The Burning of Summer

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty One

I got rooted from where I'm standing.

Bumilis pang lalo ang paghinga ko. I can feel my chest hurting from the fast and loud beating of my heart. My chest raised up and down as my breath hitched.

Tumahimik bigla ang paligid dahil sa sinabi ng lalaki. Titinitigan ko siya ng sobrang sama. Nasa tamang pag-iisip pa ba ito? Why is he spouting nonsense?

"Woah! I must say, medyo kaka-iba ang kahilingan ninyo Mr. Velasquez!" sambit ng emcee nang makabawi rin sa pagkabigla sa narinig.

Nakipaglaban ako ng titigan kay Reid. Pero hindi ko mabasa kung ano man ang iniisip niya. Sa huli ay ako ang umiwas ng tingin dito at nakangiting humarap sa mga tao.

"I think Mr. Velasquez here is trying to make us all laugh by his joke.." nakangiting sabi ko dahilan kung bakit bahagyang natawa ang mga tao. I faked a laugh too just to ease the awkward tension that's arising.

"Oh it wasn't a joke." he said very darkly.

My mouth fell open.

You have got to be kidding me.

"I'm not sure what to say then.." pilit na pilit ang mga ngiting sabi ko.

"How about saying yes and granting my wish..." his voice sounds so domineering.

Nairita ako sa klase ng pagkakasabi nito. Para bang inuutusan niya ako and that I don't have the right to say no.

Wala sa sariling napatingin ako sa lamesa kung nasaan ang mga magulang ni Reid. They are smiling widely, like they are actually supporting their son. Na parang tuwang tuwa sila sa nangyayari ngayon.

The hell!

"If I say yes, are you sure there won't be someone to pull my hair or slap me in the face?" sarkastikong sabi ko sa kaniya. "Don't you already have someone to have a date with?"

Mas lalong umigting ang panga niya sa sinabi ko ngunit matapang akong tumingin sa kaniya.

That's right, you don't scare me.

"Just say yes!" I heard someone shouted.

Nang lingunin ko ay isa sa lamesa kung nasaan sila Pierre nanggaling ang boses na iyon.

Why are they making this look like a love story? This clearly isn't. This is obviously something that is unacceptable to society.

How can he ask me out on a date just like this? Like he's not married at all? Hindi ba siya kinikilabutan sa mga pinaggagawa niya?

And what about his parents? What are they thinking?

I sighed deeply.

"I'll say yes but only because I already said that I will do it if I can, and I obviously can." I said with finality.

I feel like I'm bending my morals by saying yes. But I also don't know how to take my word back. Na-una ko na kasing sinabi na kung kaya kong gawin ay gagawin ko.

I don't know what happened next. I just know that after all that, I decided to leave our own party. I have to. I don't want to see his face again. And if Dad found out that I agreed to go on a date with a married man, I don't think that he'll just let it pass so easily.

I'm so damned!

It's three days after the party. And I've been hiding from Reid those past days.

"Pumayag payag ka tapos ngayon magtatago ka!" puna ni Zydney habang nakahiga ako sa kama niya at nasa sahig ito habang may ginagawa sa laptop.