Alabang Boys Series #1
Jaesie Rosenthal knows what she brings to the table, and love is just another luxury she doesn't have any plan to buy. But a multi-million-peso agreement is something she will consider when it comes to business.
When Rico Dard...
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IT WAS another night with Rico inside my condo unit. Another day inside my kitchen—which I would assume was his favorite part of any house. Wala naman akong planong patagalin siya sa lugar ko, but he was making everything so easy for him, like asking questions for us to have a longer time with each other.
"Open pa rin ang line mo with your 'former' flings. Isn't that hard for you?" he asked as he sipped his tea from his cup.
I didn't like tea, but he brought a box for me to calm my ass down every time I was exploding "mentally."
I answered, "I don't want them to be strangers in my life."
"You don't hold grudges? That's admiring."
"Why would I? Everybody deserves all the chances in the world basta ba patunayan nilang deserving sila."
"And no one considered that a trap?"
I froze for a moment, trying to digest what he meant by that. "A trap?"
I gave him my questioning look because he was analyzing things no other man tried to tackle with me.
"You give people a second chance," he continued, placing his cup above the wooden coaster. "You know what's scary about second chances? Handling a broken trust." Naupo siya nang maayos pasandal sa dining chair kung saan siya nakapuwesto. "Alam mo ang pakiramdam ng madurog kaya inaasahan mo na. Nagiging passive-aggressive ang tao kapag nasanay nang nadudurog ng iba. Wala pa man, may expectation na sila sa mangyayari. You're stereotyping, you're being defensive, you're keeping your guard up, you're building walls."
"And you're assessing me again, Mr. Dardenne."
"Because understanding you means understanding why you hurt those around you."
"Those around me hurt me more."
"Hurt you more!" he exclaimed. "Oh, and you don't hold grudges. Is giving them a second chance giving them a chance to be better? Or giving them a second chance means exposing how you can live better without them?"
Rico knows how to offend people by exposing them to themselves.
Hindi siya nakakatuwang kausap pero natutuwa ako na siya lang ang kumakausap sa akin nang ganito. Naiinis ako na nabibilib sa kanya.
He was right in a sense na gusto kong makita ng mga nanakit sa akin na hindi nila ako nasaktan kahit na halos durugin na ako ng ginawa nila. Gusto kong makita nilang okay ako—na mas okay ako nang wala sila.
Nagtiwala ako. Hindi madaling magbigay ng tiwala sa ibang tao. Pero nakaka-disappoint na ganoon lang nila 'yon sinisira na parang kastilyong buhangin sa tabing-dagat. Na matapos buuin biglang sisirain habang tumatawa pa.
Hindi sand castle ang feelings ko. Hindi sila tubig sa beach na natural na sumira ng tiwala ko. Hindi natural ang pagsira sa tiwala ng tao kasi madalas sa madalas, sinasadya na nga, pinag-iisipan pa talaga para lang masaktan ka.
