Forever With You

CHAPTER 28

PABLO's POV

I gulped as I hear those words from Bianca. How did she say it? I mean, okay lang siya na hindi ko siya pansinin ng ilang buwan?

Ten months, halos isang taon ko rin siyang iniwasan at halos hindi kausapin pero nandito siya ngayon sa bahay kinakausap ako at sinabing namiss niya ako ng walang pag-aalinlangan man lang.

"Aren't you supposed to be mad at me for avoiding you?" I asked her.

She just shook her head as he continued what she's doing in my arm.

"Hindi ako galit. Pero nagtatampo, oo." sabi niya tsaka umangat ng tingin sa akin. "Natiis mong iwas-iwasan ako eh. Paano mo nagawa 'yon? Wala nalang ba ako sa'yo?" tanong niya at nahalata ko na may bahid ng sakit ang huli niyang itinanong.

"I just gave you a favor, actually. Lalaki ako, Bianca. And as a guy, I don't want my girl being with another guy that I don't like. Umiwas lang ako dahil kapag hindi ko 'yon ginawa, that Jeff would've ask you to stay away from me. Knowing how close we are, I know he will missinterpret things between us." I explained na agad naman niyang sinagot.

"You could've asked me first before you tried to avoid me. Sana tinanong mo man lang ba ako kung okay lang sakin 'yon o sana naman sinabihan mo ako na gagawin mo 'yon. Hindi yung bigla-bigla ka nalang hindi nagparamdam, iniwasan mo 'ko, hindi mo pa kinausap. You don't know how I became so bothered by that time. Iniisip kita. Iniisip ko kung may nagawa ba ako o may nasabi ba ako sayong mali para iwasan mo 'ko. Kung galit ka ba sakin o ano. Sana man lang nagpaliwanag o nagpasabi ka no'n." mahabang lintanya niya na nagpatikom ng bibig ko.

I'm processing the things she said. Alam kong may kasunod pa ang mga iyon at hindi nga ako nagkamali dahil muli siyang nagsalita.

"Alam mo bang deep inside, nakaramdam din ako ng takot noon..." sabi niya. Kita ko ang pangingilid ng luha niya pero agad niya 'yong pinunasan. "Akala ko kasi mawawala ka na sa akin." sabi niya ulit. But even I, even I just hear that words from her now, parang naramdaman ko rin yung takot na sinasabi niya. "You know you're the only friend that I have after what happened to me and Ara. Akala ko tuluyan na akong mawawalan ulit." sabi niya ng may hinanakit.

As I noticed her starting to get emotional, unconsciously, my hand get her hand and gently caressed it.

Marahan siyang suminghap tsaka tumingin ulit sa akin.

"Atsaka, dahil doon lang ba kung ba't ka umiwas? Hindi mo naman kailangang umiwas eh. Jeff asked me about you and I explained to him... I told him what's your role in my life, you're a part of me, Pau, alam mo 'yon. Napakalaki ng parte mo sa buhay ko. You're the second man aside kay Daddy na sobra kong pinahalagahan at pinapahalagahan. Ayokong mawala ka sakin, hindi ko kaya... Hindi ko man 'to nasasabi sa'yo sa tagal nating magkasama but please know that I treasure the friendship that we have... I treasure you... Wala sinabi si Jeff about it but I know he understood it. Walang problema sakaniya."

I honestly don't know what to feel. I'm feeling that there's still more about the things she said. But there's a part of me na kontra kaya nagsalita ako.

"He's jealous, Bianca. Syempre hindi 'yon papayag na mas malapit ka sakin at hindi sakaniya. Hindi niya lang sinabi sa'yo pero alam kong nagseselos s—"

"Sabihin mo nga sakin, Paulo. Are you talking about him being jealous or you're just talking about yourself?" she asked me directly which caught me off guard.

"H-Hindi ako nagseselos... B-Ba't naman ako magseselos?" mahina kong sambit.

Ipinadyak niya ng mahina ang paa niya sa sahig tsaka inis na tumingin sa akin. Napaiwas nalang ako ng tingin at napalunok ng bahagya.