The White in her Black

Chapter 15

Warning: SPG

"Is it safe for you now to roam around?" I asked. Nag aalala ako. If her daughter was at sake, paano pa siya... knowing na siya talaga ang main target.

"I'm okay. I hired men to protect me." She smiled as she stood up next to me.

"I don't want you to get hurt." Mahina kong sabi. "Will you really be okay?" Ulit ko sa itinanong kanina.

"You like me," Nakangiti niyang sambit.

"Hindi ko pa nakakalimutan si Mei Ong. What's between the two of you?" I asked.

She chuckled as I ask that question again. She's probably thinking on why, of all topics, do I want to talk about these things. Marami kaming pwedeng mapag usapan lalo na't matagal kaming hindi nagkasama.

"I want to know the real score between the two of you.." Medyo mahina kong sabi. Kanina ko pa kasi 'to pinipilit na pag usapan pero ang iksi ng mga sagot niya sakin.

"Those were just rumors, I am interested on their business so we had things to talk about. Most of our conversation was about the upcoming possible partnership. I'm planning to start building my own name but I'm not that sure yet." Mas mahaba niyang palliwanag kaysa kanina.

She makes me feel something that I couldn't point out. She makes me feel calm, but when she's too near, I get nervous. She makes me feel at ease, but there are times that she makes me feel like I'm about to fall from a high building.

With that thought, I took courage to look at her and ask the question that I've been wanting to ask.

"What are we, Catherine?" Hindi ko alam kung paano 'yon lumalabas sa bibig ko. There's a lump in my throat and I can't help but to look away when she looked down.

"I don't know..." Mahina niyang sambit. "But we're happy, right?" she asked.

I almost laughed at her answer. I don't need a fucking happiness. "What do you mean?" I asked again. I want to hear it directly from her. Wala ba siyang plano sa akin?

"I mean... do we have to label things?" She asked.

"You just raised a red flag," I chuckled and laughed slightly. Is this what I looked like back then?

"What? What do you mean?" She asked.

"I don't know. I want to clarify things..." mahina kong sambit. I did not expect that she would answer like that. I expected so much.

"Oh," hinila niya akong bahagya para mapaharap sa kanya. "I'm sorry... I'm not into labeling stuff..." para niyang binabasa ang iniisip ko mula lamang sa pagtingin sa akin.

Mahina akong tumawa, trying to cover the disappointment that I felt. "Of course. We can still go out... without a label... or stuffs," it felt like my lips were drying so I had to lick them. After that, agad akong umiwas ng tingin.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Of course," I answered. "I just have things to finish... uuwi muna ako samin. You know, patapos na ang klase." I cleared my throat because my voice sounded weak.

Without hearing any word from her, I left.

I called my driver to pick me up. Hindi rin naman ako sinundan ni Catherine.

Tulala akong nakaupo sa kama habang hawak ang isang bote ng beer. Looking back, I never thought about being ghosted and such. Hindi ko naman din kasi naisip noon na may possibility na gawin sa akin ng kung sino ang bagay na ginagawa ko.