2

"Feeling ko makikita nanaman natin ang bad side ni Ice kapag napatunayang nagchecheat yang si Amber" sabi ni Stacey sa kalagitnaan ng aming byahe papuntang Cebu.

"or maybe baka mas kumapal pa ang coldness niya if that happens" sabi naman ni Daniel. Tahimik lang ako dahil iniisip ko parin bakit ako sumama dito.

"Don't bet on what I might do. If totoong nagchecheat si Amber, at least bet kung hanggang kelan ako magmomove-on. If you're both wrong, kailangan niyo akong regalohan ng kotse at babae"

Tumawa ang mga kaibigan ko pero nanatili akong seryoso. There's no need to move-on kase alam ko at matagal ko ng alam na ginagamit lang ako ng girlfriend ko. Sumang-ayon lang naman ako na kitain si Amber to get closure kahit na never akong nakaramdam ng care sa kanya. I just can't tell kung anong magagawa ko once malaman ko na may iba siya.

Malapit na kami lumapag ng tumawag si Pamela friend ni Amber. Niloud speaker ko para marinig nung dalawa.

"Yes Pam?"

"I think hindi mo na kailangang tumuloy? eh k-kasi"

"Pam, we are already here. Bring your friend now para makaalis na kami agad" -Daniel

"The thing is.. kasama niya si Richard, pupunta sila sa Resto bar ng Malig"

"who the hell is Richard?" -Stacey

"Well he's been courting Amber for a month now.."

"Puntahan ka nalang namin and then sundan natin ang girlfriend ko" sabat ko.

"Another thing is, kasama ko si Alexa"

"at sino naman yan? girlfriend ni Richard?" -Stacey

"Ahh, ano kase. Alexa is Amber's girlfriend, mas nauna pa kay Ice" nandilim ang mga mata ko sa narinig ko, so she's been fooling me all the time.

Ramdam ko ang pag-aalala ng mga kaibigan ko sa sinabi ni Pamela, I ended the call ng nasabi na ni Pamela kung san kami magkikita-kita. Hindi ko mapigilang magalit, I clenched my fist and tried to stay calm.

Resto Bar 9:30 PM

Watching my girlfriend having a sweet dinner with a guy pains me, and it is more painful to be watching the same scene at the same time with the girl that's been truelly loved by my girlfriend.

"So how long have you been together?" i spoke to Alexa while the two is busy reserving a table next to Amber and the guy.

"Matagal na kami, she courted me when we we're in second year and now 4th year na kami. Make the count" she answered with a smile, a shy one.

"Sorry, hindi ko alam na may girlfriend siya when I courted her. Ni minsan wala siyang nabanggit sakin" now it's clear. Kaya siya tanong ng tanong about me para maiwasan na magtanong ako sa kanya.

"Hindi mo naman kasalanan yon. Ako nga ang dapat magsorry kase nalaman ko kay Pamela na wala pala talagang trabaho si Amber at ikaw nagbibigay ng panggastos niya. She's using that money to give everything I need" -Alexa

at least hindi niya ginagamit sa lalaki niya, I said in the back of my mind. After a few minutes in-escort na kami ng waiter sa table sa likuran ng guy. Sinadya naming dumaan sa side para mapansin kami ni Amber. Nagpanguna sina Stacey at Daniel at sabay kami ni Alexa, sinadya kong hawakan siya sa kamay ng makita kong titingin na si Amber sa amin. I saw her surprised look. I escorted Alexa hanggang sa makarating kami sa table, I even pulled a chair for her and make sure she's in comfort bago umupo sa tabi niya. I gave a glance to where Amber is seating and she seems pissed off? jealous? scared? neither of the three.

After eating, Alexa excused herself para pumunta sa washroom nagpaalam din ako para samahan na siya. Alam kong sasama rin si Amber, mabuti na yon para magkaharap-harap narin kaming tatlo.

"sorry for holding your hand awhile ago" I was about to continue but she kissed me in the lips saktong bumukas ang pinto and saw Amber in shock.

"how dare you kiss my girlfriend!" she came rushing towards and slap me real hard.

"how dare you slap your other girlfriend after you used her?" Alexa answered as she check my cheek.

