I Will Have You

Chapter 9

I WILL HAVE YOU
By: MsSongsari23

Chapter 9:

WHEN I WALKED OUT, it was Leo who followed me and drive me home. He didn't say anything throughout the whole drive. Tahimik lang niya akong ipinag-drive pauwi sa amin.

Nang huminto sa tapat ng gate namin ang sasakyan ay namataan ko agad kambal na kinukulit ang hardinero. They look so carefree.

Kung minsan ay napapaisip ako kung bakit parang ang bilis kong nag-matured kumpara sa ibang kaedaran ko. Let's say for example ay si Rhett, we're both eighteen and yet, he still doesn't have a first kiss while I have mine when I was still a minor.

Pero hindi ko sinasabi na first kiss ang basehan ng maturity ng isang tao. Mayroon din naman kasing iba na may anak na at lahat pero isip bata pa rin.

I don't know. I just felt like I am more matured kaysa sa mga kaedaran ko. At kung pwede lang bumalik sa pagkabata, baka bumalik na ako para less worries nalang din.

"Do you wanna go somewhere first? Aren't you hungry?" tila naninimbang na tanong ni Leo sa akin. Ilang minuto na rin kasi kaming nakahinto pero hindi pa ako bumababa.

"I'm going to ruin their mood." tukoy ko sa kambal kong kapatid na nasa garden. Sigurado kasi akong kukulitin nila and I usually help them do their homework. Pero ngayon ay wala ako sa mood.

"Want some pizza?" aniya at muling binuhay ang makina ng sasakyan na hindi ko namalayang pinatay pala niya kanina.

Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. "You'll make me fat."

Nagkibit-balikat lamang si Leo at nagsimula ng imaniobra ang sasakyan paalis. "A little bit of weight won't harm," sumulyap siya sa akin kaya kita ko ang ease sa mukha niya.

"You look glad." bulong ko na umabot din sa pandinig niya.

"I'm actually pissed right now, Eunice." anitong biglang sumeryoso ang tono.

Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay at hinarap. "And why is that? Kung may dapat man na magalit ay ako iyon. I felt betrayed by my family." humalukipkip ako. Though hindi naman ako galit na galit. Parang bigla lang akong nagtampo.

"You just kissed a boy in front of me. Paanong hindi ako magagalit?" dumiin ang hawak nito sa manibela kaya kitang kita ko ang paglabas ng mga ugat sa kamay at braso niya.

"Rhett's my boyfriend," kalmado kong saad habang pinapanood ang pagpapalit-palit ng ekspresyon sa kaniyang mukha.

Nagseselos ba si Leo?

I couldn't tell. I've never seen him gets jealous.

"Yeah, yeah. Tell that to the marines." bored niyang sagot. Hindi ko nalang pinansin at ibinaling na sa iba ang topic.

Itinukod ko ang isang siko sa bintana para suporta sa mukha ko nang mangalumbaba ako habang naka-baling ng kaunti sa kaniya.

"We've been together for weeks. Isa pa ay matagal na kaming magkakilala so why not? He's a good guy. He excels in acads and sports. Well, yung sa sports ay dati pa because he got injured and couldn't go back."

"We're here," he said, obviously not listening to me.

Mabilis na nakaikot si Leo sa gawi ko at ipinagbukas ako ng pinto. He offered his hand and automatically, inabot ko iyon na tila iyon talaga ang dapat kong gawin.

Ang buong akala ko ay bibitawan na niya ang kamay ko pagkababa ko sa sasakyan ngunit nagkamali ako. Nanatiling hawak niya ang kamay ko hanggang sa makapasok kami sa pizza parlor at makapili ng lamesa.

"What?" tanong ko dahil nakatingin lang siya sa kamay namin na nasa ibabaw ng lamesa. We're s8tting across each other and he's still holding my hand. Pwede kong hatakin iyon para bawiin mula sa pagkakahawak niya pero hindi ko ginawa.

