Always And Forever

Bitawan mo ako

"Nak!", 

She heard someone called her while she was hastily walking towards the parking lot, she turned around to see who was calling,

 "Pa!", she smiled and went to Dr. Joseph, 

"Asa ka paingon?"(Saan ka papunta?), he asked while they walked and his arm around her shoulders, 

"Welcome dinner, ingon baya ka"(Welcome dinner, sabi mo eh), she enthusiastically replied,

 "Hmm kala ko di ka pupunta",

"Baket naman?", she asked, 

"Ang busy mo, ni tawag ng lolo mo di mo sinasagot", he opened, she stopped walking and faced him, 

"Papauwiin lang nya ako",

 "Oh bat di ka umuwi?", Joseph removed his arm from her shoulders and placed them inside his pockets, 

"Pa naman, alam mo kung bakit diba?", 

"Nak", he paused and let out a deep sigh, "It's about time, your grandfather is not getting younger, you two should talk", he said in a calm manner, hoping to console Leonor. 

She was silent, she didn't utter any word, and just stood there facing him while her while coat hanging by her arm,

 "Any way let's don't talk about this", he held her shoulders, "but think about it hmm?", she just nodded and watched Joseph walked ahead of her, 

"Sinong mag da-drive sa'yo?", Joseph's voice echoed through the parking lot, 

"Si Miko pa", 

"Miko? Diba sinabe ko na sayo-", 

"Pa, matagal na yun", she cut him, "Wala na yun", she assured, 

"Siguradohin mo lang ha", he said while opening his car's door, "Mababaril ko talaga yan", he threatened,

 Leonor just chuckled, he sounded like a father to her,

 "Kuyog mong David?"(Mag kasama ba kayo ni David?", Joseph asked while buckling his seatbelt , she nodded in response with a smile, "Good", he uttered and drove away.

-

The drive with Michael was silent, the sound coming from the radio was the fuel of the atmosphere, she was obviously avoiding any conversation from him, this was their first car drive since that day 4 years ago. Michael was stealing glances of her, while Leonor was just starring away from the car's window. 

 "May sasabihin kaba?", she broke the silence as she noticed Miko's constant glancing at her,

 "Ha? Ah wala, wala", he shook his head and smiled awkwardly. 

They just drove in silence after that, passing through different establishments until they reached the resto where the welcome dinner was to be held. As she was unbuckling her seatbelt, she noticed a red lipstick from the floor, 

"Kanino to?", Leonor asked and picked it up, 

"Ah wala yan", Michael replied in such fake tone, 

"Di ka parin nag babago", she chuckled coldly and didn't gave Miko a chance to talk back,"Tarantado ka parin" she continued and went out slamming the car door behind her.

-

They settled themselves and began to finally eat after few speeches of adulation, she was seated between Ferdinand and Joseph, quietly eating and did not bother to join the conversation, 

"Is something wrong?", Joseph whispered to her, 

"Wala pa, pagod lang", she whispered back and smiled with assurance.

"Nasan kana ba?", Leonor texted Riza, it took her friend a moment to response, 

"Kakalabas q lang ng OR", Riza replied,

"Punta kapa d2?"

"Di na siguro, magpapahinga na aq",

She put her phone inside her pocket after reading Riza's reply, 

"Oy hinayhinay lang", she heard someone said to his colleague after he chugged a whole glass of beer, other doctors cheered and that was the beginning of the drinking part. 

Everyone was having a good time, drinking, singing videoke and chatters. Hours passed and it was already late, others already bid their drunken goodbye and few of them stayed to sober up,

 "Pa cr lang ako", she informed Joseph who was slightly influenced by alcohol, 

"Hindi kalang basta cr nak, you are something else", he joked, she scoffed, 

"Corny mo", she replied with a coy smile and headed to the comfort room.

She looked blankly at her reflection in the mirror, for some reason sadness seemed to travel her body that very moment, it was ambiguous for her, her body was telling something but she cannot figure it out, "Alcohol won't help" she thought, 

"Pauwi na ako", she sent a text to George, and in a swift, a ding from her phone was heard, 

"Late na, gusto mong sunduin kita?"

"Wag na, rest kana, alam kong pagod ka" she declined, knowing that George was probably still working on his cases, 

"Okay, ingat, love u lol". 

His reply brought small smile on her lip, George was the person that she needed that moment, but she didn't bother, she placed her phone inside her bag and applied a few retouch of her makeup . Leonor went out of the comfort room and saw Michael leaning against the wall holding a glass of whiskey, 

"Oh bakit ka nandito?", she began, 

Miko took a sip, his expression and movements were drunk, 

"Gusto kitang maka usap", he said, 

"Para saan?", she replied and closed the door behind her, 

"About us", his response stunned her, she looked at him confused, 

"Para saan pa?Miko, we're long over", she countered with an absurd tone, 

She then began to walk away, but as she did, Miko grabbed her wrist, 

"We'll make things work", he convinced but not in a polite way, 

She looked at his hand gripping her, and then starred straight into his eyes, 

"After what you did to me nothing-will-work", she dropped and tears began to form in her eyes.

 She attempted to walk again, but this time, Michael forcefully grabbed her and pinned her against the wall, 

"When I said we will, we will", his eyes were fiery, and his expression was full of lust, she never saw this side of him, 

"Miko bitawan mo ako", she said softly avoiding to be heard by anyone, 

 Michael didn't listen, instead he began to ghost her neck. This made Leonor uncomfortable, and uneasy, his grip was tight and she can't move, 

"Miko bitawan mo ako", she begged again slightly raising her voice,

He didn't listen and began to unbutton her blouse, it was already below the belt and Leonor gathered the courage to fight back, 

"Ano ba sabing bitawan mo ako!", she shouted and harshly pushed Michael slamming him against the wall, this made the glass of whiskey fall and shattered into the floor making him furiously looked at her with desire, "Nasisiraan kana ba?". 

Michael just sarcastically scoffed and strongly grabbed her again, forcing his way to her, she tried to push him, but his manly strength was overpowering her, 

"Miko tama na", 

Her begging echoed through the hallway while he continued doing his thing , he looked at her, and motioned to kiss her, but before he did, someone grabbed his shoulder and threw a hard punch on his face, making him lose his balance and fall, the broken pieces of glass that was scattered pierced though his back.