Behind The Bars

Chapter 11

Compliments

"What did I do?!" Reklamo ko sa bestfriend ko nang makapasok kami sa kanyang sasakyan.

Tuluyan na yata akong nahimasmasan dahil sa mga nangyari.

"What was Alonzo doing there by the way?!" Ako, at binalingan ng tingin si Pia.

Hindi siya lasing pero naamoy ko ang alak mula sa kanya. Seryoso lang siya habang pinapaatras ang sasakyan. Binawi ko ang tingin at sinapo ang ulo nang maalala na naman ang paghaharap ni Alonzo at Shawn kanina.

"So, sino ang pipiliin mo?" Biglang tanong niya nang sa wakas ay makalayo kami sa club na yun. Napasinghap ako at hindi makapaniwalang tinignan siya.

"Ano bang klaseng tanong yan, P?" Pag-angal ko.

"I mean, Alonzo wanted you back, he said that right? And that Villaluz clearly likes you. Kaya sino ang pipiliin mo?" Pag-klaro niya. My brows furrowed and I tilted my head to see if she was just messing up with me.

"Hindi nanliligaw sa akin si Shawn or anything like that Pia, and with Alonzo---"

"You're not ready yet?" Pagputol niya.

I bit my lower lip. Natahimik ako sa narinig.

Ano nga ba?

Alonzo and I loved each other before. Kaya nga ako nasaktan nung bumitaw siya dahil mahal ko siya noon. Ngayon, hindi ako sigurado sa nararamdaman ko. I don't know how to figure these out because we just loved and promised each other but we were so busy or maybe we weren't really ready to put a label to whatever it was that we had.

So I'm not really sure what he meant when he said he wanted me back and he would win me back.

For what exactly? For our friendship? For our unlabeled relationship before? To gain my trust back?

"Sabihin mo nga sa akin, Vera, yung totoo nagkakagusto ka na ba sa Shawn na yun? Kasi kung hindi, hindi ka naman maguguluhan ng ganyan. I mean, mali namang pinapapapili kita dahil confusing rin naman ang dalawang yun pero alam mo kilala kita eh." Si Pia at itinuro pa ang mukha ko.

I thought we would go straight to my condo but she stopped the car in front of a coffee shop. Wala ng masyadong tao doon dahil mag a-alas dose na. I took my seatbelts off and stepped out.

Siya na ang nag offer na mag order para sa amin kaya dumiretso na ako sa table sa labas. She returned carrying a tray of two hot coffee and two alcapone. Inilapag niya ito sa table bago umupo sa harapan ko.

"Hindi mo pa ako sinasagot babae." Utas niya habang nilalagyan ng asukal ang kape niya. Napangiwi ako ng makitang sobrang dami ng nilagay niya.

"Bakit ano bang gusto mong marinig?" I asked. She shrugged her shoulders and stirred her coffee.

"The truth." Desidido niyang saad.

I glanced at her and shook my head.

"Honestly, I don't know Pia. Shawn is a friend, alright? And if what you said about him liking me or whatever is true, then I'll take that. But he is not courting me come on." I said, not really answering her question.

Inismiran niya ako habang umiiling-iling pa.

"I was asking if you like Shawn, I wasn't asking you if he's courting you or what."

I heaved a deep sigh and slowly sipped on my coffee.

"Maybe." I confessed. She raised the side of her lips.

Tumahimik kami pareho pagkatapos nun. She would occasionally glance at me and smirk while I keep giving her intense stares.

I suddenly felt the vibration of my phone under the pocket of my jeans. Kinapa ko ito at tinignan.