Page 7 of The Fallacy of True Love
My landlady was sitting at the small dining table, her head bent as she studied a sheet of paper.
“Hi, Inang.” I raised my voice so she could hear me. “Everything okay?”
“Electricity bills are going up.”
“Again?” They’d just increased prices three months ago, and it hadn’t been a minor change either.
Inang sighed. “Do you know anyone who might want to rent the spare room?”
“I can ask around. How much do you need for now?” Giving her extra money would mean having to cut back on spending, but I should be able to make up for it once I landed new projects.
Shaking her head, she frowned at me. “You already pay more than your share. Just see if you can find a tenant for the spare room. I prefer someone who can stay for at least a year, but I’m open to short-term guests too.”
“Got it. I’ll check.” I decided to add a cash envelope to the groceries I’d planned to gift her for Christmas. “I’m meeting Nikki. Do you want me to get you anything?”
“No, thanks. Have fun.”
Despite the smile she gave me, worry lines remained etched on her forehead. I wondered if there was more she wasn’t telling me, but I didn’t want to press. I could only focus on one problem at a time. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t try to help.
I’d planned to go straight to Cuppa Jo, but I’d missed out on three days of water time. And with money issues creeping up on me, I needed an escape—temporary though it was. Besides, Nikki needed time to cook. I could take a quick dip and get to her with minutes to spare.
Mind made up, I headed out to my favorite place in the world.
Chapter Four
Alonzo
As expected, Luna and Gabe’s arrival brought with it plenty of embraces, laughter, and tears—the latter courtesy of Mama and Luna herself. Our family didn’t have fancy meals often, but we’d booked a private room at a nice restaurant to make the welcome celebration extra special. Unfortunately, the emotions of the day seemed to be too much for our mom, who had already been tired from her shift at the hospital. She and Papa ended up excusing themselves after dessert, leaving us siblings with Jason and Gabe.
“This still feels so surreal,” Luna said as she looked around everyone gathered at the table.
“You were here two Christmases ago,” I reminded her as I checked my phone again. Still no message from Dani. Stomach clenching, I shoved down my disappointment and tried to focus back on my sister.
“Yeah, but that’s different. Gabe wasn’t with me,” Luna said. “We weren’t even together then.”
“And look at you two now.” Tala, my eldest sister, grinned at Luna and Gabe. “What did I tell you, Gabe?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I already told you that you were right.”
“It’s still satisfying to hear it again.”
Tala’s boyfriend Jason put his arms around her shoulders. “And you say I’m the competitive one.”
“I’m not competitive. I just like getting one up on this guy.” Tala nodded at Gabe, who gave no reaction.
That was, until Luna poked a finger into his chest. He smiled then—a small curve of his lips that should have been unremarkable if not for the accompanying warmth in his eyes. If there was a perfect embodiment of a guy head over heels in love with his partner, it was Gabe.
“He doesn’t look too torn up about it,” Jason drawled, earning a narrow-eyed look from Tala. “Just kidding, Tal.” He kissed her forehead, and I had to amend my statement.
There were two whipped men around the table, and they didn’t seem to care who knew it.
When my sisters moved to the United States, the plan was for them to earn their college degrees, get well-paying jobs, and hopefully become citizens so they could bring the rest of us there too. Tala had gone ahead, and then Luna joined her, leaving me alone with our mom while our dad worked in the UAE.
Three years ago, Tala returned to Manila the same month that Papa did, and in the biggest surprise of the century, her college friend turned freaking NBA star Jason retired from basketball and followed her here. Meanwhile, Luna was busy falling in love with Tala’s best friend Gabe, who happened to be a professor at her college back then.
To say my life was boring in comparison was an understatement.
Sometimes I wondered what would have happened if I had taken that path too.
