Chapter 6

He shuts his eyes as soon as he opens them, nearly blinded by the sunlight streaming through his window. It's daytime. Why is it daytime?

Ganun na ba ako kapagod sa nalalaman ko?

Hanggang ngayon ay hindi niya pa rin alam kung ano ang nangyayari. Gulong gulo na siya. Hindi niya kilala si Cass pero kapag kaharap na niya ito ay tila mayroong bagay na naglalapit ng pakiramdam niya sa dalaga.

Kailangan ko na siguro magpatingin sa albularyo.

Bumuntong hininga siya at umayos ng higa. He turns his head to see Cass, her brown hair bunched up in a high bun, arms crossed, an angry expression on her sunburned face.

"Cass?"

Tumingin ito sa kanya at umirap. Biglang kinabahan si Heion sa inasal ng dalaga.

What did I do?

"That's the problem!" she seethes through clenched teeth. Nasabi pala ni Heion ang kanyang nasa isip. Why so careless? Agh! Tumingin sa kanya si Cass at tinitigan siya ng masama. Nagulat siya nang makitang kulay pula ang mata nito. Umiyak ba siya? Bakit?

"You really don't know what you just did. Seriously, hon, how could you? This was important to us!"

Parang may kung anong tumusok sa dibdib ni Heion. Hindi niya alam kung bakit nasasaktan siya kapag nakikitang umiiyak si Cass... lalo na kung siya ang dahilan.

What did I do? What happened?

"I'm sorry." he mumbles. Kahit hindi niya alam kung ano ang kanyang nagawa pero yun lang ang kaya niyang sabihin.

"Sorry? This was our anniversary, hon," she snaps. "Sobrang saya natin sa Bora, then one call -- just one f*cking call from the boss, and..." she lets out a loud exhale and slumps her shoulders. Kitang kita ang lungkot at disappointment sa mukha ni Cass. Gusto niya itong yakapin pero hindi niya magawa.

"God, why do I even bother? It's never going to change. Palagi nalang." she adds bitterly. Hindi alam ni Heion pero nakaramdam siya na may hindi magandang mangyayari sa eksenang ito.

Ngayon ko gustong kainin ng dilim ang buong paligid.

He glances down, instinctively looking for her charm bracelet. Dangling from it are four hearts, a crescent moon, and now a starfish. No snowflake. That was a good sign... for now. Ibig sabihin ay hindi pa nangyayari ang sinabi ni Cass na patungkol sa France.

"The day when I left you."

"It was bad enough wala ka last Christmas because they said they needed you to run ops," she continues, maririnig mo sa boses ang disappointment na nararamdaman. "Then wala ka nung birthday ko. Every birthday ko naman, nasa office tayo nag-ce-celebrate. Pero anniv natin ito, eh!"

Kahit si Heion ay naiinis sa sarili. Hindi niya alam kung paano niya nagagawang saktan si Cass. Paano niya nagagawang unahin ang trabaho kaysa sa mahahalagang okasyon at pangyayari sa buhay ng dalaga.

I'm such an asshole.

"I'm really sorry, Cass." he inexplicably finds himself panicking.  Wala man siyang naaalala tungkol sa dalaga, pero nararamdaman niya na sobrang halaga ni Cass para sa kanya.

He may not know much, but he knows enough to admit that he does not want to lose her. Not even in a dream.

"Seven days in Bora cut down to two, and this is not the first time. Hindi ko na kaya, hon. I'm sorry." Tears start to fall from her eyes as she hugs herself even tighter.

No. Hindi ko gusto ang pupuntahan ng pag-uusap na ito.

Please turn the lights off.

I want to wake up in another dream... a happy one.