Change Your Mind [Completed]

Chapter 10

Dahlia was shocked as Miguel pushed her to sit down on his bed. Hindi siya sigurado if she should be here. Baka kung ano na naman mangyari na hindi dapat.

"What the hell was that?" galit na tanong nito sa kanya, while still trying to keep his voice down. The bedrooms were still small and were only separated by walls. Baka marinig sila ni Gio at Cassidy.

For some reasons, Cassidy was nowhere to be found. She wasn't in Miguel's suite.

"I was just... washing the dishes. Nabasag ko nga pala yung isang baso mo," pag-amin niya.

Miguel lifted her hand na may sugat at tinitigan iyon. "Bleeding won't stop if you let a man kiss it."

"He wasn't kissing my finger!" pagtutol niya. "He was just sucking the blood off-"

"That's way even worse!" He quickly opened his closet at may kinuhang pulang first-aid kit doon. It was a box. Pagbukas noon ay may lamang kung ano-anong type ng gauzes and some medicine to stop bleeding.

Miguel sat beside her and grabbed her bleeding finger again. Nilagyan nito iyon ng alcohol and then, betadine to stop the bleeding. At pagkatapos ay pinaikutan ito ni Miguel ng band-aid.

"That's how you fucking stop bleeding!" inis pa ring bulong nito.

"You know what, he probably knows about us with the way you're acting," she calmly said, thinking about Aspen that was left in the kitchen matapos itong kwelyuhan ni Miguel. "We have to talk to him."

"Do you really like him that much?" he asked, looking hurt that she was more worried about Aspen's feelings now.

"Well, he's nothing but nice to me since we started dating."

He didn't answer. Tumayo na lang ito basta at ibinalik ang first aid kit sa closet nito.

"Thanks for this. I'm going to bed now. Cassidy might also see me here and might get the wrong idea," pagdadahilan niya and left the room as quickly as she can.

Aspen was still in the kitchen, drying up the dishes that she washed. Wala na rin sa sink ang basag na baso kanina.

"He cured you?" Aspen asked habang nakangiti ng nakakaloko sa kanya.

"Yeah, he did. Are you okay? Hindi ka naman nasaktan?"

Aspen just shrugged. "That was just a friendly banter between us. I'm used to him throwing punches at me every now and then. But the real question is are you really okay?"

Dahlia didn't answer.

"Come on, Dahl. Tell me the truth."

Aspen was done putting all the dishes on the dish rack. So she pulled him to his bedroom for some privacy.

Aspen quickly followed at isinarado ang pintuan. "So?" he pressed, while sitting down on her bed.

Dahlia remained standing up and walking back and forth. "I don't know how to explain but... Miguel and I never really had a real relationship."

"That asshole," he cursed. "So ano kayo? And how long has this been happening? You can't fool me, Dahlia. You're not just friends. I've seen the way he touches you and looks at you."

"Well, we're... friends who happen to sleep together on some days. It's been going on for eight years now and-"

"Eight years?!" gulat na gulat na tanong ni Aspen. "This is really something. I mean, I never understood why I've never seen Miguel with a woman before but he seemed to always have someone. He would always disappear saying he needs to meet someone or fetch someone or go to someone. So that has been you all along?"

"Well, I'm not sure if it was entirely just me. We never really had anything official. He never committed himself to me."

"And why did you allow it?"

Dahlia sat beside him because the question was suddenly to heavy for her to bear. Bakit nga ba hinayaan niyang tumagal ng ganoon? "I always hoped, at the back of my mind, that he'll eventually ask me to be his girlfriend and that we would stop hiding."

"But that's eight years, Dahlia."

"I know. Ang tanga ko, no?" Napailing na lang din siya sa sarili.

"So what's the turning point?"

"Well, it's been eight years and I'm not getting any younger. Naiinip na rin akong maghintay. Then, my parents came to talk to me about a possible match between us. I just... I just realized how badly they were worrying about me, too, to spring up such an idea."

A lone tear dropped down her right cheek. Aspen was quick to wipe it away.

But Dahlia continued, "And then... I told him about our possible engagement. And he didn't even bother. He repetitively called me his friend and that he just wanted the best for me since we've been friends for so long." Napakapait ng mga salitang iyon ng lumabas sa bibig niya.

"And so you love him?"

Dahlia didn't even answer. She just nodded in resignation, showing how she never wanted it to be so but it just was!

Aspen comforted her with a hug. It was the least he could do. "Pagbabayarin ko ang gagong 'yon sa mga ginawa niya sayo. Pagsisisihan niya ang walong taong pinagsamahan ninyo."

And she cried herself to sleep on Aspen's shoulders that night.

*****

It was already morning. Dahlia woke up when sudden brightness hit the back of her eyes. Sino bang bigla na lang nagbukas ng mga kurtina?

She squinted and slowly opened her eyes while adjusting to the light.

"What is..." she muttered, still trying to open her eyes.

"Get up!" mariing utos ng boses na 'yon. Hindi siya pwedeng magkamali. That voice could only be Miguel.

She sat up at kinusot-kusot ang mga mata. "What is wrong with you? It's so early in the morning."

Miguel was standing in front of her bed, fuming with anger. And he stared at the space beside her.

Napasunod siya sa kung anong tinitingnan nito at laking gulat niya ng makita doon si Aspen, sleeping soundly and unbothered. Oo nga pala! They were talking last night at napagod siya sa kakaiyak na nakatulog na yata siya sa tabi nito.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" sigaw nito na ikinagising ni Aspen.

Aspen also sat up at gulong-gulong nakatingin sa kanilang dalawa ni Miguel.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" tanong muli ni Miguel. This time, he pulled her up at palayo kay Aspen.

"Chill, bro. We just slept," sagot ni Aspen habang nakataas ang dalawang kamay in an act of surrender. "I swear nothing happened."

Pumasok na rin si Gio sa kwarto ng marinig ang sigawan ng dalawa.

"What's happening here?" Gio intervened.

"That bullshit of a guy slept here in Dahlia's room!" galit na galit na sigaw ni Miguel.

Gio looked at Aspen in horror. "Did you-"

"No!" sigaw ni Dahlia. "Nothing happened, okay? You're making a fuss out of nothing, Miguel! Isa pa, ano bang pakialam mo? Stop looking after me! Si Cassidy ang pagtuunan mo ng pansin!" At nagdire-diretso na siya palabas ng kwarto.

*****

A/N: For some reasons ang daling isulat ng story na to. Hahahaha ang dali kasing maging tanga for love LOL

So ano ba talaga siz Dahlia? Ano ng final decish natin over Miguel? Any advice for our fellow sizzy na confused yata?