The glint on Leo's eyes was very fascinating. He looks amused and contented while looking at our hands.

"There’s something wrong with your hand, Eunice," nag-angat siya ng tingin at diretsong tumingin sa akin. "We need to do something about it."

Bigla akong kinabahan kaya hinatak kong bigla ang kamay ko na dapat ay kanina ko pa ginawa. Medyo nag enjoy kasi ako na hindi naman dapat.

"There’s nothing wrong with my kamay!" inirapan ko siya at akmang tatayo para layasan siya ng makita kong parating na ang inorder niyang pizza. Isa pa, wala akong pamasahe pauwi.

This man left me no choice but to be with him!

"Tell me," uminom muna ako bago nagpatuloy. "Bakit magkasama ang parents natin?" pero kibit-balikat lang ang isinagot ni Leo sa akin. "Come on! Maglolokohan pa ba tayo, Leo? Ulit?"

Ibinaba ni Leo ang hawak niyang pizza then grabs his water and down it. He was looking at me when he wipes his lips. Bakit... Bakit ang pula?

"Ulit? As in 'again', Eunice? I never lied to you. I did what I did because I don't want to tarnish your name." ani Leo sa mababang boses. Halatang nagpipigil ng galit.

"Galit ka na niyan?" I asked, testing his patience.

"Do I have the right?" then he stood up. I thought iiwan nalang niya ako bigla kaya napatayo rin ako. "We should talk somewhere private," bulong niya. "People are looking. Baka ano pa ang isipin nila."

And when he held my hand and pulled me out of that pizza parlor, I know, I will be in trouble. Again. And that trouble is called 'Leo Madrigal'.

***

Hindi ko alam kung paano ako napapayag ni Leo na dalhin sa penthouse niya. I just found myself agreeing to his every commands and now, we're here — standing face to face with each other and in front of us is the busy city of Manila, illuminated by city lights.

"Cassandra," panimula ni Leo na umani sa akin ng isang matalim na tingin.

Leo grins at my reaction pero mabilis rin iyong nawala sa kaniyang mga labi nang makita niya ang reaksyon ko sa sinabi niyang iyon.

"We were together for the past few months. She's a racer, too so we really get along just fine." he said and I almost rolled my eyes at that. "We were having fun most of the time but I know there's something bothering her. Then we had a celebration party and things messed up."

He looks at me as if figuring out if I understood what he meant by that. Sure. I can read between the lines and I definitely know what he meant. But I don't want to assume.

"So you had sex with her and you thought you got her pregnant. Nice!" pinag-krus ko ang mga kamay ko sa tapat ng aking dibdib. "Very cliché!"

He steps closer and I just let him but when he's about to hold my hand, isang tingin ang ibinigay ko sa kaniya na tila nagsasabing huwag niya akong hawakan.

"Look," tila balisa niyang simula. "I don't like her romantically, Eunice. I did what I did because that was the right thing to do. She's pregnant. I thought it was mine because the timing was right and I have to take responsibility... Eunice," huminto siya nang makitang hindi ako interesado sa mga sinasabi niya.

"I'm sorry to hear that, then." I said thought I'm not really sorry for what happened to him.

Hindi ko lang talaga maintindihan ang ibang mga lalaki na basta nalang pumapatol sa kung sino. I mean, sex should be done with love, not lust or hunger or what-so-ever!

"Will you take me home na? I'm tired. I want to rest early." tapos ay nauna na akong naglakad patungo sa pinto.

I don't know what expression Leo was wearing but I can feel his heavy footsteps behind me. Pati ang pagpapakawala niya ng malalim na buntong hininga ay aware na aware ako.

If this is him, telling me to be the girl I used to be — the teen girl who's head over heels on him, then he's wasting his time. I can't be that girl anymore.

I can't be the same Eunice Telpace. I am not the same as before and I will never be. Ever.