Chapter 1
"Ash.. l-lets break up."
Mabilis, diretso at puno ng pait ang boses ang tinig ni Hugh nang sabihin niya ang mga katagang ito.
"Anong sabi mo Hugh?' napabaling ang atensiyon ng dalaga sa kanya. "U- ulitin mo nga ang sinabi mo?" nagulat na tanong pa nito. She must be wondering bakit naman biglang bigla ay makikipag - break siya rito.
Minsan pang napabuntunghininga ang binata. "I said lets break up."
Nagtatakang tumingin si Ashley sa kanya. Umiwas naman siya ng tingin ngunit hindi pa nakaligtas sa paningin ni Ashley ang pagkislap ng sulok ng mata niya. He truly loves her. Damn! Mahal niya si Ashley. Ipinaglaban niya ito sa lahat. Iwanan man siya ng mga fans nila ni Kristel, balewala sa kanya. Only solid Hugh fans stayed.
"You know how much I love you Ashley. Kaya lang this relationship will not work anymore. At first in denial pa ako. Because we shared so much love before. Pero nag - iba. Mahal kita Ash pero alam kong mahal mo siya. So I have to set you free."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't deny it Ash. I can feel it. You love that guy, Zanjoe. Since umalis siya, parang nawala ka na rin sa sarili mo. Lagi kang nag i space - out. Masakit para sa akin. Mahirap. And now I'm setting you free. Let me do it."
Malinaw na nakikita niya sa mukha ng dalaga ang hirap ng kalooban at simpatya sa kanya. Alam niyang hindi nito kayang saktan ang damdamin niya ngunit it hurts him more seeing her this way.
Tumango na lamang ito sa kanya without saying anything.
Pinilit niyang ngumiti sa dalaga upang ipakitang okay lang siya. Naglahad ng kamay. "Friends?"
Lumapit pa siya sa dalaga. Tumango ito at mabilis na yumakap nang mahigpit sa kanya. Nagpapasalamat ito sa pang unawa niya sa nararamdaman nito.
"Yes. Friends. Thank you Hugh."
Naramdaman niya ang pagpatak ng luha nito sa balikat niya. And for the last time, he kissed her on her head.
"Let Me Be The One"
JIMMY BONDOC
Somebody told me you were leavin'
I didn't know
Somebody told me you're unhappy
But it doesn't show
Somebody told me that you don't want me no more, no
So you're walkin' out the door
Nobody told me you've been cryin'
Every night
Nobody told me you'd been dyin'
But didn't want to fight
Nobody told me that you fell out of love from me
So I'm settin' you free
Let me be the one to break it up
So you won't have to make excuses
We don't need to find a set up where
Someone wins and someone loses
We just have to say our love was true
But has now become a lie
So I'm tellin' you I love you one last time
And goodbye
Somebody told me you still love me
I don't know why
Nobody told me that you only
Needed time to fly
Somebody told me that you want to come back when
Our love is real again
Let me be the one to break it up
So you won't have to make excuses
We don't need to find a set up where
Someone wins and someone loses
We just have to say our love was true
But has now become a lie
So I'm tellin' you I love you one last time
And goodbye
Just turn around and walk away
You don't have to live like this, no, no
But if you love me still then stay
Don't keep me waiting for that final kiss
We can work together through this test
Or we can work through it apart
I just need to get this off my chest
That you will always have my heart
Let me be the one
Let me be the one to break it up
So you won't have to make excuses
We don't need to find a set up where
Someone wins and someone loses
We just have to say our love was true
But has now become a lie
So I'm tellin' you I love you one last time
And goodbye
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