A's Lullaby

Green-Eyed Jealousy (part 5)

Kelsey kissed Mikha's cheek.

Aiah was still rooted in her feet. She stared at Mikha, trying to see her lover's reaction. 

'Please push her away. Push her away.'

Mikha didn't. 

She couldn't see Mikha's expression as the girl had her back towards Aiah.

'Okay lang naman sa cheeks diba? Okay lang yun. Okay lang yun.'

No. It's probably not okay for Aiah. Because all of her feelings the day she knew of Kelsey came back.

All that jealousy and insecurity came running back in her system. The feelings she tried so hard to fight.

'Why am I like this? They're friends.' Aiah bit her inner cheeks, her chest felt heavy.

'I'm not jealous. I'm not jealous. Ang babaw mo naman Aiah.'

She turned around and breathed out. But she couldn't walk away.

"Aiah?"

"Aiahkins."

Two people called her at the same time.

One was in front of her, one called from the back.

When she looked up, she saw Colet looking concerned.

"Colet." She said.

"Aiah." Mikha called her again.

Colet stood there not knowing what to do. "Uh, balik na ba tayo sa table?"

"Mauna ka na ate Colet." Mikha said.

"Pero si Aiah." Colet furrowed her eye brows. "Aiah, okay ka lang?"

She wasn't okay.

She couldn't hear what any of them were talking about.

All she was focusing was how messy her heart beats were. How crazy her brain was malfunctioning.

Aiah took a step back as she looked at Colet. She moistened her dry lips and shakily breathed in.

"Ako na bahala kay Aiah, mag uusap lang kami." Mikha said.

Colet didn't answer, instead she kept looking at Aiah. Checking if the girl was really okay, checking what the girl was going to do. 

Again, Aiah took one step backwards. Her back nearing Mikha.

"We're going home, pasabi kela Shee nauna na kami." Aiah gave a strained smile at her friend who could only nod.

"Love? Uuwi na? Wait lang let's talk." Mikha reached out for her arm but Aiah turned around.

She was now facing her. "Tara, hatid na kita." Aiah kept the smile on her face.

"Ha?"

"Hatid na kita, tara." Aiah took the reaching hand of Mikha and led her out of the restaurant.

When they walked out, she saw Kelsey still there standing by the street. Her face hardened.

The ride back home was quiet.

Too quiet.

No one was talking, the radio of the grab driver was the only source of sound.

When they arrived at Mikha's place, the girl tried talking to Aiah.

"Pasok ka muna sa loob?"

Aiah shook her head, "Uwi na ako Mikhs medyo napagod ako. I'll see you again when I see you." She closed the car door and the grab drove off.