Relentlessly Yours [Completed]

Chapter 12

Nicola, Age Twenty Two
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Nakangiting pinasalamatan ko ang organizer ng pinakaunang exhibit ko. Nagpaalam siyang maunang umuwi dahil edo-double check niya pa ang cater para sa exhibit bukas.

Nilingon ko si Leyton na nakabusangot ang mukha habang nakatayo sa gilid at tiningnan ang mga paintings na naka-display para sa exhibit bukas.

"You should be paying me millions for this, Cole," he said grumpily when I stepped beside him to look at the same piece he's looking at.

It's a painting of the sillhouette of his back as he stared at a mysterious girl from afar.

It hits close to home because well, Leyton recently found an obsession that shook all of his friends and family combined.

Me? I understood him. Alam na alam ko ang pakiramdam ng magkagusto sa isang tao to the point na wala ka ng ibang maisip kundi siya lang.

The only difference between us is that the object of Leyton's obsession has no idea about his existence, while mine forgot that I exist.

"Come on, maganda kaya. And look at how I captured the feelings behind it," nangingiting sabi ko na lalong ikinasimangot niya.

"I'm not sure I still like to be your friend."

Natawa ako ng bahagya sa kanya. He can be such a big baby sometimes. Seriously, hindi ko alam kung asshole siya or nagta-tanrums lang minsan.

After the two anxiety attacks that I had four years ago, my father concluded that both of my episodes were because of Kai because after that, hindi na naulit ang anxiety attack ko. Siguro dahil na rin sa naging abala ako sa pagpapakalat ng kung anu-anong tsismis tungkol sa kanya para tantanan siya ng mga babaeng gustong lumapit sa kanya.

I did it tirelessly for the first two years and had to stop because for some reason, he found out that it was me. 

I still get lonely and might even have been depressed for a period of time but I didn't experience the same near to death-like experience that I did four years ago. Dalawang taon 'din akong umasa sa anti-depressants pero sa tulong ng pagpipinta at pagkaka-abala ko sa restaurants ni Daddy, I eventually stopped taking the medications and began feeling better.

Napagpasyahan ni Dad na tigilan ang pagsuporta sa pagsunod-sunod ko kay Kai sa mga karera niya sa iba't ibang bansa. He decided he didn't want Kai in my life anymore.

Which forced me to resort to other means because, despite the fact that Kai didn't want me in his life anymore, my heart still longed for him. I still hoped and prayed na kami pa 'rin sa huli. Kailangan ko siyang makita kahit sa malayo lang. I had to breathe the same air as him even from afar.

I asked Leyton to help me sell some of my paintings to their clients who might like to add something to their walls.

Leyton's mother pressured him into getting a girlfriend and I told him I'd pretend to be his girlfriend if he helped me. The idea was ridiculous but I was desperate. Naturally, tinawanan ako ni Leyton ng malakas. He said he would rather date the bitch, Samantha, than date me.

"You're a fucking complication I don't need in my life, Cole."

Inirapan ko siya nang marinig 'yon. Akala niya ba gusto ko siyang maging boyfriend? Kaya nga pretend eh.

Anyway, he agreed to help me without any conditions for some reason. Nasa real estate ang pamilya nila kaya naging madali para sa kanya ang tulungan ako. May mga clients na nagpapa-commission sa akin ng mga gusto nilang ipapinta. Some also had me painting on the walls of their offices or business.

Hindi ko pa rin alam kung bakit pumayag si Leyton na tulungan ako at mas lalong hindi ko alam kung bakit ako humingi ng tulong sa kanya. Weirdly, we started to become friends, he even goes out of his way to taste test my pastry recipes from time to time. Leyton liked his food, while I grabbed every morsel of help he could offer.