Nagising ako sa ring ng cellphone ko. Si Dan yun, tumatawag.
I looked at the bedside clock and it was six in the morning. Gavin was sleeping beside me. Nakatulugan nya na rin ang pag-sama sa'kin dahil "masakit" ang ulo ko.
"Hello?"
"Hey. Asan ka?" diretsong usisa ni Dan na pabulong pa. Halatang wala syang oras at tago ang call na yun.
Ang gandang bungad nito ah. Walang sorry? Walang kahit ano? "Wala na 'ko sa aparador Dan," bwisit kong sagot na pabulong din para hindi marinig ni Gavin.
"Asan ka?" ulit nya. "Are you with Gavin right now?"
Aba. "Oo, bakit?"
"You better explain yourself later at our party," sabi nya and cut the call.
I gathered all the strength of character that I have para hindi maibato ang phone ko. How could he talk like that? He's such an asshole! Pag-iisipan nya pa ng masama na magkasama kami ni Gavin?
Okay. Granted, masamang pakinggan na ganito kaaga magkasama kami ni Gavin. It would seem like we slept together kasi nga naman, we technically did. But we just slept beside each other, yun lang, no funny business. Pero ano bang alam nya? At pagkatapos ng kahapon, sya pa yung may ganang gumanito sa'kin?
At ngayong kabibisita ng fiancée nya, na nag-plane pa para i-surprise sya, hindi sila nag-sex kagabi? Sya ang kailangang magpaliwanag sa'kin! Imposibleng hindi dahil for sure inaasahan yun ni Liv sa kanya.
Naluha ako sa inis, galit at bwisit. Pilit kong nilabanan yun kaya punas ako ng punas ng mga luha ko. Ilang beses kong minura si Dan sa isip ko pero mas maraming beses sa'kin dahil natatangahan ako sa sarili ko. Kahit kasi galit na galit ako, umaasa pa rin ako na hihiwalayan nya si Liv, at mahal na mahal ko pa rin kasi sya.
Nagpupuyos ako sa galit ng maalala ko ulit kung pa'no nya 'ko itinulak sa aparador at kung pa'no nya sinabi sa'kin na kailangan kong magpaliwanag kung bakit mag-kasama kami ni Gavin. Makikita nya. Pupunta talaga ako sa party NILA.
Ano? Man of the hour sya? Keeping two girlfriends? Yung isa official at technically girlfriend at yung isa bestfriend at fiancée? Ikina-gwapo nya yun?
Makikita nya mamaya. He won't know what he's going to miss again.
I kissed Gavin to wake him up. Kiss talaga, bilang ganti kay Dan. Nagising sya agad at nagulat. "Whoa. Good morning! Mukhang okay ka na."
"Breakfast tayo?" yaya ko sa kanya.
"Sure," sabi nya.
Niyaya ko sya sa kilalang breakfast place sa Hongkong na saktong-sakto, nasa hotel ni Dan. I was sure dun sila kakain.
Hindi ko na kailangang hanapin sina Dan dahil sila ang unang nakita ko pagpasok namin ni Gavin sa restaurant. It was a good thing naka-akbay si Gavin sa'kin when we entered.
I didn't look at Dan at kay Liv na nakatalikod. I knew they'd see us dahil dadaan kami sa harap nila, lalo na sa harap ni Dan.
I prepared. Girl scout ako nung grade school at high school eh. I was wearing white shorts that revealed my long legs and my loose shirt was V-necked letting a super small glimpse of the top of my depths. It's subtle and simple pero kilala ko si Dan. And me with Gavin, this early in the morning? Alam kong maiinis sya. This move was low pero hindi ito para kay Liv who, bless her, doesn't know anything. The charade was for insensitive Dan. It was for taking me for granted.
Pumila kami so we could order our food. Fastfood-style kasi ang restaurant na yun.
"Uy Ana, look, si Dan," sabi ni Gavin sa'kin. "Dan!" tawag nya agad. "Ayun ata si Liv, girlfriend nya."
BINABASA MO ANG
That Unfaithful Night (Completed)
RomanceI found him, my escape. He was every bit what I wanted and needed to get out of the stale and abusive relationship that I was in. He too, though, was in a relationship with someone. We were wrong but I have grown to love him. Making things right i...
