Priceless - O N H O L D -

36

Chapter 36

"Kuya! Are you insane?" Said Sky as she follows me wherever I go. From my bedroom to the kitchen and back to my room. "Kuya, you already found your true happiness. This is so not right. You being with ate Carina again is oh so not right. You're not happy with her anymore."

I paced fast down the living room and she still follows me. This kid is really getting on my nerves now.

I went home because I can't face Carina yet. But Sky keeps on nagging at me like I'm a kid that did something stupid.

"Shut up, kiddo." I told her as I drink on my glass of Patron.

Sky faced me with her arms crossed. She won't surely stop nagging. Will she?

"Kuya, baliw ka na." Said Sky emphasizing every word.

Maybe. I'm crazy. F*cking crazy.

"Forget Carina, kuya Cloud. Don't do things that you'll regret for sure. Stop being with her. It's all in the past and whatever happened back then was just a memory..." Sky steps closer and closer until she's just one foot away.

"...good memories to remember. Pero hindi na dapat balikan." She said seriously.

I sighed as I sits on the couch and rest my back comfortably. Leaving Sky standing in front of me.

"Sumasakit lalo ang ulo ko sa'yo." I told her and she just frowned.

"You're giving me headache as well, kuya. You're so dumb." Sabi pa ni Sky at tsaka umupo sa tabi ko.

I was about to drink my liquor again but she grabbed it and placed on the table beside her.

"Is this really what you want? Be a father to her child? Be a man to another woman? Leave the lady you fell in love with big time?" She placed her hand on my shoulder as if asking me to look at her and I did.

I looked at her and this girl knows me well, she knows what I really want. She knows how badly hurt I am right now. She knows how stupid I am right now.

But I just can't choose my happiness when it means leaving the girl I've loved deeply before.

"I can't, Sky. I'll be beside Carina kahit anong mangyari. It's not just about me anymore. My happiness isn't the issue here right now." I stood up and walked away.

Sky didn't follow me anymore. She knows me well. If I say, I will.

* * *

The next day I went back to Carina. I knocked on her door, the door that was owned by Yumi.

It was Yumi's room. Naiimagine ko tuloy na s'ya ang lalabas sa kwartong 'to. With her messy hair, messy pajama and messy face. I can imagine her shouting at me and asking me why the hell did I wake her up.

I can't help but smile on my thoughts. Just when Carina opened the door with her son and told me, "Seems like you had a good day..."

My smile fades but I managed to bring a fake one back, "I was just happy to be back."

She looked straight in my eyes. "Oh. Great. I was about to prepare breakfast eh pero biglang umiyak si Kurt. Pwede bang ikaw muna magalaga sa kanya?" She smiled pero alam kong may tanong sa isip n'ya.

Kurt.

Sounds like my second name. Isn't it? Because I'll be the father for him for the rest his life. I chose this. I agreed to this.

But can I?

Can I really do this?

I looked at Kurt's eyes and I melted. This boy doesn't have anything to do about the situation. I hugged him tight as I promised to protect him.

Jusy like his mother protected me years ago.

"Kent, how was your friend pala?" Carina suddenly asked habang nagluluto. Her back is facing me.

I gulped because she's asking about Yumi and it's so f*cking hard for me to lie. But in the end I really had to lie.

"Okay na s'ya..." I answered halfheartedly. Guess she's okay now dahil kasama n'ya si Ivan.

She didn't answer back, she just nodded and I know she still want to ask more.

"She's a friend, Carina..." I told her again.

Just then she stopped moving and bowed her head, "A-A friend? I remember her, Kent. We saw her at the lift when I first came here. And yet you two acted like you do not know each other. A friend that you can't even looked straight? A friend that you can't even talked with?"

I'm out of breath. Sh*t. She remember Yumi. Akala ko hindi na n'ya maalala si Yumi no'ng nakasalubong namin s'ya sa elevator.

She faced me just to see how I'll answer her. Just to show me that she's hurt and confuse at the same time.

"Kent. Just tell me, who is she?" Tears fell down her cheeks but wiped it right away, "I want you to tell me. I want to know."

"I told you. She's a friend. So stop thinking too much, Carina. Baka makasama 'yan sa'yo." I said but she's still in tears.

"I-I hope so, Kent. You're my hope. I can't even think of loosing you again. I just can't..." Her words tore my heart into pieces. I walked towards her and hugged her really tight while carrying Kurt in one arm.

"I won't leave you." I promised her as she wrapped her arms around Kurt and I.

---- To Be Continued