Walang may gustong umimik pagkatapos ng lahat ng nangyari. Nakaalis na sina Mr. at Mrs. Madriaga, at sa huli ay naiwan kaming dalawa ni Zed sa loob ng opisina.
“I meant everything I said earlier,” he began in a low voice as he walked toward me.
Halos mabuwal ako sa kinatatayuan ko, the weight of his words pressing harder than I expected. Pinilit kong salubungin ang mga mata niya, searching for something—an anchor, a truth, maybe even a lie. Pero ang nakita ko lang ay kung gaano katotoo ang emosyon na nandoon.
My eyes began to sting, warmth gathering before I could stop it. “I-I don’t know what to say,” garalgal kong sagot, halos pabulong.
Zed stopped just a breath away, close enough na ramdam ko ang init ng presensya niya. His hand hovered for a moment near my arm—halos parang gustong
