Hardest to Lose (Villaraza Series #4)

41 | Paglalaruan

41 | Paglalaruan

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Bumagal ang pagbaba ko sa staircase nang nakita kung sino ang bisita namin ngayong agahan.

“Iñara!” Mommy called, unsually enthusiastic. “Come here!”

Nagtama ang mga mata namin ni Markus. Kung anuman ang ikinukuwento niya sa tatay ko ay naantala. Then, of course, he smirked before pleasing my mother with praises over the food prepared.

“We pay for Iñara’s tuition but she has always been independent,” nadinig kong sabi ni Mommy nang malapit na ako sa kanila. “She buys her own stuff most of the time.”

“Mom . . .” I called and kissed her on the cheek before I went to Daddy. “He doesn’t need to know that.”

“He’s curious,” balik niya. “Besides,” nagpalipat-lipat ang tingin niya sa aming dalawa, “he has to know other stuff about you. Apparently, you don’t tell him that much.”

Nagkatinginan kami ni Markus. He just pouted his lips, trying to mask his smile, and focused his attention on the food.

I clamed my upper lip with my teeth before I occupied my seat which was situated in front of him. Muli ay nagtagpo ang mga mata namin. He was trying to compose himself but he just couldn’t. Pigil niya pa rin ang ngiti. And as for me who thought I got this shit handled, niyuko ko rin ang plato at itinago ang ngiti sa pagsubo ng pagkain. Kung hindi pa eksaheradong tumikhim si Kuya Iñovyz, baka nanatili akong ganoon.

“I didn’t expect to see you first thing in the morning.”

Mula sa pagtanaw sa malayo ay lumingon sa akin si Markus. And it became clearer to me how I felt an orphan for his gaze for the past weeks.

I missed him, horribly.

“What do you expect?” paos na tugon niya pagkalapit ko. “I didn’t see you for three goddamn weeks.”

Oh, right. The finals week and the semestral break.

After that incident in the car, we didn’t have much time to talk about it. If I wasn’t busy with my review, I was at the office. He was in his third year so he was as busy as I was. Lalo na raw at malaki ang kailangan niyang bawiin dahil ilang subject din ang nabagsak niya noong midterms. Pagkatapos naman ng finals, kinaumagahan naman ay bumiyahe kami papuntang ibang bansa para magbakasyon. We talked and texted but it wasn’t as much. Ayoko rin kasing nagpupuyat siya para lang makausap ako, considering I was in a country hours advanced. Naintindihan niya naman iyon. But I knew he just wanted to discuss everything personally and without any distractions.

“How was your vacation?”

Nagkibit-balikat siya. “Okay naman. It was boring but nothing I could do about it.” Sinuyod niya ako ng tingin. “You enjoyed abroad.”

“Hindi naman masyado.”

“You’re glowing.”

Naparalisa nang ilang segundo ang ngiti ko. “I-I’m always glowing.”

Tinaasan niya ako ng kilay, nakangisi at nagyayabang. “I thought it’s because of me.”

If we were just in our normal situation, either I would have thrown him a punch or said something awful against him. But now, all I could do was enjoy my silence and the painful throbbing of my heard.

I got it really bad with him.

“Excuse me.”

Umawang ang bibig ko nang dumaan si Kuya Iñovyz sa gitna namin. Nang nilingon niya kami saka inirapan, doon ko lang na-realize na binangga niya pala kami.