Unedited
25. Truth
Silence enveloped us upon arriving in my unit. True to his words, Ethan came here with me. I am so thankful for that as I really needed his support.
"So, ano na?" My sister suddenly asked. She is sitting on the one seater couch here in our living room.
Few minutes ago after we arrived here, Summer appeared on my doorstep. Same with Ethan's friends. I don't know how I feel right now. But I'm grateful for them as I know they're here to support me.
I look at her and keep wonder what she is thinking right at this moment.
"What are you thinking, Summer?" Clark told her. He looks so tense while shaking his head. " How can you allowed this to happen? Huh?"
"And what do you want me to do?" Summer fired back at him. Tension filled the air.
"You know she's too young for a relationship!" He frustratingly said. I glance at Ethan to know his reaction. He seems to be thinking so deep by how his forehead creases and his lips in a thin line. His friends seemingly to be attentive by the conversation between Clark and my sister.
"But if she'll have a relationship with you right now, it is fine." My eyes widen. Summer, what are you thinking?! "Is that it?" She smirked confidently.
"Summer!" I blurted out. "What are you talking about? Clark is my bestfriend, not my boyfriend. I pouted. She laughed at my words.
"Oh my gosh!" She is just laughing like there's no tomorrow. "Am I hearing a friendzone here?" She sarcastically commented.
"Shut up!" I can visibly see Clark's angry veins.
"You know what?" Summer became serious all of a sudden. "You put all the blame to me now, huh?" Did I tell anyone of you to go in here? Especially, you." Summer focused her gaze on me.
"Summer..." I tried to say something.
"Yanna, your mouth!" Ethan angrily hushed my sister. "Don't talk to my Snow White that way."
"No." But Summer defied him in which she earned a glare from Ethan. "I am already at peace in here. Then all of a sudden, you'd all barged in and ruined it?" She is shaking her head in dismay.
"I..." Summer is looking at me in an intense way. "I just missed you. Is it bad thing if all I wanted is to be with my sister? To be with you?" Tears started to pooled in my eyes. "I've been longing to be with you. I already told you that the first time we met, after a long years. Summer, you are my only sibling. I love you. Why are you like that?"
"I did not tell you to follow me like a lost puppy." She countered effortlessly.
"Summer, you don't need to say that!" Clark lashed out. "How could you say that to your own sister? What's wrong with you?"
Ethan is holding my hand so tightly but in a comforting way. Then all the tears pooling in my eyes finally gave in. The sadness, the pain, and all the confusing feelings that I have in me right now - did I deserve this?
"Stop crying, my Snow White. You don't deserve this kind of tears." Ethan wiped my tears using his free hand. "I'm here for you." He whispered lovingly.
For the nth time, silence became our console with all the sudden incident. Ethan's friends gave me a symphatetic gazes.
"I'm out of here." Summer, without a blink, find her way out of my apartment. And I am looking her way, hoping that she'll change her mind and go back. But no, again. She just left like that.
"Ethan, Winter, we'll go ahead." Liam told us. I gave him a small smile, being unable to utter words.
"You know what to do." He told Liam and the others but I don't understand what he meant by that.
Then, one by one, his friends gave Ethan a tap on the shoulder and gave me a brief smile while leaving.
"Do you want some rest or grab something to eat? Hmm?" He thoughtfully asks.
"I think a rest will do." I said, leaning my head on his shoulder. I can feel him smiling.
"Then, let's go to your room." He stands up and to my surprise, he carried me like a princess.
But before we can go to my room, Clark cleared his throat, signifying that he wanted to tell something.
"I will wait for you here." Clark said to Ethan with finality. But before Ethan could comment, I butted in.
"Just talk? No violence, please." I begged the both of them.
"Yes, princess." Clark finally gave me a sweet smile. "I promise you." Then, I look at Ethan.
"No violence, Snow White." He said while kissing my hair. "Let's get you to bed now."
