"If tomorrow comes and I forget about this, and I forget about you, will you still love me?"
Yesterday. Love. Nothing else matters to Lee Gabriel than Odyssey Lee. If love was a manifestation, iyon ay ang pag-ibig ni Lee. At unti-unti rin yong naram...
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July 13, 2019
"A-ate Ericka?"
Lois Ericka grimaced at Lee's address to her as if hindi nito matanggap na tinawag siyang ate.
"Huwag mo na akong i-ate."
Tumaas ang kilay ni Lee. She still can't understand if Ericka wants to continue being so vague in this charade. Pero pagod na siya. Ilang araw na siyang kulang sa tulog kaya naapektuhan na rin nito ang disposisyon niya.
"Okay. Ericka." Lee finally ditched the respective address.
Ngumiti ang kaharap.
"Ayun... lalabas din pala ang tunay na kulay."
"Hindi kasi kita maintindihan. If you have any problems with me, sabihin mo po ng diretso at hindi 'yung naghuhulaan tayo."
"Sinabi ko na na hindi ba? Please do not destroy this family."
Lee felt her heart lurched. Destroy? This family? She was suddenly on her guard.
"Tell me, why did you seduce your way into this family?"
"Seduce?"
"Oh c'mon? 'Wag na tayong magpaikot-ikot."
"Ikaw 'yung nagpapaikot-ikot!" Lee had enough.
Ibinato ni Ericka ang isang notebook sa direksyon ni Lee. Isa lang ito sa mga dala-dala nito nang lumabas mula sa kwarto ni Perci.
Dinampot 'yun ni Lee. She knew what exactly is in her hands. It was her very first birthday gift for Perci. Siya pa mismo ang nagpa-personalize ng pangalan nito doon sa Moleskine grid na 'yun kaya imposibleng hindi niya makilala.
She can't believe it's still here. Halos hindi nagbago ang itsura. Kung hindi niya siguro nakita na may mga laman itong sulat kanina nang bumagsak ito ay baka napagkamalan niyang hindi ito ginamit ni Perci.
"You didn't know that he liked you, too?"
"What?"
"Perci likes you." Ericka said matter-of-factly.
"N-no way." Lee repulsed the idea. Batang kapatid ang turing niya dito and she never ever felt any malice every time they are together.
"Or maybe, you tried to seduce him, too. Maybe, you liked the attention of people liking you so you seduce everybody."
"Anong sinasabi mo?!" Lee is extremely hurt by her words kahit na parang wala naman itong sense. It's like Ericka is throwing random words at her dahil wala naman itong pinagbasihan ang mga sinasabi nito sa kanya. "Hindi mo alam sinasabi mo."
"Bakit hindi mo basahin 'yan? Tapos isunod mo ang mga ito."
Tumingin si Lee sa hawak niyang notebook, pati na rin sa mga hawak din ni Ericka.
