Steal His Innocence - Completed

CHAPTER 31: Hes Mine

VIANA POV

" and who is this tyrone? " medyo iritable niyang sabi

" He's my friend, Micha's cousin. its nothing and bakit ba? " naiirita kong sabi

he smirked " Hugging as a friend? "  bigla siyang tumayo at umiwas sa akim. Hindi siya tumingin sa'kin, hindi rin siya naghintay ng sagot ko—parang desisyon na niyang huwag na akong pakinggan.

" kainis " sabi niya, flat pero matalim.

Then he walked straight to the bathroom, sinara yung pinto nang hindi dinabog—pero yung tunog ng lock, parang may diin. Parang piniling i-seal yung galit niya sa loob, kasama siya.

Napahawak ako sa batok ko. "Okay??" bulong ko, kahit walang kausap. "Wow."

Bakit ba ako nakakaramdam ng guilt? Kasalanan ko na naman? Bakit parang ako lagi yung may kasalanan kapag si Asher yung nagwawala? Oo, mukha kaming close ni tyrone. Oo, nagparty ako. But I didn't cheat—cheat on what? Wala naman kaming label. Wala naman kaming usapan. Hindi niya ako pag-aari.

At the same time... kagabi, he literally sent his cousins to guard me. As if I was a rule he needed to enforce. 

Huminga ako nang malalim, trying to steady myself. Kung ganito siya, maybe I should stop fantasizing. Wala namang patutunguhan 'to. Mas okay na yung old version namin—yung kinukulit ko siya, tapos kunwari naiinis siya pero hindi naman talaga. Yun ang safe. Yun ang kaya ko.

Pero bakit, ngayon, kahit "safe" na version... parang may gap na? Parang may namuo na sa pagitan namin na hindi na kayang takpan ng jokes.

Narinig ko yung tunog ng shower turning on. The hiss of water. It filled the condo like a wall. Like he wanted noise so he wouldn't have to hear me. Or himself.

I was about to walk away—either to his kitchen, or his balcony, or anywhere na hindi ko maririnig yung sarili kong utak—when the doorbell rang.

Isang beses. Then another, impatient.

Napakunot-noo ako. Hindi naman siya mahilig magpapunta ng tao nang Sunday. Si Symone? Si Paulo? Si Pixie? Baka may "mission" ulit.

I opened the door.

At bumungad sa akin si Hara.

Naka-floral dress din siya, kulot ang buhok, lips glossy, parang fresh kahit tanghali. Dala niya yung bag na mukhang hindi lang pampasok—parang pang-date. Yung aura niya, polished. Too polished. Like she practiced what face to wear.

Huminga ako nang malalim. Okay, Viana. Be decent. Mabait naman siya before. Hindi niya ako tinatarayan noon. She even gave me water that one time.

Kaso... kahit anong pilit kong maging "mature," kumukulo pa rin yung dugo ko. Ayoko silang magkasama ni Asher. Ayoko ring aminin kung bakit. Gusto kong maging possessive, pero mali. Sobrang mali.

"Hi, Hara!" bati ko, pilit masigla. Pinilit kong i-stretch yung smile ko hanggang sa mata.

"Hello," sagot niya—pero yung tono, may kakaiba. Hindi yung usual sweet. Parang... testing. Ngumiti siya, pero hindi rin umabot sa mata.

I smell something.

"Lalabas ba kayo ni Ash?" I heard myself saying, too fast, too chatty—parang reflex kapag kabado. "Sabagay, best friends kayo, 'di ba?"

Her smile widened—slow, deliberate. 

"Yeah." She tilted her head. "It's a date."

Then she stepped closer, like she wanted me to hear every syllable.

"Because from now on," she continued, softer but sharper, "he's gonna be mine."

Parang may humila sa sikmura ko.