The Only Escape (Isla Julieta Series #4)

Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

"Are you okay now?" tanong ni Azariah habang tumutulong ako sa pag-aayos ng hapag para makapaghapunan na kami.

Valerio, who was cooking, glanced at me. Ngumiti ako kay Azi at tumango.

"May naalala lang."

"It must be so heartbreaking for you to cry like that..." Azi pouted her lips and hugged me.

I chuckled and I hugged her back. "I'm fine."

Kumalas siya sa yakap at humawak sa magkabila kong balikat. "It's about him? Nagbreak kayo dahil kay Nikolas? He's so gwapo and hot but I'll hate him for that!"

Tumawa ako at umiling. "Huwag mo nang intindihin iyon. Okay na ang lahat." I tapped her shoulder to assure her but my heart is breaking.

Alam kong walang okay dahil pinatay siya nang dahil sa akin. And how he accepted his death just to admit to my father that he's my boyfriend and that he loves me is even more painful. I know this was going to happen the day I said yes to him being his girlfriend, pero mas inuna ko ang pagmamahal ko sa kanya kaysa pairalin ang utak ko at lumayo na lang para hindi siya mapahamak.

It was selfish of me to allow our relationship to happen. Kapalit noon ay ang buhay ng inosenteng tao. Until now, I am still so guilty of that. Although I don't regret being in a relationship with him, loving him, and accepting his love. That was the most humane thing I did in my life. That was the closest thing to experience being a normal person despite being a member of an illegal organization.

Habang tumutulong ako na isalin ang kanin sa lagayan, may kung anong tumama sa mata ko kaya mahina akong napadaing at sinapo ko ang mata ko. I scratched it and blinked, but I still feel like there's something inside.

Naramdaman ko ang paglapit ni Valerio at hinawakan niya ang pulsuhan ko. Humawak siya sa baba ko para iangat ang mukha ko. My heart is beating erratically again, hindi ko alam kung dahil sa galit kasi kaharap ko na naman siya.

Pinakatitigan niya ang mata ko at sa hindi ko malamang dahilan, tumitig din ako pabalik sa kanya. Napalunok ako habang ginagantihan ko ang mga titig niya. His brown eyes felt like gravity, pulling my soul to him.

I have lived with a dangerous person, surrounded with dangerous armed men since I was ten, but I've never felt more scared being in front and this close with the person I hate the most because of his cocky attitude and his greenmindedness. Ngayong araw pa lang kaming nagkakasama and he's been effortlessly pushing my buttons. Pero itong ganito na nagkakatitigan kami, napapawi ang mga iyon. Napapalitan ng kung ano mang pakiramdam na naranasan ko na dati sa isang tao but I think, this one's a bit different.

It's like he can make my blood boil in anger, at the same time, he's also the one who can make my heart melt. Depende sa klase ng tingin at ngiti na binibigay niya sa akin.

He used his left hand's fingers to open my eyes and then he blew on it. Napapikit ako nang mariin at bahagya ko siyang itinulak.

"Now, blink your eyes," he said.

Ginawa ko iyon nang tatlong beses at hindi ko na maramdaman ang kung ano mang mayroon sa mata ko kanina. Bumaling ako sa kanya at tinapunan ko siya ng masasamang tingin.

"How's your eye?" Nagtaas siya ng kilay.

"Akala ko ba kasama mo si Jane ngayon gabi?" I rolled my eyes at him and picked up the bowl with rice.

"Wala namang go signal mo, at saka baka magselos ka pa." Tumawa siya nang mahina.

It's that laugh and smile again!