Too Precious To Lose

*Gabriel's POV*

"What are you doing here?"

Lumingon kaming dalawa ni Charm. She's finally awake.

"Courts!"

I stood up and opened my arms to hug her but she just stared at me.

"I know that look, anong ginawa ko?"

"Tagal tagal mong di tinext yang si Charm tapos yayakap ka?"

"Ayan. Lagooot!"

Binelatan ako ni Charm tsaka siya lumapit at kumapit sa braso ni Theia but she removed it.

"Tigil tigilan mo ko, Charmaine ha." Sabi niya. "Sigurado akong yumakap ka dyan kanina."

Charm pouted.

Nakakatawa talaga silang panuorin dalawa.

"So hindi mo na ko yayakapin?"

"No."

She even crossed her arms.

"Bahala ka, binili pa naman kita ng favorite chocolates mo."

There. I finally used my hidden weapon. Ha!

Her eyes widened and automatically hugged me. Natawa tuloy kami sa ginawa niya.

"I missed you, Gabby." She said. "Bigay mo sa'kin mamaya yung chocolates ko ha!"

"If I'd known you'd react that way, inabot ko sana agad pagkakita mo sa'kin." He laughed. "I missed you too, Courts."

"Welcome back, Gabby."

"It's good to be back." I answered in return.

"Bakit ba kayo nandito sa bahay?" Tanong niya pagkabitaw sa'kin.

"Lovey invited us over." Sagot ko and we sat on the couch.

"At marunong ka na mag-invite ngayon?" Sabi niya tsaka tumingin kay Charm. "Bahay mo?"

She winked at her. "Of course. Ako ang nawawala mong kapatid sa labas."

Hinampas niya agad si Charm. It's nice to be see them this way again.

"Eh yun?" Turo niya kay Ry. "Anong ganap dyan?"

"Nalasing tapos nakatulog."

There were beers scattered on the table.

Ry insisted on buying kaya pinagbigyan ko na tutal kakauwi ko lang din naman. Uminom lang ako ng isang bote. Si lovey naman nag-juice lang.

While he was having his fourth bottle, he fainted. I've never seen him like this. Akala ko nga sasabihin niya sa'min yung nangyari but he just continued drinking until mawalan siya ng malay.

"What have you been doing this past few days, Gabby?" Tanong niya. "Bakit ngayon ka lang nagparamdam sa'min?"

"I've---"

"Alam mo ba bessy, tama yung hula natin." Lovey cut me off. "Siya yung may pakana ng Okada."

Theia shook her head habang nakatingin sila ng masama sa'kin

"What?"

"Hindi lang yun, bessy." Bulong ulit ni Charm. "May pa Tagaytay pa yan bukas."

Kumunot na yung noo niya.

"Does Tita Ella know about this?"

"She doesn't need to." Sagot ko. "Sa'kin naman na yung resort na yun."

"Binili mo??"

I nodded.

We visited a resort owned by my parents years ago. Our friends and I stayed there for vacations. Since then, napaka importante na nung lugar na yun.

I wanted to manage it on my own kaya binili ko kay Papa kapalit ng kasunduan namin na magtrabaho ako sa America. I was both an exchange student and acting CEO that time.

I managed to pull it off kahit sobrang hirap.

"Wow, Gabby." She slowly clapped her hands. "Iba ka talaga."

"Sino ba 'tong umuwi?" Tanong ni Charm. "Lovey ko pa ba 'to?"

"Gaga, papakasalan mo na siya." Theia whispered to her. "Mayaman na yan, bessy. It's time."

Tumayo naman siya agad. "Let's go, lovey. Mamanhikan ka na."

We all burst out laughing.

"Theia, you're here."

Napatingin kami kay Ryan.

Nagising na siya.

He sat up and drunk the remaining beer inside his bottle.

"Ry, that's enough." Sabi ni Theia.

Hindi siya nakinig. He reached for another bottle and opened it.

"That's your 5th." Charm said. "You have to stop. Lovey, pigilan mo naman siya."

I know that I need to stop him but will he stop?

He doesn't seem to listen at all.

"Hindi mo na kaya."

"No, Theia. I can drink up to 6 or 7 bottles." Sagot niya. "Yung sakit yung hindi ko na kaya. I want to get rid of this pain."

"And you think that's the only way??"

Inubos niya ng isang inuman yung alak na kakabukas lang niya.

Ry laughed.

"If it is, edi sana okay na ko."