"how painful it is to see me kissing her?" I smirked and pulled Alexa's hands and guided her to my back.

" how painful it is to see me holding her hands?" Pinilit niyang abutin si Alexa pero maski siya ay inilalayo ang sarili kay Amber. With using too much force I stepped aside dahilan para sumubasob siya sa sahig I let Alexa walk out first kaya naabotan ako ni Amber. She pulled my hair, luckily Alexa's holding my hand kya hindi ako natumba. She pulled me para magkapalit kami ng pwesto at masampal niya si Amber.

"I'm the one who kissed her, so stop this. Besides, I'm not your girlfriend anymore. Quit it and go back to that dickhead you're dating with" Alexa pulled me pero I stand still. I don't wanna leave the one I love like this kaya pinauna ko nalang siyang bumalik sa table namin.

Nilapitan ko siya at umupo sa harap niya. I saw her cry and it pains me. Nilabas ko ang panyo ko and wiped it myself.

"Yes you used me pero I love you, so I'm not leaving you like this" I held her hands and continue talking "Don't you know I longed to do this? To hold this hand, to be sitting this near to you, to be talking to you?" she started crying more saying sorry between her sobs "I didn't wish to see you crying but now I'm seeing it. I always wanted you to be happy that whatever you asked I'll give it to you at any cost" I started crying too luckily Alexa turned the 'out of order' sign before she leave so no one's entering the comfort room.

"I didn't expect you do this to me but I can't hate you. Yes it pains me pero hanggang dun lang yon." Every words I'm saying is true, the Ice that I have melts to this girl lalo na ng yakapin niya ako "I always dream of you hugging me and now you really are hugging me. So this is how it feels. Thank you" I said with a bitter smile. Kumalas ako sa pagkakayakap niya at tumingin sa mga mata niya.

"You really have a good pair of eyes, kaya wag kang iyak ng iyak. Take good care of yourself always. I loved you" I gave emphasis to the word loved, I promised myself to end this as soon as I saw it with my own eyes.

"I'm leaving in an hour, put yourself together. I don't wanna leave Cebu hangga't ganyan ka. We'll drop you home. You and Alexa"

Hindi na kami muling nag-usap pa ni Amber hanggang sa makababa siya sa tapat ng bahay nila.

"Hindi mo manlang ba siya ihahatid hanggang sa pintuan ng bahay nila Ice?" -Daniel

"What? Alexa should be doing it she's the ex" I answered coldly.

"Whoaaaa! Our Ice is back to being the Ice queen. Wait you're both Amber's Ex, titled at the same day"

"Just shut up Stacey"

Alexa's House 11:00 PM

Alexa ask me to wait a little bit, may kukunin lang daw siya that belongs to me. Hindi na sana ako magistay but Daniel have a sudden stomachache kaya no choice. I was in the side of the road leaning at the car, waiting for the three to come out of that freaking house.

Lumabas si Alexa hawak ang isang katamtaman ang laking box.

"These are the things Amber bought me with your money. Take it" she smiles while handing me the box.

"I don't have to take it. I gave the money to her so that means it is her money. She gave these to you so it means these are yours"

"Ohh in that case, uhmm. about the kiss?"

"What kiss?" -Stacey

"Wait, don't tell me Ice kissed you? Oh dude, you learned that from me ey? I'm such a good mentor" binatukan ko si Daniel for telling such things infront of them. Baka isipin nila Daniel kisses me and I learned from that but that's a big no no no. I'm not into boys, really.

"I understand, don't feel sorry. We have to leave classes will start early tomorrow. Go inside, the road is dangerous for girls like you" and Alexa turned her back to us after waving goodbye, so this really is it. I learned the truth and I met the original. Too much things happened tonight, I think we must leave.

"So kayong dalawa, what's your bet?"

"I bet a brand new car of your choice, you'll move-on in just weeks" -Daniel

"I bet the pretty girls I knew, you'll move-on in a month" -Stacey

"Looks like I have a brand new car on my birthday and new chic every week starting tomorrow ey. I already move-on a month ago, a closure is all I want here." Tumawa ako ng makita ang hindi makapaniwala nilang reaksiyon.

No matter how stressful the day is, as long as I have awesome friends with me, I'm not alone.