A SWEET smile spread across Leo’s face as he stepped out of the car. His mother immediately greeted him and pulled him into a hug. He smiled as he hugged her back—it had been a while since he last saw her.
“Good thing you’re here now, hijo,” his mother said. “Your brother can’t stop asking me if you’re coming or not.” He laughed at that.
“Didn’t I promise him I’d come to his wedding?” he replied, and his mother simply smiled and shrugged.
“Leo! I’m glad you finally decided to attend my wedding with Nikki!” Enzo exclaimed as soon as he saw him, pulling him into a hug.
Enzo was his stepbrother. His mother had remarried six years after his father passed away from illness. It hadn’t been difficult for Leo to accept Enzo and Uncle Albert—they were both kind people. He and Enzo had also gotten along quickly since they shared the same interests and were the same age.
Enzo’s mother had died in a vehicular accident when he was thirteen—that was what Leo had learned from his family. Enzo’s younger sister had also died in that same accident.
“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Leo said with a smile. His upcoming wedding was the reason he came back to the Philippines from the United States. “Speaking of the wedding, are you really sure about your decision? You still have time to back out,” he teased, earning a playful punch on the arm from Enzo.
Three years ago, Enzo met his girlfriend—now fiancée—when he went on vacation to the Philippines. After their parents got married, their family migrated to the United States. Enzo went with them—except for Leo. Back then, the woman he loved most was still here—the one he thought was his everything. But she was no longer part of his life.
Don’t go there, he warned himself. Stop thinking about those painful memories. It was his silent way of punishing himself.
A tap on the shoulder brought him back to the present.
“Come on, let’s head inside,” Enzo said. “If you happen to like any of Nicole’s bridesmaids, just let me know, okay?”
Leo laughed. But seriously, that was the last thing on his mind.
“IS THIS a royal wedding or what?” Brenna commented, grinning as she turned to face her. They were sharing a room in a large beach house owned by their friend Nicole’s fiancé, where the beach wedding would be held a week from now. The beach house was in Sta. Ana, and since both she and Brenna were bridesmaids, they were staying there.
“Calling it a royal wedding is a bit exaggerated. Nicole’s just marrying someone really rich,” Karma replied.
Brenna happily jumped onto the soft bed and rolled around on it. “Do you think Enzo has a brother? Because if he does, can I have him?” she said, laughing at her own joke.
“Why don’t you just ask Nicole?”
Her friend suddenly sat up and gave her a sweet smile. “Oh, right. Why don’t I ask Nikki?” she said before heading straight for the door.
Karma’s jaw dropped. “I thought you were joking!” she called after her, but Brenna only laughed before closing the door. Shaking her head, Karma went back to arranging her clothes in the built-in closet.
Truth be told, Brenna had been her only real friend since college. Nicole and Brenna were workmates and also shared an apartment building. Brenna had decided to rent a place close to their office, since she was a department head at a private company. Nicole had the same job, just in a different department. As for Karma, she was an interior decorator and also rented a place near her workplace. She met Nicole through Brenna, since she would occasionally visit her. Nicole was friendly, so it was easy for them to get along.
“Oh my!” Brenna exclaimed as she burst back into the room. She held both cheeks, her eyes shining with excitement as she looked at Karma. “Enzo has a brother—he’s in the kitchen. He’s super handsome, tall, and my goodness, so freaking hot!” To prove her point, she fanned herself dramatically with her hands.
Karma couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s behavior. She tossed the blouse she was holding, and it landed right on Brenna’s face. “Are you even sure that’s Enzo’s brother?”
“Of course! I heard Enzo call Mr. Handsome ‘brother.’”
“What’s his name?”
Brenna paused for a moment, then grimaced. “I didn’t catch his name. I ran away before Enzo and Nicole could even introduce him to me.”
Karma laughed again. “What? Why would you run?”
Brenna scratched her head. “Because he’s just that handsome.”
Karma shook her head as Brenna threw the blouse back at her. It hit her face, but she kept laughing anyway.
“Go ahead, keep laughing. Let’s see if you won’t run too once you see him.”
Karma quieted down, though a suppressed smile still lingered on her lips. “I’m not the type to run just because I see a handsome guy. And besides, I don’t think anyone could be that handsome.”
Brenna rolled her eyes. “Don’t say that so confidently.”
“It’s true,” Karma replied with a shrug.
“Hah! You’ll end up eating your words,” Brenna said. “He’s seriously so handsome, Karm. I’m not joking. He even looks familiar—like Ben Barnes.” She laughed, and Karma couldn’t help but laugh too. They both adored the British actor.
“Shut up. No one can compare to Ben, my love.”
Her friend laughed again. “Hurry up and finish putting your things away so we can go downstairs and you can finally see Mr. Handsome.”
And so she did—but not to see Enzo’s brother like Brenna suggested. She just wanted to rest. But resting didn’t seem to exist in her friend’s vocabulary, because Brenna pulled her out of the room anyway. She just went along with it, though she told herself that if they reached the kitchen and no one was there, she’d go straight back to the room to rest.
She heard laughter coming from the kitchen, and Brenna glanced at her, giving her a wink. Suddenly, she felt nervous and she didn’t know why. Her heart started pounding loudly in her chest. Something inside her mind was screaming at her to turn back, to return to her room and not step into the kitchen. But because she couldn’t understand what she was feeling, she didn’t turn away.
Until she found herself inside the kitchen.
And the first face she saw was a familiar one that made her do a double-take. Then recognition struck—and she gasped. Her knees suddenly felt weak, and she leaned against the doorframe for support. The room fell silent, and she noticed everyone staring at her.
But there was only one pair of eyes she could see.
His dark eyes.
All the happy moments they shared came rushing back to her. The days he made her heart flutter even in the simplest ways. The times he made her smile even when she wasn’t in the mood. The moments he would massage her feet after a long day of wearing high heels. The weekends he visited just to watch chick flicks with her. The days he accompanied her on shopping trips without ever complaining about how long she took. The times he would be affectionate, kissing her neck even though he knew it was her weak spot.
And most of all, she remembered the day he broke her heart.
Karma took a deep breath. The pain came flooding back as if it had only happened yesterday. There was nothing she wanted more than to leave—and that’s exactly what she did. She heard him call her name, but she ran, not looking back, and returned straight to her room.