I rubbed my eyes as I look at the clock in my bedside table. It said the time is seven in the evening. Then, I have slept the whole afternoon. I look around to find Ethan. I hope he is still here.
As I went down, I can hear some familiar voices. If I am not mistaken, that sounds like my grandfather's voice. I excitedly went my way to him. I have missed him. I heard another voice, it must be Clark.
"Do you think we need to tell her?" That question from Clark made me stop my way to them. Their back are facing me. What could they were talking about? I decided to listen for a while.
"I don't want to hurt her." My grandather said. Who will get hurt?
"But she is already hurting." Clark countered. "Let's tell her the truth. In that way, she will understand why Summer left." I can feel my heart beat. The truth? What is it? I whispered in my mind.
"It will be painful for her if she'll discover that Summer, is not really her true sister." My eyes widen and I feel like my world stops. No, that's not true! I tried to step back and turn my way back to my room. But my body seems to refuse in moving. I closed my eyes as I feel the familiar pain.
"Winter." I heard someone called my name. I open my eyes to see my grandfather looking at me with hurt.
"How long have you been there, princess? Clark asked as I see his face full of worry. He is looking between my granfather and me.
"Summer is not my true sister?" I did not answer his question but this instead.
"My princess, I can explain." My grandfather said.
"I'll leave the both of you for a while." Clark gave me a squeezed on my shoulder and whispered a sorry before leaving us alone.
"Then, please explain. I don't understand anything."
"Summer is the daughter of your mother's half sister." Papa began. "Anabelle, your mother, came from her father's second family. Her father left a family here in the Philippines before marrying Anabelle's mother." This is the first time I am hearing about my Mom's family.
"Her father confessed it and it was not hidden as a secret. Being an only child, Anabelle was longing to have a sibling. So, she begged her father to go in the Philippines and meet her half siblings. She was excited and didn't have any bitter feelings for her father's forst family." Right. My Momma is really an angel.
"So every year, Anabelle always visited her siblings in the Philippines. There are two of them - the eldest is a boy and the young one is a girl." My grandfather took a deep breathe. "To make the story short, one time when Anabelle visited here, she discovered that her half sister was pregnant and the father of her unborn child had runaway. After the child was born, that half sister of her committed a suicide due to depression."
I felt bad all of a sudden for Summer, not having a chance to know her mother.
"The whole family was devasted upon hearing the news, especially your mother." He paused for a while before continuing. "Because of grief, the mother of that half sibling had a heart attack and did not survive. It was really a tough moment. Your mother's half brother, who was the only one left requested a favor."
"What favor?" I ask in a whisper.
"For your mother to take care of Summer." He intensely look at me. "He admitted that he can't take care of Summer at that time. Because he was the only one left, he needed to take care all the business left by their mother. Besides, he also have his own family to take care of. As much as he wanted to, but he really can't. And your mother willingly accepted to have Summer. She have love her, like her own." I nodded. I knew it. She loves Summer.
"Did Summer knew?" I have a feeling but I still wanted to ask.
"Yes." I closed my eyes and I can feel the hurt.
"That is the reason she left?"
"Right."
"How did she know?"
"Summer is an intelligent child. She discovered it by observation and curiosity." He is shaking his head. "She was wondering why she did not look like your father nor your mother. Then, one day she overheard our conversation. That was it."
"Now I understand where she is coming from." My grandfather move forward to hug me.
"I know you will understand. I am sorry for keeping to to you."
"It's okay, Papa." I gave him a smile. "By the way, have you already met Ethan?"
"Oh, that boy?" Before he could answer, Ethan showed up on our doorstep.
"Snow White."
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Hello readers,
I know, it's been a year. I apologize for this super long wait. My laptop was broken. And there were things that had been my focus. I admire all of you for still believing that I'll be updating. Here it is. I dedicate this to all of you!
Thank you for patiently waiting. I hope you enjoy reading.
With much love,
Elle Jacinto
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