Before The Last Sunset [Before Trilogy #1]

epilogue

"You told me to choose to be happy, so I chose to stay with you."

She rested her head on my shoulder as we sat side by side. Both of our classes just ended and this was the only time we managed to have a proper conversation. I held her hand tightly in mine out of the fear that once I let go, she'd disappear from me again. I still couldn't comprehend that she was here.

Tinapat niya sa'kin ang stick ng kanyang fishball para subuan ako. Umiling ako upang tumanggi. Alam ko namang gutom pa siya kaya hindi ko na siya inagawan. Hanggang ngayon, ang takaw niya pa rin.

"Pero paano ka nakabalik dito? Pinayagan ka ng mga magulang mo?" tinanong ko.

She let out a sad smile, looking at her hands. "Of course not."

"Oh," my lips thinned. "Gusto mo bang pag-usapan? Ayos lang naman kung hindi."

"No it's fine," she assured me, sighing. "When I got back to London, the both of them just got worse. The pressure they put on me was unbearable. I enrolled in the course they wanted me to take and guess what? I failed the semester," she laughed lightly. "One argument led to another, then one day I was... over it. Hindi ko na kinaya."

"You rebelled against them?"

Tumango siya. "I was always the little rebel in the family. It was bound to happen. Naawa na rin Tita at Tito ko sa'kin kaya tinulungan niya ako umalis. Sabi naman ni Ate na kaya niya ako buhayin, kaya bakit hindi? I got delayed one year when I enrolled for Medical Technology but hey, at least here, I can actually live according to what I want to do."

"You haven't talked to your parents since?" she nodded again. "It must've been hard to cut ties with them."

"Not at all. They put that on themselves. Hindi ko nga alam kung paano namin natiis ni Ate Sav 'yung dalawang 'yun," she chuckled.

"Hindi mo man lang sinabi na dadating ka at sa parehas pa tayo na university nag-aaral. Alam mo naman siguro na nag-uusap kami ng Ate mo, hindi mo pa rin pinasabi," sumimangot ako. "Sana man lang sinundo kita sa airport o kaya tinulungan kita lumipat."

"Then the surprise would be ruined, silly," she pinched the tip of my nose playfully. "I had a few things to settle before I could meet up with you. Migration is stressful."

I pouted. "Ang tagal na nagsimula ang semester tas ngayon ka lang nagpakita. Kung hindi ka pa nireto sa'kin, hindi pa kita makikita."

"Clingy as ever," a giggle bubbled out of her lips. "Ang hirap mo kaya hanapin! Ang layo ng building natin sa isa't-isa kaya hindi talaga kita makakasalubong. I wasn't even sure if your number is the same so I couldn't contact you."

"Of course it's the same. I wanted it to be so you could text me," I admitted.

She eyes narrowed. "Bakit ka nga pala pumayag makipag blind date? Matagal mo na ba ginagawa 'yun?"

Nanlaki bigla ang mata ko. "Uy hindi! Hindi ganun 'yun!" dinepensahan ko sarili ko. "Matagal na kasi nila akong kinukulit na makipag-date. Ngayon ko lang sila pinagbigyan pero wala talaga akong intensyon lumandi. Promise yan!"

"I'm just teasing you, Chase. You're free to do what you want. I would always want for you to be happy," she smiled genuinely.

"I'm happy when I'm with you. Only with you, Summer."

Her grin widened and her cheeks turned pink. She laughed again and stood up. "Walk me home?"

Sinamahan ko siyang maglakad patungo sa kanyang dorm. Nagkwentuhan lang kami tungkol sa mga nangyari sa kanya-kanya naming buhay sa nakaraang isang taon. Sumakit ang tiyan ko kakatawa nung kwinento sa'kin ni Summer kung paano siya halos mabaliw sa pag-sagot ng mga math equations sa London. Kung kamuhian niya ang math, aakalain mo na ang laki ng atraso sa kanya. Pinagalitan niya rin ako dahil nabanggit ko na araw-araw akong nagkakape. Siya daw mismo magpapa-inom sa'kin ng tubig kapag hindi ako sumunod.