Protecting What's Hers

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞

Katherine Evans

No, no it can't be true. Brendan is just trying to get on my nerves by spouting nonsense. Sinisiraan niya lang si Felicity.

These words keep on repeating my mind for the whole time as I maneuvered my car in the middle of the road.

Lumalagpas na ng isaang daan yung pagpapatakbo ko na yung halos kalahating oras na byahe papuntang bahay ay naging mabilisan.

Hindi na ako nag-abala pang i-park ng maayos yung sasakyan ko sa labas ng bahay at agad na pumasok ako sa loob.

Mabilis akong pumasok sa opisina ni daddy at doon hinanap ang mga papeles na siyang magpapatunay ng sinasabi ng lalaki.

I shouldn't be doubting Felicity.

Heck, I shouldn't even let that bastard mess my mind yet here I am, flipping through papers and cabinets just to find the sheet of paper that contains everything.

Everything's a mess. Kalat na yung mga papel sa mesa at sahig pero hindi ko parin mahanap yung pinunta ko dito.

Napaupo ako saglit sa silya and buried my face on my palm as I let out an exasperated sigh.

Hinilamos ng palad ko ang mukha as I slightly grips my hair in frustration.

This is so absurd.

And fucked up.

Not until my eyes landed on a certain dirty white watermarked paper na siyang nakapailalim sa mga papeles ni papa.

It was a letter for court appearance.

━━━༻❁༺━━━

Felicity Alvarez

"Hello." Agad na sagot ko sa tawag.

Nanatiling tahimik ang kabilang linya at tanging pag hinga lang ang naririnig ko.

"Katherine?" She only answered me with a hum. "Ba't ka napatawag?"

I heard her take a heavy breath before responding to me. "Nothing I - I just. I miss you."

And those words are enough to bring warmth across my chest. "I miss you too. Nakauwi ka na ba?"

"Not yet. I'm here outside your apartment."

Agad na napabalikwas ako sa kama at tinungo ang bintana ng kwarto. And there she is, leaning on her car under the light of the street lamp.

She waves her hand upon seeing me at dali - dali naman akong bumaba at lumabas ng inuupahang bahay patungo sa kanya.

"Slow down, mapatid ka." She said as I found myself wrapped in her embrace.

Her intoxicating scent starts filling my nostrils and it took a large amount of strength not to bury my face in the crook of her neck.

Inilayo ko ng bahagya ang sarili at pinagmasdan ang kabuuan ng mukha nito. My eyebrow knit in confusion when I saw how disheveled she is.

"Okay ka lang?"

She nodded her head before pulling me closer to her once again. "I am, I think I'm catching a cold lang." She said, slightly sniffling.

Kinurot ko ito ng bahagya sa tagiliran na siya namang ikinawingi niya.

"And here you are standing outside in cold weather. Teka lang may gamot ako doon kunin ko la —."

"No need, just stay here with me. Let me embrace you for a while."

Mas lalo kong binaon ang sarili sa yakap nito while I felt her grip into my body getting tighter. Hindi naman nakawala ang unti - unting pag silay ng ngiti sa labi ko.

Who would have thought that this woman, who's everyone is afraid of, clinging to me like her life depends on it.

"Kaunti nalang at mahihigitan na ko ng hininga sa higpit ng yakap mo, Ms. Evans."

Mabilis na linuwagan nito ang pagkakayakap sa akin and took a step back just to put a few inches of distance between us.

"Seryuso, ayos ka lang?" Muling tanong ko when the street light cascades down her features, making her face more visible in my view.

Maga ang mata nito, na para bang umiyak ito ng ilang oras bago ako pinuntahan.

"Felicity." Sabi niya sa seryusong tinig.

"Ano? May masakit ba? May nangyari ba bago ka pumunta dito?" I can't help but voice out my concerns.

Agad na iniling nito ang ulo but that gesture is not enough to assure me that she's okay.

"Sure ka —." But I got cut off mid sentence when she mumbled something. "Ano?"

"We should stop."

At yung dating saya na dala nito sa akin ay napalitan ng unti - unting pag durog sa loob ko.

"Katherine."

"I'm not doing this with you anymore, Felicity. I can't."

I took a step forward to touch her but she flinched, causing me to stop reaching her.

"Bakit? Ayos naman tayo ah. May nagawa ba 'kong hindi mo nagustuhan?"

"No, you didn't do anything."

"Pero bakit?"

She took a deep breath and for the first time in this moment, she locked her eyes into mine.

"You remembered when I told you how I despised my brother's murderer the most?"

Confusion starts hitting me like a brick. Ano ang koneksyon nito para gustuhin niyang itigil ang namamagitan sa amin?

I nod my head slowly as she swallowed the lumps that were forming in her throat.

"My brother was killed through a vehicular accident in August thirteen, twenty nineteen. He was only a baby boy at that time, Felicity. God, he's too young for his life to be taken by some drunkard."

"Ano naman koneksyon nito sa relasyon natin? Katherine naman —."

"The vehicle that crashed the car that my parents were driving was owned by Henry Asuncion Alvarez."

That made me shut my mouth as an icy chill spreads through my body like a damn disease.

No.

"Katherine." I choked out as tears started to stream down my face, mirroring her own.

Iniling ko ang ulo dahil hindi ako makapaniwala sa sinabi niya. Hindi ko kayang tanggapin.

"I can't pretend and be with you without even thinking about him. Hindi ko mawala sa isip na yung taong kinukwento ko sa'yo ay siya rin pala ang dahilan ng pagluluksa ko hanggang ngayon."

Ang sahol ng tadhana.

"He was killed by your father, Felicity. Your very own blood and flesh." She took a step back, further away from me. Slowly slipping out of my reach.

"I'm sorry but I can't be with the daughter of my brother's murderer."

━━━༻❁༺━━━

well, i don't know how to explain what i'm feeling while writing this.

siguro, satisfaction.

HAHAHAHA