Habang nasa banyo si Jake,Shelly called Pat.She is still worried about Alex.
"Bestie!" Pat's hyper voice greeted her.
"What happened?" Shelly asked sa mahinang boses.
"Naku bestie! Tatawagan talaga sana kita,naunahan mo lang ako.Paalis pa lang kami sa condo ni baby Alex.Nagpasama ako sa isa sa staff niya.Sorry hindi ako agad nakatawag or text." She said in an agitated voice kaya kinabahan si Shelly.
Napano siya?"alalang tanong niya.
"Bestie! Kung makikita mo lang siya maaawa ka.Mukhang mula ng party sa bahay hindi na siya lumabas ng unit niya.Halos hindi na nga kami makilala sa kalasingan! Nakausap ko lang siya sandali nung sabi mong tawagan ko.Salamat sa internet bestie at nahanap ko yung number ng coffee shop niya diyan sa baba ng condo ni papa Jake.Katakot-takot na kumbinse ang ginawa ko sa staff niya para magkita kami and sabay na pumunta sa condo niya.Binuksan lang ng guard ang unit ni baby Alex kasi hindi niya kami pinagbuksan.Nagkalat nga ang mga basag na bote bestie! Bestie, palagay ko kailangan mong makipagkita sa kanya para magkausap kayo." Pat suggested.
Shelly groaned and said helplessly, "Ano ka ba?Alam mong hindi pwede di ba?"
"Ano ang hindi pwede babe?" Jake asked.
Anak ng tofu! Nakalabas na pala ng banyo si Jake.
He is looking at her while drying his hair with a towel. She was almost caught red handed.Sa sobrang shocked ng dalaga hindi siya agad nakapag-salita.Nakatitig lang siya kay Jake.
"Ngiii! Bestie si papa Jake!" takot na sabi ni Pat sa kabilang linya.
Jake frowned when Shelly didn't answer him."Who the hell are you talking to?" tanonng nito sa galit na tono.
Mabilis na lumapit ito sa nobya and in an instant, he grabbed the phone from her.Hindi agad nakapag-react si Shelly.
"WHO THE FUCK IS THIS??" sigaw nito sa telepono.
Muntik ng mabitawan ni Pat ang cellphone niya sa gulat and takot. "P-papa Jake! Si Pat ako! Sabi ko kasi kay bestie baka hindi ako makapunta sa Sunday kaya sabi niya hindi pwede.Alam mo na, hindi daw pwede na wala ako." nerbiyos na sagot ni Pat.
Silence.
Jake sighed and sa mas mababang boses said, "Hello Pat.Akala ko kung sino na ang kausap ni Shelly.Sorry you can talk to her again but please make it short.Magpapahinga na kami." Jake said then handed the phone back to Shelly.Tumalikod na ito para magpalit ng pantulog.Nakahinga ng maluwag si Shelly.Anak ng tofu! Muntik na sila dun!
"Bestie, yung sinabi ko ha? Makipagkita ka kay baby Alex."
"I'll think about it Pat.Sige na. Ingat sa pag-uwi and salamat."
After she ended the call ,she heard Jake said," Give me your phone."Nakaupo ito habang nakasandal sa headboard ng kama.The top part of his body is bare.Nakanunot ang noo nito.
She didn't expect him to say that.Oh dear! Paano yan? Hindi niya na-delete ang number ni Alex.Lagot na talaga siya! "H-Ha babe?" she asked her voice trembling.
Lalong nalukot ang guwapong mukha ng binata.Nagmuras ito at tumayo. "If you don't give me that fucking phone in 5 seconds,you wouldn't like what I'll do!" pagbabanta nito.
I'm dead meat! she told herself matapos dali-daling binigay ang cellphone sa nobyo.
Tinignan muna ni Jake ang mga received and sent messages ng nobya tapos ang call history.One particular unregistered number caught his attention.May pumasok na tawag ito kaninang 4:45PM. Duration of call is 2:40 minutes.Then mula 4:49PM tinawagan ito ni Shelly ng tatlong beses na magkakasunod.He shot an angry look at his woman again.
