GONE WRONG (Gone Series 1: Summer Aine Quin)

Kabanata 37

HINDI AKO MAKAHINGA.

My eyes met his gaze. It was surreal to see him again after two years. I assumed that by the time I met him again, my feelings would have been buried so deeply within me that I would be unable to feel them. My heart, however, betrayed me as soon as I set my gaze on him. I can feel my heart beating and the sound of it piercing my system as if I could hear it pounding against my ears.

We both just stared at each other and the silence was deafening after he called out my name. I tightened the grip on my bag when I felt the memories flood into my mind.

The past that we had, the happy moments we shared together, and the pain that he had caused me. He cheated, while I still begged him to not leave me. I even knelt in front of him, but he was unconcerned about my pain. He treated me that night like dirt that he needed to get rid of.

He's the reason why.... I didn't get the chance to see my father one last time.

I averted my gaze away from him and blinked several times to brush away the tears that was about to fall. I felt the bitterness in my mouth and I could feel it in my throat. I shouldn't be like this. The whole memory of him pains the hell out of me. He was like a dagger still penetrating my already wounded soul.

I closed my eyes for a while and I forced myself to look in his direction. His face was much more mature than it had been two years before; his hazel brown eyes were fixed on me, and his Adam's apple was moving. He was dressed in a black tux, and his hand was tightly gripping the corner of his swivel chair. His hair had grown a little longer and was pulled back and neat-looking.

I put a serious look on my face as I found myself moving towards him, trying to mask the unexplained emotions that I felt inside. My mind was in total chaos and my thoughts were now unclear.

"Engineer Zacharias Valencia - Ruscitti," Madiing saad ko habang naglalakad papalapit sa lamesa niya. Kita ko ang unti-unting pagbago ng ekspresyon ng kanyang mukha at napatayo siya ng maayos habang titig na titig pa din sa akin. The burning anger inside of me slowly resurfaced as I was staring at his face.

"Why the fuck did you buy our house?!"

I could tell he wasn't expecting my question because of how surprised he was by what I'd said. Hindi niya siguro inaasahan ang direkta kong pagkumpronta sa kaniya. Nakita ko ang bahagya niyang paglunok habang nakatingin sa mata ko bago bumagsak ang mga mata niya sa buhok ko. I saw how his eyes became anxious.

"Sam, your... h-hair..." he paused and blinked, "It's s-short now."

I kept my stoic face in front of him, unconcerned about what he had just said. Gusto ko nalang na matapos na ito. His face makes me sick. "My hair was none of your fucking business, " May bahid na ng galit ang boses ko. "Bakit mo binili ang bahay namin?!"

"S-sam..." Mahinang usal nito habang napayuko ng bahagya at bumuntong-hininga bago naglakad papalapit sa akin. Hindi ko napansin na ang bawat paghakbang niya ay ganoon din ang pagkabog ng malakas ng dibdib ko. Tumigil siya sa harapan ko at tinitigan ako ng direkta sa aking mga mata.

Agad na lumayo ako sa kaniya ng sinubukan nitong hawakan ang braso ko. I noticed his hurt expression after what I did. He averted his gaze and put his hand on his side, which had been on the verge of grabbing me earlier.

"Iatras mo ang pagbili sa bahay namin! That was the only memory I had of my family!" I looked at him with a disgusted expression, "Talaga bang wala ka nang naiwan na kahihiyan diyan sa balat mo para sa akin? "

Lumamlam ang mata niya. "S-summer, where have you been-"

I scoffed because of what he said. Hindi makapaniwalang tiningnan ko siya. "Don't act as if we are friends. Nandito ako para idikdik sa utak mo na hindi ko ipagbibili ang bahay namin. Cancel the contract. "