Don't Mess with Numero Trece (PDN Series #1)

DMWNT 39

DMWNT 39: Tying loose Ends

[Trece]

Number thirteen...

He had called me number thirteen.

Napaatras ako. I clenched my fist, my nails digging on my skin. "You knew. Kailan pa?" Sinalubong ko ang titig niya, hinahanap ang sagot sa mga mata niya. 

Right from the start. He knew right from the start.

Muli akong napaatras kahit na nanatili sa kinatatayuan niya si Caspian. He was just watching me with those eyes, in a way that made me realize he was very much like Doce. 

"Why do you think did I approach you, Trece?" His voice was soft, like velvet, and I want to strangle him just so he would stop talking. "We had our suspicions of who you were, but we weren't sure yet, considering how secretive your family is. So, to make sure, we had to put on a show. Me, Calyx, TOCE, the whole school. We are all against you. I allowed myself to be bait, and you..." He shook his head as if he is looking at a naive girl. "... you gobbled everything... every lie that I say."

"Why?" My voice sounded small, amidst the loud thump of my heart.

"Because you are a Numero. Every single moment with you was torture, did you know that? Hindi ako makapaghintay sa sandaling 'to! Na maisasampal ko sa'yo ang katotohanang pinaglalaruan lang kita at nagpauto ka naman."

"Tumigil ka na!" 

"What if I don't?" he snarled. His voice was cruel and unforgiving. "What are you going to do about it? Are you going to make me bleed, Trece? Are you going to show me the consequences of messing you up?" Muli itong humakbang papunta sa akin. The corners of his lips went up but there was no humor in his eyes. "But you can't, right? You'd rather die than see me hurt, right?"

Umiling-iling ito. "God, I can't believe you were so eager to come into this trap... so eager to come to me."

 His eyes turned blank as I felt the salt in my mine.

Lalo yata akong nabingi dahil sa sinabi nito. I looked at him and I couldn't see the guy who's made me feel all warm and fluttery. I looked at him and I wanted to claw at the hurt in my chest and I wanted to claw him for causing it with all his lies but--

but...

"I love you..." wika ko sa mahinang boses. Of all the things I could have said, this was the only thing that made sense to me. I splayed one hand on my chest, as if that would lessen the pain as I looked into Caspian's blank gaze. "You are hurting me but I love you."

 Something shimmered in his eyes, then he quickly turned his back to me and said coldly, "I won, because I never loved you."

Maybe it was a trick of the eye, maybe I was desperate to hold unto something, but for a flash of a second, I thought Caspian looked like he was about to cry.

Pero hindi ko naging ugali ang mamilit.

Wala akong ideya kung saan ko hinugot ang lakas ng loob na lumayo rito matapos nitong bitawan ang mga katagang 'yun. So that's how he wants to play it. Fine. Gusto kong ibaon ang mga daliri ko sa dibdib ko at idispatsa 'tong tumitibok na bagay sa loob dito. He was good. Caspian was so good at what he does, at the game he plays.

But I wish he wasn't. I wish there was some truth to what has happened between us. So it wouldn't have to hurt this much.

Tumigil ako sa paglalakad, huminga ng malalim at nilingon ang nakapinid na pinto ng silid na nilisan ko. Baka kasi sakaling biglang lumabas riyan si Caspian, nakangisi... tatawa-tawa, at sasabihing nagbibiro lang siya. Hindi magandang biro, kunwari ay maiinis ako...