The Ruthless (Quantum Meruit Series #1)

25. Sure

25.
Sure

━━━━━━━

"You're still mad at me."

It was a statement and it didn't need an answer.

Problemadong umalon ang dibdib ko at malamig siyang tiningnan. "I'm tired. I had a hell of a week. Kung wala kang ibang kailangan, umalis ka na."

Tinitigan niya ako. Pagkalipas nang ilang segundo ay tumungo siya at kagat-labing muling inangat ang tingin. Kumunot ang noo ko. He looked like a wounded animal begging for attention.

Goddamn it.

"Babe . . ." he called softly and tried to hold my elbow. "I'm sorry, okay? I get it now. It was," he turned away, "my fault."

I wanted to scoff and show him how pathetic his apology was. It was obvious — he still thought he was right. Ibinaba niya lang ang pride niya dahil akala niya ay kalilimutan ko rin agad.

Muli ay bumuga ako ng hangin.

We had been in a cold war for more than a week now since the incident in the bar. I was determined to make him realize his mistake. Kaya nagmatigas ako. Oo, nagmatigas din siya. Palagi naman. It took him a while to reach out to me. And I was disappointed that he was insincere like this.

Inaamin kong mali ako sa parteng hindi ako nagpaalam sa kanya. Pero hindi niya rin ba makita ang mali niya?

He was being a control freak!

"I hate what you did," I confessed.

"I know." Lumamlam ang mga mata niya. "And I'm sorry. It was . . . It wasn't what I planned. I just got pissed. And I was worried."

Iniwas ko ang tingin sa kanya.

Marami pa akong gustong sabihin. Dapat ay pahabain ko pa ang galit. Matagal kong ikinimkim ito.

But I was a disgrace to my own principles as a woman.

"Babe . . ." malambing niyang tawag at pinisil pa ang kamay ko. "It's been more than a week. Didn't you miss me?"

"I didn't."

Mahina siyang tumawa at inangat ang kamay ko para sa labi niya. "I know. I missed you, too."

Ngumuso ako, pigil ang pagngiti.

Wala na. Marupok talaga ako. Kaunting lambing, wala na ang galit.

"So how have you been doing?" tanong niya. "You never answered any of my calls."

"I went on a trip with one of the lawyers." Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay. "I was mad. What do you expect?"

"I expected you to be mature." He caressed my hair. "Anyway, we're okay now, right?"

Hindi ako nagsalita. Marahan niya akong hinila palapit sa kanya at niyakap nang mahigpit.

And that was it. We were fine again. I was a bit disappointed with myself because I wasn't firm with my words. Gusto kong ipaliwanag sa kanya kung bakit ako nagalit. He had to know what he did. But the way he behaved, I thought it was better not to delve into the topic again. Ayoko nang mag-away na naman kami. At least for now.

I goddamn missed him, too. He was always with me since we started this relationship. Ayaw na ayaw kong nag-aaway kami dahil nasanay na akong kasama siya.

This was bad, I knew.

Dahil walang malapit na bilihan at parehas kaming tinatamad kumain sa labas, nasa kusina kami ngayon at pinagtiyatiyagaan ang niluto kong noodles.