Unchained Hearts

Sabi nila, childhood friends make the best love stories. Pero hindi lahat ng childhood friendship nagtatapos sa happy ending. Gabriel Montreal was once my best friend. My person. My safe place. Lahat ng pangarap ko noon, kasama siya—akala ko hanggang sa huli, magkasama pa rin kami. But I was wrong. "Amber, ayoko. Hindi kita kayang mahalin." His voice was cold, his eyes void of emotion. Parang nawala ang hangin sa paligid ko. My heart pounded painfully against my chest. Hindi... hindi puwedeng ganito. "Pero... bakit?" My voice cracked. "Gab, best friends tayo-akala ko..." Nagpigil siya ng buntong-hininga, tila naiinip sa usapan. "Matagal na kami ni Trixie." I froze. The words hit me harder than I expected. Matagal na? My hands trembled, my breath hitching. So all this time... habang akala ko may chance pa kami, habang kinukumbinsi ko ang sarili ko na baka may nararamdaman din siya... he had already chosen someone else. And just like that, he broke not only my heart but our friendship as well. Nagising na lang ako isang araw na hindi na ako kilala ni Gabriel. Na ang lahat ng pinagsamahan namin, parang hindi na nangyari. And I had no choice but to accept it. Kaya umalis ako. Lumayo. I focused on myself. For three years, I tried to forget. Pero ang tadhana, may malupit na paraan para ibalik ang mga taong gusto mo nang kalimutan. "Magpapakasal kayo ni Gabriel." The words sliced through me like a blade. Everything I built—every wall, every piece of myself I tried to fix—started to crumble. No. This isn't happening. This can't be happening. I thought I had moved on. I thought I had finally escaped the pain. But when I saw him again—his cold eyes filled with hatred, accusing me of something I never wanted—I realized one thing. I never really let go. And maybe... I never will.