A Collision of Hearts and Heroes

Chapter 28

Clarissa's POV

Boyfriend

I stared at Gasper, eyes burning with fury, as tears of anger threatening to spill over. He looked back at me with fear etched across his face.

"You intentionally made sure your team lost, didn't you?" I asked. "Tangina, Gasper! I thought we really won!"

That feeling when you believe you've finally achieved something you worked really hard for, only to find out it was all a setup. The joy from your accomplishment turns into disappointment when you realize your opponent deliberately let you win.

"That was even more painful than actually losing, Gasper," I said, unable to hold back my tears any longer. "Tangina, akala ko talaga nanalo kami."

"You really did," he whispered softly. "You did, Clarieth. Wala sa plano namin ang ipatalo ang grupo. We did not sabotage that match, I promise," his tone is desperate and pleading.

"Liar," I spat.

"Believe me. Magaling ka kaya kayo nanalo. I swear, I did not intentionally lose our team. Sadyang na outplay niyo lang kami."

I wiped away my tears while he tried to hold and comfort me. Each time he reached out to touch me, I pushed his hand away.

The overwhelming frustration kept my fucking tears falling. I might be overreacting, but I was really hurt and felt completely deceived. Sa nangyaring iyon ay para lang nila akong ginagago at pinaglalaruan.

"That wasn't a pyrrhic victory, okay?" Puno ng lambing ang kaniyang boses.

Humikbi ako sabay pahid ng luha sa pisngi. He seemed genuinely sincere, and based on what I know about him and Lyle, they don't strike me as the kind of people who would deceive others.

"Nakakainis naman! I look so cute with my outfit right now, pero paiiyakin niyo lang ako," parang bata kong pagmamaktol.

I noticed Gasper suppress a smile as he gently took my hand. When he succeeded, he held me in a tender embrace.

"Right?" He spoke in a gentle, almost babying tone, as if talking to a young child. "My baby looks so gorgeous in her outfit pa naman. How dare we?"

I pinched his chest, which caused him to flinch. "You're mocking! You're not even taking this conversation seriously."

"I'm not mocking. Why would I mock my baby, hm?" Mas lalong lumambing ang kaniyang tono.

He's crouching down, so his face is pressed against my neck. I'm 5'4, but the way he adjusts his height to reach my neck makes me feel like I'm not even that tall. Parang na-insulto ako bigla, pero ang cute niya.

"I'm sorry. Just trust me when I say you're a great player," saad niya.

Nagtayuan ang balahibo ko nang patakan niya ng isang halik ang aking leeg. Para akong nakiliti kasabay ng pagtayo ng balahibo ko.

"Shall we go out to dinner now?" Maingat niyang tanong.

"Fine."

I'm still not entirely convinced that our victory isn't ultimately a pyrrhic one. I wasn't planning to come along with him, but it would be a shame to waste my outfit if I don't get to show it off.

I wasn't sure which restaurant we were heading to, so I didn't ask for details and let him pick one instead. But I had this nagging feeling we were headed to Mamou—and it turned out I was right. He already reserved a table for us, and we settled in a quiet spot away from the crowd.

While waiting for our orders to arrive, I fixed my bangs with my fingers when I felt them get messy. I could feel Gasper's gaze on me as I was doing it, so I turned to look at him. Ngumiti siya nang nagtama ang tingin namin kaya tinaasan ko siya ng kilay.