so easy for her to comfort me during the times that I needed someone. She knew the right things to say because she told me the words she needed to hear as well.