Your Highness

XI. FAULT

I clap my hands nang madatnan si Titan papasok ng palasyo. He's heading to the elevator kung saan nasa loob ako at dalawang tao na pamilyar sa akin. They're probably cabinet members.

I could feel their weird gazed at me which made my eyebrow twitch in reflex.

Ibinaba ko ang mga kamay ng matanto na iyon pala ang dahilan...

I straightened my back and held my chin high. So, after weeks of negligency ay papasok na si Senator.

Sa pagkakaalala ko ako iyong nasaksak pero heto at nauna pa akong bumalik sa trabaho kesa sa kaniya.

It took me three weeks to heal, hindi naman malalim iyong sugat and on my fourth week of recovery pinayagan na akong pumasok. One week na akong bumalik sa trabaho at si Titan ngayon lang bumalik.

Ayos, mahaba-haba rin iyong bakasyon niya.

At dahil may sumalubong sa kaniya, sumara na ang lulan naming elevator. Better at mainit pa rin ang dugo ko sa kaniya kasi hindi man lang niya ako kinakausap.

Not to mention na ilang ulit akong nagbalik-balik sa condo niya so he won't feel alone pero wala siyang ginawa kundi tabuyin ako.

Sa ganda kong 'to? Tinataboy? Isang high quality na palay na nga iyong lumalapit pero inayawan pa  ng manok.

Gwapong-gwapo naman siya sa sarili niya masyado. I chuckled darkly.

The lift opened and my long legs strode the way to our office. I returned a smile to those na binabati ako ng magandang umaga.

Hindi na sing dami ng dati ang mga cases na inaaral ko kasi I promised Tatay na hindi ako tatangap ng mga heavy cases hanggat hindi pa nahuhuli iyong sumaksak sa akin. 

Wala daw sa data base iyong sumaksak sa akin kaya nahihirapan silang i-locate. Kudos din sa kaniya ang galing niyang magtago and no identity? Really?

It's either that man came from a powerful clan or could be an agent whatever. Hindi naman namin pupwedeng kasuhan iyong pamilya ng naipakulong kong adik na anak ng negosyante kasi wala naman kaming nakalap na ebidensiya.

But I have a feeling that the suspect is a she. Pero hindi ko pa sinasabi sa kanila...

Pinabayaan ko nalang si Tatay na mag-hire ng shadow guards for my safety. Malamang alam na nong killer na buhay pa ako kaya possible na balikan ako.

Am I scared? Of course. We're talking about my life here.

The only thing that mattered would be, "Would I act scared?" And that's a big fat no.

Never show fear to your enemies. Unless you wanted to lose.

That's the rule.

•••
Malakas kong itinulak si Titan kaya marahas siyang napasandal sa pinto ng banyo.

"You know what irks me the most?"

He tore his gaze off me and angled his face on the left. Hinawakan ko iyon at pinaharap ulit sa akin.

Hindi niya pinansin ang ginawa ko at ibinaling lang ulit ang mukha sa kanang bahagi. I gritted my teeth in annoyance.

Pinisil ko ang tungki ng ilong niya at ibinaling ulit ang mukha niya paharap sa akin.

Ilang linggo na ako nitong hindi kinakausap at tinuturing lang ako ng parang hangin. Damn, daig niya pa iyong bababeng nireregla sa kasungitan.

"Pinakaayaw ko sa lahat iyong taong hindi makatingin ng diretso sa mata ko kapag kinakausap ko. Feeling ko may may tinatago sila sa akin."

Hindi pa rin siya sumagot. Mahabang katahimikan ang namagitan sa amin kaya ako nalang ang nagpakumbaba.

"May problema ka ba?" mahina kong tanong.

"Wala ka na don."

After spatting those words, he pushed and left me dumbfounded. I closed my eyes not in annoyance but to prevent tears from falling.  I did breathing exercises to clear the heaviness I'm feeling.

"I know I have no right to ask this but can you two tell me kung ano iyong problema ni Titan?"

Night came and I ask Cion and Azid to meet me. They know about me and Titan's pretend relationship but nonetheless, we became close.

Siguro dahil nasasabayan ko iyong mga kalokohan nila.

"He's blaming himself for what happened to -

"That's bullshit Cion. You know that's not the case!" I snapped.

At first, I thought he was guilty for what happened to me pero sino bang niloko ko? Alam kong may iba siyang mas malalim na dahilan.

"It's not our story to tell, Van..." I knew they would say this. What do I expect?

Gulong-gulo lang talaga ako kasi okay lang naman kami bago nangyari iyong aksidente. I even remembered him being flirty. What change?

"Fine! Then at least answer this. Am I the reason or is it someone else?"

Hindi sila nakasagot. Or maybe binabalanse nila ang sagot. I need to know my place, I needed answers.

"Come on, if it's not because of me then I would back out and stop bothering him."

Tingin ko kasi ako ang dahilan kung bakit nagkakaganyan siya. Kaya kailangan kong gumawa ng paraan para tulungan siya. Hindi ko na alam.

"It's someone else Van...."

I was lost for words.

Iyon naman pala. Ba't ba apektadong-apektado ako? Naging assumera pa ako fuck.

Tumayo ako and the both of them hold me on each side. Pinalis ko iyong mga kamay nila.

"This is so fuck up. Your so stupid Vana. Stupid."

The reason why he's being like this is because of someone. And that someone is not me. I just assumed because he was not talking to me.

"Van, Titan's really doing his best to find the culprit. He told us he won't talk to you hanggat hindi niya iyon nahuhuli. He blames himself. But things got messy when his first love appeared again. Everytime she appears, Titan lost his shit."

Cion drank his shot as he frustratingly pushed back his hair. Azid, on the other hand, is studying my face after he told me everything.

First love? 

I hated myself how I lowkey like it the past weeks that he's ignoring me. Maybe deep inside I was hoping he had grown feelings for me. Pathetic.

I should have guarded my heart the moment my son warmed me about him. Or maybe the first time we met.

He screams danger then and yet I welcomed him with grace. Who's at fault now, huh?

🎬