All her life, Mary Imogen Suarez was led to believe that she should end up with Parker Adrian Palma. Na dapat, kay Parker lang siya. Na si Imogen ay para lang kay Parker. But the problem was, Parker never looked her way, at least, not the way she wanted him to. For him, she's just the best friend-and a reminder of something he badly wanted to forget. For years, she lived with the knowledge that Parker would never like her back. Akala ni Imo, hindi na siya makakaahon sa naraaramdaman niya para kay Parker-until she met Saint Iverson Gomez de Lianño. Saint was a breath of fresh air. He's attentive, and he made Imo feel loved and appreciated-something she never felt during all the years she loved Parker. But when things started to fall in their right places, Parker decided to finally look her way. What would Imogen do? Would she brave the storm to be with Saint? Or would she tread the strings that connect her with Parker?

(For Hire: A Damn Good Kisser Book 2) Meet the new Dana Kathryn Ferrer. A little bit older and wiser, and a lot more confident, Dana-or DK, as she now prefers to be called-is the life of every party. Since he-who-must-not-be-named left her, DK has reinvented herself. Gone is the girl who's always pining for that boy. These days, DK, who manages to catch the attention of any boy she deems worth her time, gets to pick anyone she wants. She's completely over Cyriel Edrian Perez. But when she finds out that Cyriel is coming back, her perfect little world goes haywire. And when Andrei Louie Guzman starts courting her-a romantic Filipino tradition he's never bothered following for any other girl-she still won't give him the time of day. Does DK simply want closure, or could it be that she's not completely over the boy who broke her heart?

Tagalog/English [PUBLISHED UNDER POP FICTION - 2017]

Published under Pop Fiction (2014)

Nakakabagot ang buhay. Lalo na pag papasok ka nang school, kakain, humiga sa pera, maligo sa puri, mamili ng babae, at matulog. Paulit-ulit lahat araw-araw. Lahat nalaro mo na, poker hanggang pag-ibig naipanalo mo na. Kung sana may pwedeng paglaruan. Yung unique. Yung nakakatuwa. Nang dumating siya sa buhay ko, natuwa ako kasi pinaglaruan ko siya. Humingi siya ng pabor. Binigay ko. Nagpaturo siya. Tinuruan ko. Humingi siya ng masasandalan. Binigay ko. Kasi nakakatuwa siya! Pero habang tumatagal, bakit siya na yung natutuwa at ako na pinaglalaruan? Hate. Lies. Temptations. Betrayal. Pain. Love. All in one. Training To Love.

Ang pag-ibig ay parang nagsusugal. Pag sigurado kang mahal mo ang tao, ibibigay mo ang lahat. Ang problema dito ay di mo alam kung may maibabalik paba sayo o wala. Maswerte ang nakakakuha ng higit pa sa inaasahan, pero luhaan ang mga sumugal at natalo. Pero ganun paman, tulad ng sugal, kahit walang kasiguraduhan, marami paring umiibig, marami paring sumusugal. Dahil... Baka Sakali... Baka Sakali... Kaya mo bang sumuko sa pagba baka sakali?

Ang pag-ibig ay parang nagsusugal. Pag sigurado kang mahal mo ang tao, ibibigay mo ang lahat. Ang problema dito ay di mo alam kung may maibabalik paba sayo o wala. Maswerte ang nakakakuha ng higit pa sa inaasahan, pero luhaan ang mga sumugal at natalo. Pero ganun paman, tulad ng sugal, kahit walang kasiguraduhan, marami paring umiibig, marami paring sumusugal. Dahil... Baka Sakali... Baka Sakali... Pero hanggang saan ang pagbabaka sakali mo?

Ang pag-ibig ay parang nagsusugal. Pag sigurado kang mahal mo ang tao, ibibigay mo ang lahat. Ang problema dito ay di mo alam kung may maibabalik paba sayo o wala. Maswerte ang nakakakuha ng higit pa sa inaasahan, pero luhaan ang mga sumugal at natalo. Pero ganun paman, tulad ng sugal, kahit walang kasiguraduhan, marami paring umiibig, marami paring sumusugal. Dahil... Baka Sakali... Baka Sakali...

Elevators. Airplanes. Palaman ng Sandwich. Yung feeling na papunta ka pa lang at excited ka pa lang sa pupuntahan mo. Yung feeling na palapit pa lang yung birthday mo. Yung feeling na palapit pa ang isa pang espesyal na araw. Yung feeling na ilang oras na lang ay pasko na. Yung feeling na tatlong araw na lang simula na ulit ng pasukan. Yung feeling na nasa gitna ka pa lang at di ka pa nakakarating. Yung feeling na malapit na pero hindi pa. Yun ang laging gusto ko. Yung nasa gitna pa lang. Yung nasa gitna ka ng dalawang bagay. Gitna ng isang building. Gitna ng langit at lupa. Gitna ng dalawang matatabang tinapay. Gitna ng byahe papuntang disneyland. Mas gusto ko yung feeling tuwing nagbabyahe kesa doon sa nakarating ka na. Mas gusto ko yung feeling na may inaantay ka kesa doon sa nandyan na. I always like the things in between. "You only like things in between, Coreen. You only like the chase... You only want me chasing after you. You don't want to decide... Pero pakiusap naman, magdesisyon ka na, kasi tao rin naman ako, nasasaktan. And you? I don't think nararamdaman mo yung sakit na nararamdaman ko... You are just too heartless."

Maria Georgianne Marfori loved Noah Elizalde more than anything in this world. Ganon din halos lahat ng mga babaeng kilala niya. Yes, he's probably that hot and adorable. Kaya naman ay maaga niyang natutunan ang pag mamahal ng walang pag aalinlangan at takot. Kailanman ay hindi niya naisip na darating ang araw na susuko siya at mapapagod. Never. Noah will end up with her no matter what. But is it really right to love him intensely at a very young age? Her family didn't believe in love. They think it's pure sentiment. They think purely loving someone with your heart was wrong. Binigyan tayo ng Panginoon ng puso at utak. Puso, para maramdaman ang sentimento. Utak, para mapag isipan kung dapat bang tanggapin ang sentimento ng puso. We have to identify who's the better judge. But then again, do we always have that chance to judge? Paano kung ipaglaban mo man iyon ay wala ka parin namang halaga? How are you going to fight for your heart when you know from the very beginning you will lose? That you are Worthless? Why do we all want this? To love what does not love us. To leave those who want to stay. To push away those who want to stay close. To treasure what is worthless.