After the almost kiss… after he stood up and turned away, she felt pain. It’s as if some pinched her heart. But she tried to shrug it off. She knew she didn’t have the right to expect and feel that way.
“Uhm… Ge, I think we better pack up. May dadating na magsasara nitong model house maya-maya. Baka makita nila ito,” she said while starting to pack up the dinner setting.
He felt how her mood changed but he did not dare talk about it. He knew very well what it was about. That very moment he wanted to take her in his arms and apologize but he knew it would be wrong. So instead of saying anything, he just helped her.
The ride home was very quiet. Nobody spoke. It was a good that thing traffic was light. They got to Sarah’s house in no time.
Gerald was about to hop out of his car to open Sarah’s door but she stopped him. “Don’t. You don’t have to anymore. Tapos na ang pagpapanggap.”
He didn’t say anything. He stared at the road ahead of him.
“I don’t know if we’ll still see each other after this but you know you have a friend in me if you need anything,” she softly said.
“We’ll still see each other. ‘Pag naging kayo na ni Sam eh di madalas na tayong magkikita kasi he’ll probably bring you to all our get-togethers.”
“What made you so sure na magiging kami?”
“Sinagot mo nga ako sa pretend courtship ko di ba? Kung ako ang magiging consultant n’ya eh di most likely sasagutin mo din s’ya,” he said trying to sound funny.
“We’ll see. Wala pa nga pinapangunahan mo na.”
“Alam ko namang doon din ang punta n’yo eh.”
“You don’t know, okay!” she said sounding irritated.
He was taken aback by the tone of her voice. With his hands tightly gripping the steering wheel, he just bowed his head and waited for her to say something again.
“I’ll see you around,” she said this time a bit more calm. She stepped out of his vehicle, closed the door and went inside their house without looking at him. She then saw his car leave.
Since that night, Gerald didn’t have the courage to get in touch with her – no flowers, no calls, no text messages. She on the other hand, didn’t want to make the effort of reaching out to him. She waited for him.
Sarah was seated at their terrace, deep in thought, when a car pulled up infront of their house.
“Sa!” a familiar voice called.
Her face lit up when she saw him. She stood up and hurriedly opened the gate for him. “Hi!”
“May kasama ako,” Gerald said.
“Ha? Sino?”
She looked outside, looked past him, and noticed that there was another car parked behind Gerald’s. Just then the front door opened and out came Sam flashing a toothpaste-commercial smile.
“Hi,” Sam said.
Sarah smiled back and said hi as well. She looked at Ge, whom she caught staring at her.
“Huy!” she said to him. “Pasok muna kayo.”
“Hindi na ako papasok Sa. Hinatid ko lang talaga si Sam,” Gerald said.
Sam was now standing beside Gerald holding a bouquet of white tulips.
“Sarah, these are for you,” Sam said as he handed her the flowers.
