CHAPTER SEVEN: DEAL

Lexie's Point of View

Isang linggo na ang lumipas simula nung ibinigay ko ang sarili ko kay Drew Veltrano. And ever since? I've been ghosting him. Hindi ko sinasagot ang calls niya, hindi ko nire-replyan ang texts niya—like, literally acting as if he doesn't exist.

It's not just about avoiding him, though. Sobrang hectic lang ng schedule ko this week. After ng wedding nina Luke at Kyla, wala na akong ibang inatupag kundi ang pag-pack up aat ligpit ng gamit ko. Kasi in a few weeks, I'll be leaving.

I'm moving to NYC.

Kakakuha ko lang ng trabaho bilang curator sa isang art gallery sa New York—something na pinaghirapan ko talaga. And honestly? Sobrang excited ako. Ito na yung fresh start na kailangan ko. Malayo sa past, malayo sa sakit, malayo sa lahat ng humihila sa’kin pababa. Maybe this is exactly what I need para finally maka-move on

At baka malay natin? Baka sa New York ko na mahanap ang tamang tao para sa akin. Wala namang masama if mangyari ‘yon, diba? I'm young, independent, and finally stepping out of my father's shadow. Wala nang pressure, wala nang restrictions. For once, I'll be living for myself.

Napabuntong-hininga ako nang biglang nag-vibrate ulit phone ko. Pag-check ko, another message. At TBH? Di na ako nagulat kung sino.

Drew Veltrano.

"Lunch? My last day in Greece. Flying back to Monte Carlo tomorrow."

Napailing na lang ako bago tinapon ang phone sa kama. Deadma.

Alam kong persistent siya, pero kung iniisip niyang may kasunod pa ‘yung nangyari sa’min nung kasal ni Luke—he’s dead wrong. Wala akong balak ulitin ‘yon. Hindi ko naman pinagsisisihan, pero it was a one-time thing. End of story.

Drew is… complicated.

I mean, let’s be real. He’s rich, good-looking, and ridiculously charming—pero at the same time, reckless, wild, at certified womanizer. Lahat ng babaeng gusto niya, nakukuha niya. He’s the type of guy na hindi mo dapat seryosohin. And me? I’m not that type of girl.

Hindi ko rin gets kung bakit interesado siya sa’kin. Baka weird lang sa kanya na hindi ako tulad ng ibang girls na dinidikitan niya? Maybe he finds me intriguing kasi masyado akong… normal? Ewan. Pero one thing’s for sure—madali rin siyang magsasawa. Lalaking sanay makuha lahat ng gusto niya, and once wala na ‘yung thrill, he moves on.

And besides, mas malala ang isang issue.

Luke.

Pinsan niya ang lalaking matagal kong minahal.

The thought alone makes me want to disappear from the face of the Earth. Paano kung malaman ni Luke? Paano kung malaman niyang after all these years of loving him in silence, I ended up in bed with his cousin? Mas lalo lang akong magiging katawa-tawa sa paningin niya.

Napailing ako at tinuloy ang pag-eempake. I had bigger things to focus on. Ilang boxes na rin ang na-ship pa-New York para pagdating ko doon, naka-set up na lahat. Ayoko nang may iniisip pa.

No baggage. No unnecessary drama.

Just me, my dreams, and a brand-new start.

Gusto lang talaga ni Dad na bumili ako ng bagong gamit para sa apartment ko. Pero kahit anong pilit niya, I insisted on bringing a few things from home. Kahit papaano, gusto ko pa rin ng konting sense of familiarity sa lilipatan kong city.

Habang nag-i-scroll ako sa phone, napangiti ako nang makita ang isang email notification. It was from my favorite designer brand. Finally! Dumating na rin sa wakas ‘yung bag na inorder ko last month. Wala nang isip-isip—binitawan ko lahat ng ginagawa ko and went straight to the mall.

Stuffing my clothes into my suitcase? That can wait.

Pero ang bagong bag ko? Nope.

Mabilis kong kinuha ang purse, phone, at keys bago lumabas ng apartment. Hindi ko mapigilang ngumiti habang nasa biyahe papunta sa boutique. I know some people wouldn’t get it, pero for me, a luxury bag isn’t just a bag—it’s a reward for everything I’ve worked hard for.

Pagdating ko sa high-end boutique sa Luisa World, dinala nila ako agad sa VIP room para kunin ang order ko. And the moment they presented the bag in front of me? Instant love at first sight.

Ang ganda niya. Sobrang perfect.

Gusto ko na siyang gamitin right away, pero pinigilan ko ang sarili ko. Nope, first day of work ko ‘to gagamitin. Kaya matapos ko siyang ma-inspect, I watched them carefully put it back inside its large box before placing it inside a shopping bag with the bold, elegant logo of the brand.

Lumabas ako ng store na parang nasa cloud nine.

Pero habang naglalakad ako past the rows of designer stores, bigla kong na-feel ‘yung urge na mag window shoppinng pa. I mean, I’m already here, right? What’s the harm in checking out a few more stores?

Or at least, that was the plan—until I froze in my tracks.

The smile on my face disappeared. My grip tightened around the shopping bag as I stared at the couple happily strolling down the streets of Luisa World.

Unbelievable.

Ramdam ko ang bigat sa dibdib ko habang pinapanood silang dalawa. Luke and Kyla.

Nagpaalala sa’kin ng isang bagay na pilit kong kinakalimutan—na nandito pala sila sa Lusia for their honeymoon. Na hindi puwedeng lumayo si Kyla dahil delicate ang pregnancy niya. Of all the times na lumabas ako, bakit ngayon ko pa sila kailangang makita?

I should just pretend na hindi ko sila nakita. Should I turn around? Walk away?

Pero hindi ko magalaw ang katawan ko. I just stood there, frozen, habang pinapanood silang sobrang saya.

Then suddenly, everything went dark.

A large hand covered my eyes from behind.

 "You will only hurt yourself even more if you keep on staring at them like that."

Heart, stop beating so fast, please.

Kabisado ko ang boses na 'yon. Mellow, deep, and almost teasing.

Calix Spiridakou.

The same man na pilit kong iniwasan buong linggo.

I tried to remove his hand, pero hindi niya ako hinayaan.

"In a moment," he murmured, his voice low and calm—at hindi niya alam kung paano niya ako mas lalong ginugulo. "I don’t want to see you getting hurt because of their happiness."

I bit my bottom lip, trying to push away the tight feeling in my chest. Eto na naman siya. Sa dinami-dami ng lugar at pagkakataon, bakit nandito na naman siya para iligtas akoo sa sakit.

Maya-maya, dahan-dahan niyang tinanggal ang kamay niya sa mga mata ko.

Napalingon ako sa kanya, narrowing my eyes. "What are you doing here?"