My Professor's Secret

Kabanata 24

"Who are you really?" bigkas ko

Silence stretched between us. Hindi man niya sabihin sa akin, napapansin kong parang nahihirapan siyang sagutin ang tanong ko. Sobrang hirap ba ng tanong ko?

"I don't know anything about you. You are my boyfriend and yet you are too secretive." dagdag kong salita

He swallowed hard and released a deep sigh. "I'm a wealthy man, that's all I can say."

Bumagsak ang aking balikat. "Yun lang?"

"Baby..." hinawakan niya ang aking pisngi. "When the right time comes, I'll tell you everything about me. Sa ngayon, ayaw kong biglain ka."

"Bakit? May dapat ba akong ika-bigla?" mabilis kong tugon

"I may be soft when it comes to you but I am heartless when it comes to managing life my way." seryoso niyang wika

Kumunot ang aking noo, hindi ko masyadong naintindihan ang kanyang sinabi. What is he trying to imply?

"So please... try to understand." may pakikiusap sa kanyang boses.

Gosh, paano ko ba matatanggihan ang isang ito?

Unti-unting sumilay ang isang ngiti sa aking labi. "Okay, I understand. I respect your sense of privacy. But..." nanliit ang aking mata

Tumaas ang kanyang kilay, urging me to continue my statement.

"What you did to Ara was wrong. It's too much. Pinagsisihan niya na ang ginawa niya–"

"How did you even know this? Did that bitch told you? Dapat pala tinakot ko–"

Tinampal ko siya. "Kung hindi pa siya nagsumbong sakin hindi ko malalaman ang ginawa mo!"

"And did she convinced you to–"

"Yes! Dahil mali ang ginawa mo."

Mariin siyang napapikit habang hinihilot ang kanyang sentido. I think he's getting annoyed now that I'm always cutting off his sentence.

"Tigilan mo na siya. You can bring her back her scholarship, right? And she told me you ruined her name, you better fix this out. Siguro makakabuti na ibalik mo na rin siya sa school–"

Now he was the one who cut me off this time.

"No" salubong ang kilay niyang saad

Tumalim ang aking tingin sa kanya. "What?"

"You are making me undo what I have done already. Kapag ginawa ko ang gusto mo, lalabas akong loko-loko. I'm not fond of playing around, baby. I will not do a damn thing then undo it right after." may pinalidad sa kanyang sinabi

"But what you did to her is wrong! Sobra ang ginawa mo sa kanya. She's already sorry for it. Atsaka hindi lang siya ang apektado kundi pati ang pamilya niya. Look, she came from a poor family–"

"Then she should have been more careful with her actions. She acted like a reckless desperate whore. This is the circumstances of her doing and she must be responsible for it. Don't be too kind, baby. They'll use that as an opportunity against you."

Napayuko ako at malalim na napaisip dahil dito. I heard him calling me but I didn't move a single inch and remained silent.

"Baby..."

Still, there's no respond from me. Isang malutong na mura ang kanyang pinakawalan bago siya muling nagsalita.

"Fine, pagbibigyan kita. I don't want you upset just because of this."

Napatingin ako sa kanya. Gumuhit ang ngiti sa aking labi. "Really?"

Tumango siya, mukhang napipilitan. "Pero hindi ko siya ibabalik sa eskwelahang pinapasukan mo. She'll need to find another school to enroll herself in. Hindi ko hahayaang makalapit siya sayo."