Curse of Love [Free Space Series #2]

CHAPTER 41: Slap

"S-Stop, this is wrong," tinulak niya ako habang naghahabol ng hininga. 
 
Pinanood ko siyang yumuko at mag-iwas ng tingin. She closed her legs and gripped the table. Her other hands were holding on to her chest while I remained silent. 
 
"Nothing happened between the two of us, this is.. all an illusion." 
 
I did not respond and just stared at her. 
 
"I need to go home." Hindi niya ako tinapunan ng kahit na isang tingin. Dumiretso siya sa mga gamit niya at saka ito nagmamadaling iniligpit. 
 
Nang maisukbit niya na ang bag niya, tahimik akong sumunod sa kan'ya palabas ng faculty. Inilock niya ang pinto saglit tapos nagpatuloy na ulit sa paglalakad. 
 
No one's talking between the two of us. We're both quiet. 
 
"Ihahatid na kita." Huminto ako dahil malalagpasan na namin ang sasakyan ko. "Lynpen." I called for her after she ignored me.

Hindi siya huminto at hindi rin ako nilingon. Problemado kong hinawi pataas ang buhok dahil sa inis. 
 
"Lynpen." Habol ko sa kan'ya at bahagya siyang hinawakan sa braso na mabilis niyang iniwas. 
 
"I can walk." 
 
"It's too dark for you to walk. Sumabay ka na sa'kin." I gripped her wrist again. "Ano ba?" 
 
"Marunong akong mag-commute." 
 
"I know you can, okay? But I need to give you a ride home." Sinimulan ko siyang hilain papunta sa sasakyan ko. I opened the door for her. "Get in." 
 
She crossed her arms and just looked away. 
 
I sighed. "Look, I know you're thinking about the kiss-"
 
"I'm not!" She pushed me away and began to walk again.
 
What the fuck?! 
 
Hinabol ko ulit siya at hinarangan. Para kaming tangang nagpapatintero rito sa daan.

"If you're mad at me, just continue it tomorrow."

No answer.

"Come on, I will not let you walk! It's too dark!"
 
"I can handle myself. Go away." 
 
"No, you can't. Madalang may dumaan na tricycle nang ganitong oras, Lynpen. Bakit ba ang kulit mo?" I grip her on her wrist and look at her with a serious expression. "The road's not safe for a woman like you-"
 
"What do you mean by that?!" 
 
"Your skirt is too short! At ang daming tambay na nag iinom sa labas!" 
 
"There's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing!"
 
"Of course there's nothing wrong with what you're wearing. Utak nila may ubo kaya hayaan mo na akong ihatid ka. Hindi natin kontrolado utak ng mga 'yan." Hinila ko ulit siya palapit sa sasakyan at saka siya pinagbuksan ng pinto. 
 
Dumiin ang bagang ko nang hindi nanaman siya pumasok. 
 
"You're making this hard."
 
"Ako pa talaga?" Muntik na akong matawa. "You're the one who's making this hard. Ihahatid lang kita ang dami mo pang seremonyas. Bakit ba hindi ka nalang pumasok sa sasakyan? Kung tutuusin nga ikaw naman may kasalanan nito. Nasa ganitong sitwasyon tayo ngayon kasi hindi mo ako ginising. Ikaw narin mismo nagsabi sa sarili mo na dapat kitang ihatid kasi binantayan mo ako buong magdamag." Sa bilis ng pagsasalita ko, para na akong nag r-rap. 
 
Nanatiling nakakrus ang mga braso niya habang nasa gilid lang ang tingin at parang iiyak na. 
 
I sighed. "Fine, I'm sorry." 
 
She did not respond. I saw a tear rolling down her cheeks, she aggressively wiped them away. 
 
"Lynpen-" 
 
"Don't follow me." Matigas na turan niya bago magsimula nanamang maglakad. 
 
I clicked my tongue in annoyance. Pinanood ko siyang maglakad, nang makalayo na siya sa'kin pero hindi parin humihinto, nauubusan ng pasensyang hinabol ko ulit siya. 
 
"You're too stubborn!" Takbo ko. Nang maabutan ito, kaagad ko itong hinarangan at hinawakan sa magkabilaang balikat. 
 
Pero ganoon nalang ang panghihina ng mga tuhod ko nang makitang umiiyak siya. 
 
"Hey-" 
 
"Don't touch me." She pushed my hands away. 
 
Natahimik ako. 
 
"Why did you do that?" Her voice almost cracked. "This is all your fault! that shouldn't have happened in the first place." 
 
"But you responded to it-"
 
"It was a mistake!" She pushed me in the chest. "And I feel so horrible right now. We shouldn't be doing things like that!" 
 
She pointed her index finger at me while wiping the tears rolling down her cheeks. 
 
"Listen. No one should know about this. You will not tell anyone. Not to Linken, not to your friends, especially not to Van." Nanggagalaiti niya akong hinawakan sa kwelyo. "Sa oras na malaman kong may pinagsabihan ka ng tungkol dito, I will not think twice about destroying our friendship." 
 
The end. 
 
After that night, we never talked to each other ever again. Natapos nalang lahat-lahat ang trabaho ko, pero wala paring interaction na nangyari saaming dalawa.