He gripped the bottle on his hand.

*clink*

Nabasag yung bote sa kamay niya.

"RY!"

"RYANN!!"

There were scattered drops of his blood on the floor and on the table.

"What have you done??!" Theia stood up and approached him.

Unti unting tinatanggal ni Ry yung bubog sa kamay niya and he didn't even flinched.

"My god, Ry!" She said. "Halika na. I'll take you to the hospital!"

"It's just blood, Theia." Sagot niya. "Calm down."

"Just blood??!" She looked at me. "Gabby, please!"

"Lovey.."

Naluluha si Charm habang mahigpit na nakahawak sa kamay ko.

"Gab, bro. I'm fine."

"How can you say that??" She grabbed his arm. "Aalis tayo sa ayaw o sa gusto mo."

"Theia, you're bleeding.."

I didn't noticed na may sugat siya sa braso. She was seated beside him before it happened. Nadaplisan din pala siya.

Hinawakan ni Ry yung braso niya at pinunasan agad ng panyo yung dugo.

"Hindi ba dapat sa'yo mo gamitin yan?"

"I'm okay."

"Hanggang kailan mo ba sasabihin na okay ka lang?" Tanong niya. "There's too much blood, Ry."

"Didn't you know?" He said. "Kapag mababaw lang yung sugat, mas mabilis magdugo."

He wrapped the handkerchief on her arm.

"You didn't care at all nung ikaw na yung may sugat, Theia. Why?"

She didn't answer.

"If it was Nathan, you would do the same right? You're bleeding but since all you care about was him, hindi mo napansin na mas malalim yung sugat na meron ka kaysa sa sugat niya."

Her tears started falling.

"Nakailang inom na ko pero nandito parin yung sakit, Theia.." He said while pointing on his chest.

"Hindi ba pwedeng kapag hindi ka mahal, hindi mo narin mahal?" Lumuluha narin si Ry. "Kasi ang sakit lang. Para kang ginagago ng tao. Minamahal mo tapos sinasaktan ka lang."

"Bakit kaya kahit nasasaktan na tayo, kahit sobrang lalim na nung sugat, mahal na mahal parin natin yung tao?"

Ngayon ko lang siya nakitang ganito.

"I did everything, Theia. Pero bakit hindi niya parin ako magawang mahalin?" He asked. "May mali ba sa'kin? May kulang ba sa'kin? Am I not capable of being loved by anyone??"

"Ry, stop.." Sabi niya. "You're capable.."

Bakit kapag nasasaktan tayo, lahat ng masasamang bagay na pwede nating sabihin sa sarili natin, sinasabi natin?

"They broke us but they don't even give a f*ck kung nasasaktan na nila tayo." He said. "Why do we even have to get hurt? Hindi ba tayo pwedeng sumaya? Wala na ba tayong karapatang sumaya?"

I've forgotten how much he loves teddy.

It hurts to watch him suffer this way.

"The day Charm slapped her, galit na galit rin ako sa ginawa niya. When I told her I'll let go, hindi ko matanggap yung sinabi niya. 'Sakin ka parin naman diba?'." He laughed. "She was never mine. She never loved me pero dahil alam niyang mahal ko siya, dapat piliin ko siya?"

Pinunasan niya yung luha ni Theia.

"Tulad ng ginawa ko, hindi mo rin kailangang piliin si Nathan." Sabi niya. "Wag mo siyang piliin kung hindi niya yun magagawa para sa'yo."

You shouldn't do something for someone that wouldn't do the same for you.

Ry is trying to teach her that lesson but the problem is..

Makikinig ba sa kanya si Theia?

"You've fought hard enough and the pain he inflicted was already too much." He said. "Gaano kalalim pa ba yung sugat na gusto mo makuha mula sa kanya?"

Theia cried even harder.

"Can't you just live for us?" Sabi ni Ry. "Gusto ka pa namin makasama and we don't want you to die ng dahil lang sa kanya. You're too precious to lose, Theia."

Nakayakap sa'kin si Charm. Kanina pa siya humahagulgol sa tabi ko and I know that what Ry said was what we all wanted to happen.

For Courts to live.

"Oh bakit nandito kayong lahat?" We all looked up to see Kuya Alec by the door. "May nangyari ba? Bakit umiiyak kayo? Bakit may dugo??"

"Kuya Alec, we were just.." Ry stood up at habang papalapit kay Kuya, unti unti siyang natumba.

"RYANNN!!!"

******