"I love you." I shouted with all my might. he stopped. "I'm three years older than you." he finished before walking away. "Jeston Arguelles, I will my make you my husband cross my heart." he went back to flick my head. "Such a childish promises don't you think?" I stared back at him before pulling his shirt collar. *kiss* that's how my first kiss came and went.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have kissed you. Just please don't cry Iris." Hangang kelan mo mamahalin ang taong alam mong hindi pa tapos mag mahal ng iba? "I'm sorry I can't ruin you Atlas, not like this! I'm sorry but us... This, what will people say? I don't want to ruin you. you've been the best thing that ever happened to me and I can't." "Iris I love you." Sobrang sarap pakinggan sobrang sarap manatili. Sana totoo nalang. "No atlas, I can see it and I know mahal mo pa si Cassandra." "Iris believe me I loved Cassandra pero mas mahal kita." it's not loved, atlas its loving. You still love her, kasi I can see kitang kita ko kung gaano kalalim ang pangungulila mo sa pagmamahal niya. "Atlas hindi, hindi mo man makita. your eyes glow every time you talk about her it's her parin, siya parin all this time and I can't deal with that, kasi alam ko at alam mo palitan ko man siya sa tabi mo hindi ko siya kayang palitan sa puso mo." "Iris... Listen to me." Nakikinig ako atlas palagi akong nakikinig pero ngayon puso ko naman papakinggan ko. Sinubukan akong yakapin ni Atlas at sa mga oras iyon. Ang yakap na akala ko magpoprotekta sa akin sa lahat ng sakit ang pinakamasakit na nakabalot sa akin. "Atlas I'm sorry."

"Why?" Nakabalik ako sa wisyo sa tanong niya. "Why did you leave that night? Tas Ngayon-babalik ka na walang nangyari?" Muling tanong ni Leon habang pinipigilan ang pagkuyom ng kanyang mga kamao at ang tila panginginig sa kanyang boses. "I had no choice." Tugon ni yhel na ngayon ay hindi na matignan ng diretso sa mata sng binata. "Bullshit yhel... You always have a choice,leaving me was your choice Ikaw pumili nun." He said fuming. "Some debts needs to be paid Leon, and I'll be damned if you became collateral or worse part of the statistics because I failed to protect you." "Protect me from what? Yhel" "Myself."