Breaking The Lieutenant's Rifle

BTLR: 13

Chapter 13: Lieutenant's Heart

Napanganga ako sa nabasa. Anong crush? Anong crush niya rin ako?! Anong... Shuta! Bakit ganito 'tong si Kaley?! Napatakip ako ng unan, pipigilan ang tili na gustong gustong lumabas mula sa bibig ko. This is very unexpected! Very... Very random!

How did he have a crush on me? Bakit crush niya ako? Paano? Kailan? Saan? And, he dates other people! Anong crush e halata namang malandi siya. Napabangon ako nang tumunog ang phone ko.

@KalenV_:

I'm outside your house, punta tayo sa park. I'll wait for you there.

Napanganga ako lalo at sumilip sa bintana. Kaley's walking away! Towards the park! Paikot-ikot ako sa kwarto, hindi alam kung ano bang gagawin ko.

Should I reject him if he asks for a relationship? Should I entertain him? What's the right thing to do... What do I want to do?

Think, November. Huwag kang pangunahan ng kilig, please lang. Think.

"He dates. He is clearly interested in other people," I told myself. "If crush niya 'ko, hindi ba dapat ay sa akin lang ang atensyon niya?" Tumango tango ako, palakad-lakad pa rin sa kwarto.

"Hindi niya ako crush. Nilalandi niya lang ako."

I brought my jacket, wore it, and went outside. I have to know to clear my mind. Kailangan sure ako kasi napakanakakagulat ng sinabi niya. I mean, confessing sa chat? What the hell is that?!

Nang makarating ako sa park, naabutan ko si Kaley na naka-upo sa swing. He swung back and forth, like a kid waiting for his mom to pick him up.

"Hi," bati ko. Umupo ako sa katabi niyang swing at tinulak ang sarili para gumalaw 'to. Pareho na kaming pabalik-balik.

"I think I like you, too," he said with his husky and deep voice.

Umiling ako sa isipan. He clearly told me his intentions before—that he is just someone who flirts with anybody that he finds interesting. And in our case, I'm the interesting one.

"You just like the idea of having someone around na may gusto sa 'yo."

He sighed and stopped swinging. Tumingin siya sa direksyon ko, sinusundan ang pagtaas-baba ko sa swing.

"I genuinely think I like you, November."

I gave him a glare. "Sige nga, bakit, paano, at kailan mo nalaman?"

"I think about you, smile when I think about you while I'm in trainings. I don't know how or when I liked you, but I really think I do," sagot niya.

Tumigil ako sa pag-swing nang may maalala. "E bakit nakita kita sa NBS na may kasamang Volleyball player?"

He bit his lower lip and looked at me with his 'amazed look' eyes. "You stalked me?"

"I did not!" I yelled. "You know I like books. I saw you with a girl the other day accidentally. No stalking happened!"

He stood up and crossed his arms, still looking at me with his intense eyes.

"Really? Sure ka?"

Inirapan ko siya at may naalala na naman. "I also saw you with other girls! Nakita kita nung dumaan ako sa room niyo, you were doing a student's assignment! A girl to be exact!"

Lalo siyang lumapit sa akin, nakahalukipkip pa rin.

"Uh-huh. What else did you see?"

Mas lalo akong nainis sa tono niya. He's mocking me! Ini-invalidate niya 'yung feelings ko, 'yung mga kaharutan niya! Dahil sa inis, tumayo ako mula sa pagkaka-upo sa swing at maglalakad na sana nang bigla niyang higitin ang braso ko.

"I'm telling you that I like you, November," he softly said. I bit the insides of my cheek and stared at Kaley's shoulder. Hindi ako makatingin si mata niya dahil sigurado ako na napakaintense ng titig niya!

"Harot-harot mo nga, e," bulong ko. I wanted him to hear it but I didn't expect him to laugh at me!

Ang lalim talaga ng boses niya. Kahit tawa niya, ang lalim. "Okay then, what do you want me to do?"

"Wala..." bulong ko.

Kaley chuckled. "Ano nga? Sabihin mo na."

"Wala nga!"

"Okay, okay," natatawa niyang sabi. "I'll stay away from girls who flirt with me... lalo na 'yung girl from the VB club, okay?"

Landi talaga. Nilalandi lang ako nito, sure ako!

"Hindi mo naman talaga ako gusto," I told him. "Kasi if you like me, you won't look at other people the same way you look at the person you like."

I'm a hundred percent sure that Kaley doesn't like me. Maybe he is interested, but he doesn't like me. Maybe he finds something interesting in me, pero hindi pa rin niya ako gusto. Kahit saang anggulo tingnan, I know he doesn't like me that way.

"I think I like you."

Inilingan ko siya. "You 'think'. Ibig sabihin, hindi mo alam. Liking a person is something you should know and accept. Dapat tanggapin mo 'yun, kasi alam mong totoo at alam mong 'yun 'yung nararamdaman mo. Pero hindi, 'di ba? Kasi sa tingin mo lang. Hindi ka sure. Nasa utak mo lang 'yan."

He looked at me, confused.

"Sabi ko sa 'yo kanina, you just like the thought—"

"I'm telling you that I like you, November," putol niya sa sinasabi ko kanina. "Gusto kita. I may be a flirty guy but I genuinely like you."

Cringe pota. Cringe pero ba't kinikilig ka, November? Ang harot mo!

"Okay, edi gusto mo na."

He bit his lower lip, parang pinipigilang tumawa. Huminga muna siya ng malalim bago ako kausapin ulit. "I'll prove to you that I like you."

Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay. "Sige nga. Paano?"

"Basta. Secret na 'yon," sagot niya. Umiling na lang ako at naupo na sa swing ulit. If he wants to show me he likes me, so be it. Wala rin namang mawawala sa akin.

"I'm a former Lieutenant," bigla niyang sabi. "And this Lieutenant, will prove to you that he likes you. I'll prove that you've got my heart."

True to his words, kahit summer na ay palagi pa rin kaming magkasama ni Kaley. Start pa lang naman ng summer pero grabe na siya kung makayaya ng gala. He wants me to join his family sa beach, or he wants to go with me sa center tuwing may schedule ako. He wants to do everything with me!

He's clingy for someone who just wants to prove his feelings. But it was something that made me feel butterflies inside my stomach.

"It's actually a team building, Nova. Your daddy's coming, too. Tapos sina Mrs. Villega rin, pupunta!" Excited na sabi ni mommy habang kumakain kami sa hapag.

She's excited sa upcoming swimming sa beach kasama ang kaniyang mga officemates. Our whole family's coming. And sabi rin ni mommy, invited ang pamilya ng lahat ng employees. Which means, pupunta rin sina Kaley.

"I have session, mommy," tanggi ko. She looked at me with her expressive eyes, begging me to say yes to what she's saying. "But I'll tell the instructor I can't attend."

Pumalakpak siya. "Then it's settled! We'll be leaving two days from now. Kaya habang maaga pa, pack your things, Nova. We'll be staying there for a week."

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