If Only You Loved Me | ✓

Chapter 6

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Messenger
Lotte

Lotte:
I've been helping you
with ziah already

Its so hard to pretend to like you, you know? 😔

I told you she's a hard nut to
crack haha

Ryker:
she makes me harder haha jk

i dont mind

she's ziah for pete's sake

if she makes this hard for me (like how she does with my d) i'll accept it wholeheartedly haha

Lotte:
Ikaw bahala

But I'm warning you lang ha

If this is all games for you,
fuck you agad haha

Ryker:
life fucks me hard already haha
no need to remind me 🫶🏻

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Chapter 6

It's hard to trust someone when it's easy for most people to betray you without even trying. Pareho kaming naninimbang ni Ryker sa tinginan naming dalawa. I know that he was waiting for me to bite the bait.

"I forgot my red bag in your condo unit," sabi ko kay Ryker. "P'wede ko ba makuha?"

He shrugged off then took his time to say goodbye to his friends. Ang ilang mga babae ay naintriga sa akin. It was like an open secret, they knew that there's something between us but they're also clueless about it.

Against my better judgment, I went with Ryker to his car. Sumama ako nang hindi man lang inisip kung ano ang posibleng mangyari. Siya naman ay kalmanteng iginagawad ang kamay n'ya sa aking baywang.

Binalik na n'ya kay Eastre yung leather jacket. Hindi ko alam kung paano nakagawa ng paraan si Eastre na hindi magmukhang baduy ang pagsuot no'n. Ang init-init kaya sa Pilipinas. . .pero in fairness dahil bagay naman ito sa kan'ya.

Sa gitna ng mga naglalarong ilaw sa dilim, hawak-hawak n'ya ang kamay ko na para bang naniniguro siyang hindi ako mawawala sa paningin n'ya.

"Ilang beses na tayong nagkasabay ng pinupuntahan na bar," I pointed out. Kumunot ang noo ko dahil sa napagtantuan. "Were you following us? Dahil kay Lotte?"

"No?" Halakhak ni Ryker. "It must be the fates trying to tie you with me. Ikaw kasi. . .bilis mo makalimot."

"Bakit? Why would you expect me to remember you?" pagbubusa ko sa kan'ya. "Ikaw rin naman ah? You look like you'd tear her apart and depart."

Natawa si Ryker sa sinabi ko. His shoulders moved as he let out his laughter. Nangunot ang noo ko. Sige, tumawa ka lang! Sa susunod talaga ay siya ang sasagot sa wheelchair ko!

"I'm sorry for tearing you apart, babe. Kung di ka naman kasi umuwi agad, baka may round six pa tayo."

"Kahit may quiz tayo?" Nag-angat ako ng kilay sa kan'ya.

"Hmm, after the quiz, syempre," he grinned at me. "Wala man nga lang tayong cuddle. Para akong nagkama ng multo, alam mo ba yun? Bigla-bigla kang nawala," he said.

I was guilty of those charges. Hindi ko rin naman siya inaasahan sa mga bagay na iyon. The cuddles and after care are for those who want intimacy and emotional attachment. Hindi ko alam kung kailangan ko ba iyon dahil ayoko nga magkaroon ng kahit anong koneksyon sa kan'ya.