"Kaninong number to?" tanong nito sa nagtitimping boses.
Shelly emitted a silent prayer na patawarin sana siya kasi kailangan niyang magsinungaling.And she hopes makalusot siya.She promised herself that she will tell Jake about Alex bago mag-Sunday.
"SHELLY!!" Jake's voice is like thunder.
"S-Sa stepmother ko babe." she replied.
Jake looked doubtful for a moment.Then he dialled the number.Nag-ring ito.Halos himatayin sa nerbiyos si Shelly.Paulit-ulit ang dasal niya na sana hindi sagutin ni Alex.Jake hang up ng walang sumasagot.
"Why did she call? And paano niya nakuha ang bagong number mo?" came his brusque question.
"Wala.She just probably missed making my life miserable.She asked me kung tayo pa daw.Baka si Lorie ang nagbigay.Lorie asked my new number from Pat."
Pilit pinatatag ni Shelly ang boses niya.
"Are you going to invite them on Sunday?"
"No."
Jake let out a sigh.He handed her the phone.She took it and pasimple niyang pinindot ang power button.Niyakap siya ng nobyo.He kissed her forehead and rested his mouth on the top of her head.
Then Shelly heard him say,"Now that we are together,they can't hurt you anymore babe.I will make sure of that." Inilayo siya ng bahagya ni Jake then hinalikan siya sa labi.
(Alex)
He is taking a shower.Sinabi niya sa sarili niya na kailangang gumawa na siya ng hakbang.Walang mangyayari kung magpapaka-lunod siya sa alak.Hindi niya matanggap na ikakasal na si Shelly sa gagong Herrera na yun.He came out of the cubicle.Tinignan niya ang mukha niya sa salamin.He is still bitter dahil sa nangyari sa ate niya.Dalawa lang silang magkapatid.Their parents tried to give them everything they needed.Analyn or Annie Llamarez used to be the life of the party.She is very pretty ,smart but very spoiled. Ayaw niya sa America kasi sabi niya people work too hard.She said she wanted to be independent so she chose to open up a coffee shop sa Pilipinas.Their parents were quite hesitant to let her live alone in the Philippines.But since spoiled sa mga magulang nila,nasunod ang gusto ng ate niya.Mapili sa lalake ang kapatid niya. So when his parents told him that his sister is going out with a certain Jake Herrera,Alex googled him. Guwapo,mayaman at mahilig sa magagandang babae.Yun ang nadiskubre niya about him. Nang magkausap sila ng kapatid niya,he vocally told her that he dislikes Jake Herrera for her.His sister assured him that she'll be okay.And sabi niya,Jake treats her differently from his past women.Nagbiro pa ito na he should be nice to Jake dahil may chance na maging bayaw daw niya ito.Pinilit niya ang kapatid na iwasan na ang lalaking yun because he's not good for her.Pero matigas ang ulo ng ate niya so he gave up.Alex was managing his uncle's seafood restaurant sa San Francisco when the tragic thing happened. Napauwi ang mga magulang niya para sunduin from the Philippines ang ate Annie niya.She tried to kill herself because Jake Herrera broke up with her.She was so depressed that she needed psychiatric help.Pinilig ni Alex ang ulo niya para mabura ang mga nangyari sa kapatid niya.
Tumawag siya kanina sa mga magulang niya para mangumusta.Sabi ng mama niya,she seems to be recovering fast.How ironic na ang babaeng gustong-gusto niya eh girlfriend pa ng gagong Herrera na yun.
After shaving, he went outside his bedroom to look for his phone.Naka black jockey shorts lang siya.He found his phone on the center table sa sala.He will call Shelly .He saw one missed call na galling sa dalaga.
He smiled.Why did she call?
He dialled her number but unattended ito.
Hindi bale! I will definitely see her tomorrow! He told himself.