One of the Boys 1 & 2 (Published by Pop Fiction)

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Four

Past

A year ago...

"Eight? Bakit Eight?" Tanong ni Zoe. Sa dami ng pwedeng i-pangalan sa kotse, bakit Eight pa? Curious siya kung anong meron sa number na 'yun.

"Just because." Ags shrugged kahit alam naman niya kung bakit. It was Apa's birthday and she didn't want to forget it. She would never forget it, but she still wanted a reminder so whenever she'd use her car, she'd still remember him.

She just didn't want to let go. She wasn't ready to move on. Apa was the only man she wanted to love and be with. Clerk na si Ags at konti na lang, kaya na niyang humarap kay Apa. Gusto niya kasing pag humarap siya dito, successful na siya. She wanted to be worthy of him.

She was tired of hiding and although she wasn't sure if Apa had a girlfriend since people kept saying he already had one, she still waited. He didn't tell her to wait and he didn't tell her he would wait, but he also didn't tell her not to wait. And so she didn't stop waiting.

Her two-week rotation was in the hospital where Sean was working. Pinakilala siya ni Dr. Rylie Dela Cruz kay Sean, not knowing na magkakilala na silang dalawa. Parehas silang nagulat, pero hindi rin sila nagpahalata na magkakilala sila.

Dra. Dela Cruz noticed their reactions, though, and teased them "Magkakilala na kayo? Or attracted lang kayo sa isa't isa?"

Ags flustered. "Magkakilala lang."

"Who are you?" Sean asked playfully. "Oh, I think I remember you. Are you... Lightning?"

"Dr. Cua." Dra. Dela Cruz hissed. "Don't be rude." Nagkasama na sila ni Ags sa New Year's party sa province dati at nakikwento siya ni Julius noon.

"Noted, Doc," he said, then turned around and whispered to himself, "But she's the rude one for leaving without a word."

"Okay?" Dra. Dela Cruz raised a brow. "Don't tell me, you're the reason why he's become like that?" She laughed.

Ags shook her head. "Matagal na siyang ganyan, doc."

Dra. Dela Cruz laughed harder. "Maybe, but you affect him." She smiled. "And it's nice to see Dr. Cua being affected by a woman. Well, can't blame him. You're really pretty, but I don't think it's because of your looks." Hindi naman kasi naaapektuhan si Sean kahit gaano pa kaganda ang babae. Ags was the first girl he wanted to take seriously yet she kept avoiding him.

"Auntie, please lang."

Dra. Dela Cruz raised her hands. "Okay, okay. I'll stop." She was still eyeing Ags playfully, though. Napailing na lang siya.

Sa Canada naman, something really weird happened to Apa. Bigla siyang nagkaroon ng nanay. He really didn't know what to feel, because a woman claiming to be his aunt suddenly cared for him and treated him like her own son. Hindi naman sa ayaw niya, pero hindi niya alam kung anong mararamdaman ng anak ng tita niya.

"Hi, Lizzie," his aunt greeted, touching her cheeks. "How are you?" Nasa restaurant sila. Uncomfortable pa rin si Apa kahit ilang taon na silang magkakilala kaya lagi niyang sinasama si Liz tuwing nag-aaya tita niya.

"Tired po, but kaya naman. I'm okay as long as he's with me." She winked and nudged him. "We're partners-in-crime."

"Partners-in-crime lang ba talaga?" Punung puno ng pagdududa ang boses ng tita ni Apa. "What are you waiting for? Come on, Yuki. Man up."

He smiled. "I'm just waiting for something." Nagulat si Lizzie sa sagot ni Apa. His answer sounded like they had a chance to be together. Ilang taon na niyang mahal si Apa at hindi niya maiwasang umasa lalo na't tuwing malungkot o may kailangan si Apa, siya ang laging nandiyan.

When they got out of the restaurant, they walked together... like what they were doing everytime they wanted to talk about something. "Do you still love her?" Asked Liz.

Huminto si Apa at tiningnan si Liz. He already expected her question. Hindi naman siya manhid. Hindi niya lang talaga alam kung ready na siyang mag-mahal muli lalo na't hindi pa niya nakikita at nakakausap si Ags.

He didn't want to disappoint Lizzie. He never wanted to hurt her. All those years, lagi siyang nandiyan para sa kanya. They both knew what she felt about him. Surely, he didn't know what to do without Liz and he liked her, but he wasn't sure if it was enough.

"If you see her, makakapagdecide ka na ba?"

He nodded. "I think so."

"Will you promise me something, then?" She breathe heavily.

"Ano? Na h'wag babalik sa kanya?" He joked.

"Just... don't do anything wrong," she said seriously. "She's your friend's girlfriend. Kahit na break na sila, I don't want to see you get hurt again. Fall in love with anyone, Yuki, but not her. Not her again." Kitang kita sa mata niya kung gaano siya katutol kay Ags.

Hindi nakapagsalita si Apa agad. He was thinking about the possibilities. What if he still couldn't resist her? "What if I get back with her?"

"Of course, I'll get hurt... really get hurt." She'd feel like he just used her para maka-move on kay Ags. Kahit hindi sila ni Apa at walang something sa kanila, siya ang nandiyan para sa kanya. Siya ang nag comfort kay Apa at nasaktan para sa kanya noong panahong nasasaktan si Apa. She'd feel taken for granted. That her feelings didn't matter to him.

"What if I still get back with her?"

Kinakabahan na si Lizzie. "Then you'll lose me." Matagal niyang tiniis 'moving on' and 'letting go' stages ni Apa at kung may konsiderasyon siya sa nararamdaman ni Lizzie, hindi niya babalikan si Ags.

"Liz." He knew he was being selfish, but he really didn't want to lose Liz.

"Apa, I'm not a blanket, yung kailangan mo lang pag nilalamig ka at aalisin mo pag nainitan ka." She got confused at what she said. Saan niya nahugot 'yun?

He grinned. "Blanket? Really?"

Lizzie was still serious despite Apa's attempt to make their conversation lighter. "If you get back with her, I won't blame you, but it will be unfair for me, then you'll have to lose me.  I'll be tired of all your bullshts by then. You know I love you, right? I have loved you since God-knows-when at kahit may iba kang mahal, okay lang dahil mahal kita. I tried to make you happy. I did everything to make you happy. Pero kung babalikan mo yung nanakit sa'yo after kitang pasiyahin, hindi ko na alam dahil alam kong pag sinaktan ka n naman niya, sa akin ka na naman lalapit. If you get back with her, I'll just quit on you."

"I want to be honest with you, Liz," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I don't want to promise anything, but I don't want to lose you. You've been patient with me, and more than that, I like being with you. I'm happy when I'm with you. I'm already hurting you, pero pag binalikan ko siya, mas sasaktan pa kita. I don't want you getting hurt when all you do is ease my pain."

"Pain she inflicted," she reminded. She liked Ags for him, but when she witnessed Apa's pain, she hated her. She couldn't handle seeing him with her. Sawang sawa na rin siya sa pangalan nito. Mainlove na si Apa sa iba, h'wag lang ulit sa ex-girlfriend niya.

"It's definitely not her fault. I was broken even before she entered into my life and she made it a lot better, while I made it worse for her. I wouldn't be where I am now if not for her. She sacrificed a lot, Liz. I hurt her and she deserves someone better. I don't deserve her."

Liz shook her head. "She's the one who doesn't deserve you."

"When you get to know her, you'd regret saying that."

Even if she was the kindest person in the world, she didn't want to meet the girl who broke Apa years ago. She didn't want to meet the girl who could make Apa insane by just seeing her.