Conquering Love over Lust

Kabanata 53

I saw Ivana walking towards me. Nakita na niya ako kaya kahit parang gusto niyang magtago, napilitan siyang huminto sa harapan ko. She ignored my calls. Ang dami niyang rason para iwasan ako and I caught her lying again. I never expect her to initiate the kiss. 

I wast left shocked when she get inside my car. I felt my heart race in an unusual pace. Weird thing for a guy like me. She's really full of surprises. 

Napabuntong-hininga ako bago pumasok sa kotse. I don't like the idea that she's making me giddy inside. Pinapasok niya ako sa apartmet niya. Hindi ko alam kung matutuwa ako dahil maisasagawa ko ang plan A o makokonsensya dahil nagsisinungaling ako sa kanya.

She's messing with your cousin's married life... paalala ng isang bahagi ng utak ko. 

And that is enough reason for me to continue the plan. Lavish her with gifts, make her fall in love, make her dump Giovanni, then I'll dump her in the end. I should stick with that plan. Kung noon, naawa pa ako sa kanya dahil akala ko siya ay biktima lang din. She's not blind. She's not a victim at all.

After I found out that she knows that Giovanni is getting married but she still keeps her relationship with him, that's pure bullshit! Walang matinong babae ang papatol sa lalaking committed na sa iba.

I tried to pursue her without extravagant gifts baka kasi madali lang siyang ligawan. Bola-bola lang. Women get swayed easily by words. Sabi nga ni Jonas, pick-up line lang, kinikilig na sila. Pero matibay ang paninindigan niya na ayaw niya sa akin. Na hindi siya madadala ng panliligaw ko kahit gwapo pa ako. 

Ni hindi nga niya alam kung gaano ko pinipigilang mapa-facepalm everytime na babanat ako sa kanya ng cheezy and mushy things. Whew! Nakakanindig-balahibo! That wasn't my style! I can easily attract women without even talking.

"Look out of your window." Utos ko pero hindi siya gumalaw. Hinila ko ang isang kamay niya papunta sa tapat ng bintana ng apartment niya. Binuksan ko ang glass window. I saw how her lips parted when she saw the bouquet- not an ordinary bouquet of flower but a bouquet of Lambhorgini. But to my surprise, she's not even apprecaitive about the gift. She doesn't want to accept it but I insisted.

Hindi ko alam kung magsasaya ako dahil napatunayan kong hindi siya ganoon ka-materialistic. If she's not keeping up with Giovanni because of the materials he can provide for her then, what else? Or is she just acting?

 Sa ilang buwan na nakakasama at nakakausap ko siya, it is so easy for her to fake reactions. Madalas kong mapuna kung paano niya pigilan ang sarili na ngumiti para manatiling poker face and so on. She's expressive, frank and direct to the point though. But I don't know how genuine she was.

Could it be that she's really in love with Giovanni that she accepted the guy's situation? What a selfless love. Damn Giovanni for making her the other woman. No woman deserves to be the other woman. Galawang gago lang.

Mas lalong tumibay ang hinala ko nang dumating si Giovanni pagkatapos naming kumain that night. I saw how worried she was that she panicked when I told her that I want the man to see us together. Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ni Giovanni sa kanya once he find out she's seeing another guy. Will he hurt her? Throw her out? Naawa ako kay Ivana kaya nang gabing iyon, nagpatianod ako sa kagustuhan niyang itago ako sa silid niya.