Mended Broken Souls (✔️)

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Crush mo na rin si Caleb?"

Tinalikuran ko na si Venice para tuluyan nang makapunta sa cafeteria dahil gusto kong makainom ng tubig. My throat became dry, and I was also sweating with the realization.

Hindi ko pa 'to kailanman naramdaman dahil wala pa naman akong nagustuhan. Basta ramdam ko ngayong naiiyak ako dahil ayaw ko nito. Ayaw kong magkagusto. I want this to be gone right away.

I bought a bottled water and sat on the chair in front of a table. Mas mabilis pa sa kidlat na umupo si Venice sa harapan ko. Tears started to well up in my eyes, but I immediately wiped them.

Parang tanga lang.

"Marami kang hindi sinasabi sa 'kin, pero kahit ito lang, Ashia, sabihin mo na. Hindi na kita aasarin, promise, para hindi ka na ma-pressure," she said while smiling.

Her smile isn't the same like her teasing smile earlier.

Nanatili akong nakatingin sa kaniya ilang segundo para makasiguradong hindi na niya ako aasarin. The reason why I don't want to share it with her because I feel pressure everytime she teases me.

"Answer my question earlier first. How did you recognize your feelings for Kuya Aiden? This is my first time and I'm not an expert in determining something like this. I'm not sure if I really like him or not." I took a deep breath after I asked that.

Sobrang bilis pa rin ng tibok ng puso ko sa kaba, and seriously, it is killing me.

"Sa totoo lang, hindi ko rin alam, eh. Unang kita ko pa lang sa kaniya, crush ko na siya. 'Yong unang pagtagpo pa lang ng mga mata namin, ramdam ko nang may kung anong espesyal sa kaniya. May nabasa rin akong post sa Facebook na kapag bumabagal din daw ang mga galaw niya sa paningin mo... naranasan ko na 'yan sa kaniya. Napapangiti ako sa tuwing nandiyan siya. 'Di rin ako makatulog gabi-gabi kaiisip sa kaniya."

I was listening to her response intently. I recalled the things I did the same to what she did. Ang mabagal na paggalaw. Napapangiti tuwing nandiyan siya. Hindi makatulog sa gabi kakaisip.

No, it can't be. I really don't want to admit it!

"A-Ah, okay..."

"So, ano nga? True talaga? Crush mo na siya? When? Why? How?"

I looked at her with my reaction that says, I'm so done with her. Bakit kailangang sunod-sunod pa ang tanong?

"Oh, sige na nga. Kuwento ka na." She did a peace sign. I took a profound breath again.

God, I didn't expect this day to come because I'm not that type of girl who daydreams about being head over heels with someone.

"Remember the time I asked you over the phone on how to apologize to someone?"

She nodded.

"Si Caleb... Siya ang gusto kong hingian ng tawad no'n. I went beyond the lines with my words. I said something that had surely offended him. I was being bothered for two days and all I thought about was him... on how he got offended by my words through remembering his reaction."

"Hala, talaga? Ba't 'di ko alam?" Magpapatuloy na sana ako, pero sumabat agad siya.

My brows furrowed. I really hate it when someone cuts off my words during the intense part.

"We're okay after that, kaya hindi ko na sinabi pa sa 'yo."

Tumango siya. I spoke again, " Hindi ko alam kung guilt lang ba ang nararamdaman ko, pero parang may kung anong lumalamang. It was his birthday when I apologized to him, also the first time that I was the one who approached him first. At..."