Faking It (Published)

Chapter 28 - Secrets Unveiled.

Kitang kita ni Roxanne kung gaano kasaya si Erah nung makita nya si Raven. She even saw tears ran down her cheeks nung makarga nya na si Raven.

Sinamahan nya si Erah kung nasaan si Raven. People seemed confused, pero ipinaliwanag ni Rex na isinama din nila nung time na iyon ang pangyayari. Alam din pala ni Rex yung tungkol sa kapatid ni Nikko.. the more reason kung bakit pinagkakatiwalaan ito ni Erah.

Actually, habang nasa kotse sila papunta kay Raven, nagkwento si Erah.

"A year before i met Niikko's father, i already gave birth to Astor." She started. She was just looking at her hands. Magkatabi sila ni Erah sa backseat ng kotse. Rex is driving them. "Astor is my son with my ex boyfriend. I did not tell him that i was pregnant when we broke up. I hid Astor in Paris. I let my trusted friend attend to him."

Hindi nagsalita si Roxanne. Mataman lang syang nakikinig.

"Then i met Nikko's father. I never really intend to keep Astor as a secret, pero natakot ako. Lalo na sa pamilya ko. Alam ko na malaki ang chance na maintindihan ako ng papa ni Nikko kung sasabihin ko yung tungkol kay Astor before we marry. But my family doesn't know a thing about Astor. Itatakwil nila ako kapag nalaman nila. Ikakahiya nila ako."

Then Erah paused and looked at her.

"It's the reason why i decided to open a shop in Paris, para may excuse ako para makasama si Astor. Para makita at makasama ko sya. Hindi ako masamang ina."

"P-pero.. sa ginawa nyo po, si Nikko ang nag suffer." Mahinang sabi ni Roxanne. Umiwas sya ng tingin kay Erah.

"I know." She admitted. "I know that now. Palagi ko'ng iniisip na swerte si Nicholas kasi buo kami. He had me, he had his father. Kumpleto kami. Kaya kay Astor napunta lahat ng pag aalaga ko, knowing na hinding hindi ko maibibigay sa kanya yung kung ano man ang meron si Nikko. I thought it was better na mas matutukan ko si Astor."

Erah bit her lips. She seemed to be restarining herself to be emotional.

"But i guess, it didn't work. Astor became entangled with dangerous people in Paris. Nagka affair sila nung anak nung mafia lord sa Paris. I never thought na ganoon na kalala yung problema ni Astor. Si Raven yung bunga noon. I did my best para makuha si Raven, pero tumagal lang sya ng ilang araw sa akin. Nagkagulo. Then the babysitter I hired to attend to Raven vanished. I don't know where i would find her."

"I met her. Doon ko po nalaman at napagbuo yung story nya. I did not believe it at first. She was insisting na anak si Raven ng kapatid ni Nikko. I even thought that she's crazy."

"I understand. Although alam ni Rex yung tungkol kay Astor, hindi nya alam yung tungkol kay Raven. I shoudl have told him, edi sana matagal ko ng alam." She shook her head.

Nakikinig lang si Rex sa kanila pero focus pa rin ito sa pagda drive.

"I don't know how to tell Nikko and his father about Astor and Raven.."

"Sa tingin ko po maiintindihan din nila kayo.. Sa una, baka magalit sila but eventually, maiintindihan nila ang lahat." Ngumiti si Roxanne.

Erah looked at her like she was a ghost. "I'm sorry for the last time we met. I treat you bad."

Umiling iling si Roxanne. "W-wala naman po sa akin yun. Naiintindihan ko naman po kayo. The trught is.. W-wala na po kami ni Nikko. Alam ko po na hindi naman talaga kami para sa isa't isa. Alam ko po yung nararamdaman nyo." Yumuko sya nang sabihin yung huling mga kataga.

"Huh? But why?" Nakit ni Roxanne na nangunot yung noo ni Erah.

She tried to look happy. "I guess, hindi po talaga kami bagay. Naging close lang din naman po talaga kami dahil kay Raven. Wag po kayong mag-alala."