The Fake Heiress

Chapter 22

Lost in all my negative, depressing thoughts, I didn't notice the incoming car that's rushing towards me. The searing, loud horns almost rendered me deaf but my feet froze in shock as I stared at the car.

Hindi ko na namalayan nang mabilis na huminto ang sasakyan ilang hakbang nalang ang layo sa akin. The sound of the tires screeching sounded so distant to me but it registered at the back of my head.

Akala ko ay namamalik-mata na lamang ako dala ng sobrang shock nang makita ko kung sino ang lumabas mula sa sasakyan. I could read the curses flowing out of his mouth but it's like I couldn't hear him.

The memory of him saving me from a car crash that would have definitely killed me before flashed in my mind and suddenly, I am filled with an overwhelming nostalgia...and regret?

"Are you okay? Why the hell are you mindlessly standing there in the middle of the road?" He asked. Hindi man lang siya nagulat o naapektuhan kagaya ng nararamdaman ko ngayon. Like seeing me after a long time of being apart from each other is nothing.

I guess I don't hold that place in his heart anymore? I swallowed all those vulnerable emotions inside me as I watched him checked my whole body for any bruises or any indication that I got hurt by what happened.

"I'm fine." Iniwas ko ang tingin sa kanya at marahang hinila ang braso ko mula sa kanyang pagkakahawak.

"Come on. I'll take you to a nearby hospital to be sure."

Umiling agad ako. "No. I'm sure I'm fine. Nagulat lang ako." I glanced at him and I can see he's contemplating if he's going to insist or just let me be. In the end he sighed.

"Okay. Do you need a ride? I'll drive you home."

I didn't say no to that for some reason. I followed him to his car and he opened the door for me. Tahimik akong sumakay at tinanaw siyang umikot papuntang driver's seat.

I don't know what happened between us. We didn't talk the day I left and he didn't follow me to Norway. I didn't hear from him and no one in my family mentioned anything about him. My mental state was on the brink kaya hindi ko na rin pa masyadong naisip ang tungkol sa aming dalawa.

All I knew back then was that I needed to get better first. But I didn't know that for me to get better, we have to be apart. I didn't know that for me to get better, I have to close the door of my heart and keep him out.

The silence was too unnerving. Gusto kong magsimula ng kahit anong pwedeng pag-usapan just to make the atmosphere between us lighter but I don't know how. Nang mapansin niyang nakatingin ako sa kanya'y sumulyap siya.

"How are you?" He asked.

That was an easy question. Pero tila hindi ko alam paano sagutin iyon ng tama. Am I okay? Am I doing well now? Is my life sorted out now? But really, when is my life ever sorted out?

I chuckled breathlessly. "I'm doing better than the last time you saw me, I guess." Ngunit naalala kong muntik na niya akong masagasaan kanina dahil sa pagkakatulala sa daan. "Or not..." Natawa ulit ako. "I mean, my therapist said I'm doing great and I'm on my way to recovery." Bawi ko.

"That's good to hear." Simpleng sinabi niya. His phone pinged and he glanced at it for a second. I saw how his expression changed to frustration. Maybe there's a problem at work?

"I'm sorry. Muntik ka ng maaksidente dahil sa akin kanina." Mahina ang boses ko nang sabihin iyon. He didn't say anything.

"How are you?" I asked him this time.

"I'm fine." His jaw clenched after saying those words. He stopped the car and he went out. I was too busy staring at him that I didn't even see the woman who walked out of the salon until she kissed his cheek and hugged him slightly.

She's beautiful and it doesn't take a minute to realize who she is in his life. Zyan opened the car door at the back and her expression turned puzzled. Her lips parted open and she opened the passenger's seat where I'm sitting in an instant.

Mabilis nawala ang magaang awra niya, napalitan iyon ng iritasyon. She looked at Zyan and crossed her arms. Without uttering a single word, she stared at him demandingly and I understood what it meant.

Bumaba ako ng sasakyan. I can feel her glares on me as I walked towards the back seat. Nakabukas na iyon kaya walang-imik na sumakay na lamang ako. Why did I assume it was just gonna be us in the car? Ba't di ko naisip na baka may pupuntahan siya? Na baka may susunduin siyang girlfriend?

I closed the door on my own and saw her roll her eyes and irritably get inside the car. She slammed the car door closed. Nang makapasok sa kotse si Zyan ay halos manigas ako sa kinauupuan nang hilahin niya ito at halikan ng mapusok sa labi.

I looked away immediately feeling something clawing my insides. I can even hear the sound of their lips as they kiss. It was so wrong of me to get in his car. But he shouldn't have offered to take me home kung susunduin niya pala ang girlfriend niya.

I'm his ex and we're not even remotely friends. Did he think I was such a cool person na okay lang sa akin ang ganito? Or maybe he's cool and perfectly done with whatever's between us before kaya okay lang sa kanya ito. And he thinks I am too so I won't be affected at all.

Am I not affected? In those nine months of healing my mental state, did I also move on from us? Kasabay ba ng paggaling ko ay ang pagkawala rin ng nararamdaman ko para sa kanya? Did the distance made me forget about him?

I gripped the door handle and without looking at any of them, I said, "I'll just get a taxi from here. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

Mabilis akong bumaba ng sasakyan. Gusto kong maging proud sa sarili ko dahil nagawa kong sabihin iyon nang hinidi nababasag ang boses. But I know I'm so close to breaking down again. Pinara ko agad ang taxing dumaan at sumakay.

Once inside the taxi, my damn tears just started falling again. Because the answer to those damn questions? No...