Just the Ticket

Chapter 38

Chapter 38 #jttwbs

"Sa resort, I knew that you still love him just by the way you looked at him."

Napakagat ako sa ibabang labi. I didn't know I gave that away easily. Iyong girlfriend pa talaga ang nakapansin. Freaking hell, Erisette.

"Fret not," Ingrid said upon noticing my reaction. "I can't blame you. Ako nga, e... Since I was eight years old."

Itinikom ko lang ang bibig ko nang inilingan at tawanan niya ang sarili. Makalipas ang ilang sandali, nauwi siya sa buntong hininga.

"I appreciate that you didn't act on it. And that even if you were right there in front of him, he didn't betray me. Maybe stepped on the line somehow? Pero wala na sa'kin 'yon. Malinaw naman ang mga kasunduan namin mula umpisa. I was just the so-called girlfriend. I know that. I always had... Kasi wala. Ganito talaga. No matter how unfair it is, unrequited love exists. It must be enough that at least, he was once mine.

And I'm so over this. I'm so over him. 'Di ko namalayang moving on na ako kahit so-called kami pa. Kaya sinabi ko kay Fern na hindi ka naman ata engaged or married... He said he'll confirm, that's why he followed you here. Nagkasundo ulit kami na kapag tama ngang libre ka pa, alam na namin ang mangyayari."

"Nabanggit niya rin 'yan..."

She curtly jerked her chin. "It will be over for us. Hiling ko lang, sabihan niya ako, in which he did. So... yes, we're over."

Nagkatitigan kaming dalawa. But it was rather harmless, neither sharp nor provocative unlike moments ago before the unfolding of truths.

"That's it," she breathed out after a jiffy. "Our boring love story. Baka kasi hindi sapat sa'yo na version niya lang ang marinig. I'm here so we can get this over with and move on with our lives."

I nodded my head. "Nakapagpaliwanag na nga rin siya. Pero salamat din sa'yo. I didn't expect you to come here for this."

Pinaningkitan niya ako ng mga mata. "I don't owe you anything now. I've done my part and what I could to make things better for the both of you."

I nodded again with a sincere curl on my lips. "Hindi mo naman 'to kinailangan gawin, tapos nandito ka. Thank you. Really."

Kumunot ang noo ko dahil tinitigan niya lang ako pagkatapos ng sinabi ko. May bigat sa titig na ipinapataw niya at nabigatan ako roon.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I didn't really get him fairly. Maybe I used some trick."

"Ano'ng ibig mong sabihin?

"Maybe I was the reason why you had to live here. Away from our hometown. Away from Fern. Five years ago."

"H-Huh?"

She released a regretful sigh, the sound of her breath whispered that if she could only bring back the time, she would.

"Your mother loved me that much to give me everything I wanted and to make everything easy for me. Alam niyang gusto ko si Fern."

Napalunok na ako bago ko pa naisip ang lumunok. I slowly shook my head, adamant to stand with what I believed in. That... certainly couldn't be.

"H-Hindi. It was about s-something else.

Ingrid just held my gaze apologetically. "I'm sorry," she just said, which didn't abate the constricting in my chest.

That couldn't be the reason. I know what was my mother's reason for kicking me out. Even though it shattered my world, I compromised because I completely understood her situation. Kaya hindi! Baka mali lang si Ingrid!