Nights Like This

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Meet

"Is this your account? Just under his name?" Ethan asked me. We met to catch up. Aniya'y masyado na raw akong dumidikit kay Rex Niccolo at nakakalimutan ko nang may ibang kaibigan pa ako. Just his annoying sentiment.

"That's not mine. Account niya 'yan."

Ethan's busy checking out Rex Niccolo's Instagram na malapit nang maging account ko dahil pictures ko ang lahat ng nandoon.

"Really? Bakit puro ikaw lang 'to?"

I shrugged. "Ask him."

I don't know with Rex Niccolo. Hilig niya yata talagang mag-post ng picture ko. Wala naman akong masabi dahil maayos ang mga picture na pino-post niya. And if I'm being honest, he's quite creative with his feed. Like a damn pro. Hindi magulo at magandang tingnan. Akala mo 'di baguhan sa Instagram. I just urged him to join when we were in El Nido and now weeks later, he seems so into it.

"Rex and I aren't friends, Bob."

"Yeah, I know. His circle of friends is far from ours."

"Finally dating, huh? Siya lang pala ang magugustuhan mo," ani Ethan na may bahid ng panunuya sa tono. "What does Yael have to say about it?"

"Wala naman. He's been silent and stopped with the usual messages. Hindi ko alam kung magandang bagay ba iyon o hindi."

"Damn. I would never want to be in that guy's shoes," he laughed. "He had you by his side for years and you ended up liking someone else."

Nanatili akong tahimik. I'm guilty about that. Nito ko lang napagtanto. I'm not responsible for Yael's feelings for me but somehow, I feel like I'm at fault, too. Maybe one of these days, we'll talk it out. Pero ipapagpaalam ko pa iyon sa mga magulang. I don't want to cause problems again.

Ever since I started dating Rex Niccolo, they've been extra lenient on me. Unti-unting binalik ang pera ko at hindi na rin gaanong pinaghihigpitan sa kahit anong bagay. Be it going out or spending. Though, they don't have to worry about the latter. I don't spend as much as before. Sa mga librong nabasa ay natutunan ko ang kahalagahan at tamang pamamahala ng pera. And Rex Niccolo has been teaching me where to invest so I can make my money grow.

Napangiti ako. That guy is very patient when it comes to me. I lack knowledge on a lot of things but he always patiently teaches me. Never did I feel dumb nor inferior when he does that. Pakiramdam ko, importanteng tao ako kapag walang sawa niyang sinasagot ang mga tanong ko. Reason why I'm more encouraged to ask rather than keep the questions to myself.

"You look like an idiot," ani Ethan na nakapag pabalik sa akin sa katotohanan.

Napakurap ako. "What?"

"You're smiling at your food. Iba na 'yan, ah. Are you thinking about Rex Uvero?"

"Huh?"

"You sure are. Do I need to remind you that we were talking about Yael?"

"Oh, right... Him."

I suddenly feel embarrassed. Iba naman ang pinag-uusapan namin tapos nakarating na naman kay Rex Niccolo ang mga iniisip ko.

Tinawanan ako ni Ethan at nakuha niya pang umiling.

"I can't believe you're like this when dating. Mukhang masaya ka talaga. And I mean genuinely happy. Hindi 'yong napipilitan," puna niya.

"Wala namang rason para 'di maging masaya. Rex Niccolo and I are both honest and serious. Why would I not be happy about that?"

"Yeah, right."