That Unfaithful Night (Completed)

Chapter 31

I was waiting for the elevator to come and fetch me, get me out of there, in that perfect world of Dan and Liv, where their love rules. I was fighting back more tears.

Walang nakapansin sa pag-alis ko dahil everyone was mesmerized by true love happening in the projector and maybe in real life. Walang kontrabida sa video, in real life dapat wala ring kontrabida.

Naka-receive ako ng text.

From Dan! It read: 26F Rm 2608. I'm here. Punta ka dito.

My whole world stopped. I was bursting with emotions and I didn't know kung anong uunahin ko.

He wants to see me? Bakit? To tell me nauntog na sya and he's staying with Liv? To tell me naka-move on na talaga sya sa'min noon at ginusto nya lang gumanti so he slept with me again? To tell me he's sorry 'cause matutuloy ang wedding nila?

I looked back at everyone oohing and aahing to their love story still running in the projector. How could he walk away from this? From all this support for their love? How could he walk away from their love? From their history?

Sinong ipapalit ni Dan? Ako? Eh sino lang ba ako?

Gulo ako. Makakasira lang ako sa kanya. They have a bright future ahead of them. I should walk away.

"Ana!" biglang hila sa'kin ni Say.

"O Say!" nagulat ako dahil mas malala ang iyak nya sa'kin. Humahagulgol sya, pulang-pula ang ilong at mga mata nya. Pinunasan ko kaagad ang mga luha ko para hindi nya mahalata. "Anong nangyari sa'yo?

"Let's get out of here!" sabi nya.

Tamang-tama ang dating ng elevator at that moment. Sumakay kami. Pinindot nya ang parking floor.

Nakita ko ang 26 sa pindutan. Tinitigan ko yun.

"Oh my God Ana!" sigaw ni Say that snapped me back to reality.

"Ano bang nangyayari sa'yo?" tanong ko sa kanya.

Niyakap nya 'ko habang humahagulgol sya. Hinagod ko lang likod nya. Bumukas ang pinto sa parking, lumabas kami at pumasok kami sa isang sasakyan.

Tumawag bigla sa'kin si Dan. "Where are you?"

"Si Say umiiyak. Nandito kami sa parking," sabi ko kay Dan.

Nanahimik si Dan sa kabilang linya. Pagkatapos, "Ha?"

"You heard me," sagot ko.

"Pupunta 'ko dyan," sabi ni Dan at ibinaba na nya ang tawag.

"Who was that?" tanong ni Say.

Sh1t! Bakit si Dan ang kausap ko sa phone? Makakahalata ba si Say? "Um, si Dan," sabi ko.

Tumango sya. "Okay."

"Ano bang nangyari Say?" tanong ko.

She was choosing her words. May ayaw syang sabihin pero parang kailangan nyang ilabas ang nalalaman nya. "Sh1t kasi eh!" nasabi nya.

"Manghuhula ba 'ko?" tanong ko. "Do you feel you need to tell someone?"

"You're the perfect person actually kasi hindi mo kami kilala," sabi nya. She looked into my eyes.

Mmm, well... I know Dan very well. "Okay, so? What's up?"

She was fidgeting. She was contemplating if she was going to tell me or not. "I made the stupid fvcking mistake of falling in love!"

Don't we all make that mistake? Sino bang hindi tanga sa pag-ibig? "Okay. Ayaw nya ba sa'yo?"

"I think now he won't," sabi nya. Umiyak sya ulit. "Ang tanga tanga ko kasi!"

"Hmmm... si Kearn?" tanong ko. 'Cause they just slept together last night! If merong iba eh di wow Say. Busy.

"Uhh," unsure nyang reaksyon. "No."

Naguluhan ako. "So iba? Pero the way you answered parang merong something sa inyo ni Kearn."

"He's part of this fvcking complication."

"Si Phil?" tanong ko. Dahil they went on movie dates before this Hongkong trip, sabi nya kahapon.

"Yes," sagot nya. Mas napaiyak sya.

Hay tumama rin ako. But Phil seems like a good guy. Anong problema? "Um guessing game ba? Mahirap na kasing hulaan kung ano yung issue."

"Baka hindi nya na 'ko gusto and I'm worried," sabi nya. "I now know I love him."

"Bakit naman hindi ka na nya gusto?" tanong ko.

"'Pag nalaman nya na what happened last night between me and Kearn, he'd hate me," sabi nya at baling sa'kin with fear in her eyes.

"Why did you sleep with Kearn ba in the first place?"

"Eh kasi sya naman talaga yung gusto ko highschool pa lang kaming lahat!" sabi nya na tangang-tanga sa sarili. "I was drunk that night! Diba? And I thought Phil and I were just friends. Akala ko wala lang yung lumalabas-labas kami. Friendly."

"Does Kearn like you?" tanong ko.

"I don't think so." She clammed up.

"Eh why did he sleep with you kagabi?"

"'Cause he's a jerk?! And for effect."

"For effect? What do you mean?" usisa ko.

"Well..."

Kumatok si Dan sa pinto ng sasakyan. Napasinghap ako sa kagwapuhan nya. Nagulat ang buong pagkatao ko. Nang kumatok sya ulit narealize kong kailangan ko syang pagbuksan ng pinto.

"What happened Say?" tanong nya looking at Say. Binalikan ako ni Dan ng tingin taking me in in the dress I was wearing. Natigilan sya saglit pero bumalik ang focus nya kay Say.

I didn't realize that Say looked scared. "Hindi mo naman sinabi sa'kin na pupunta si Dan dito," sabi ni Say sa'kin na may kaunting sisi at galit.

"Ha?" nasabi ko tuloy sa kanya. Bawal ba? Mali?

Bumaba si Say ng sasakyan.

"Say saglit!" habol ko sa kanya.

"I have to go!" sabi nya.

"Saglit nga!" habol ko pa rin.

"What's happening?" tanong ni Dan.

"Wala Dan, wala," sabi ni Say sa kanya. "Go back to your party."

"Say, wait!" habol ko. "Dan we were talking, bumalik ka muna sa taas. Ako na muna ang kakausap kay Say," sabi ko.

Tumigil si Dan ng habol sa'min.

"Say!" sigaw ko. "Masakit na paa ko sa heels!"

Tumigil naman si Say. Lumingon sya. Bumalik sya at kinuha nya ang kamay ko hinila pabalik sa pinanggalingan namin.

Bumalik kami sa sasakyan. Dan was outside the car waiting for us. Naka-upo sya sa gilid.

"What is happening Say?" tanong ko. "Tell me. We were talking about Kearn. You were telling me about why Kearn slept with you. You said it was for effect. Effect for what?"

"Can you promise not to tell anyone? 'Cause I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Okay, I promise," sabi ko.

"Malalaman ni Phil ang nangyari sa'min ni Kearn 'pag sinabi 'ko 'to. Pero hindi kasi kaya ng konsensya ko."

"What?"

"Kearn and Liv are having an affair."

Napatingin ako kagad kay Dan na nasa labas, nakasalampak sa ground.