Mister Villain

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Nang ma-receive ni Maine ang tawag galing kay Louise, she was so caught off-guard, it took her a full minute before she could respond.

The harrowing week she had took her mind off so many things that she had completely forgotten the lunch date she had with her bestselling book's heroine.

"Kumusta ka na?" the woman across her at a café in Quezon City asked worriedly.

Napailing si Maine. She was too distracted. "Sorry Louise. Marami lang akong iniisip."

"Napansin ko nga e" her friend smiled "Anything you want to talk about?"

She shook her head again.

Ni hindi pa nga niya nasasabi kina Louise at Enzo na nag-desisyon siyang sumulat nang second book, paano pa niya sasabihin dito na nag-iisip siya nang paraan paano malulusutan ang demonyong RJ Faulkerson?

"Basta andito lang ako Meng kung kailangan mo nang kausap ha?"

Louise was so much like an angel, paano ba to nagkagusto doon sa dimuhong si RJ, in the first place?

"Ikaw, kumusta ka?" she focused on her friend instead. Hindi na muna niya iisipin ang kahit na anong bagay sa mundo dahil mauubos na ang brain cells niya kakaisip sa mga Faulkersons and the mess she found herself in.

"Magka-away kami ni Enzo ngayon" Louise answered.

That was new. "Oh bakit? Anong pinag-awayan nyo?"

"Maliit na bagay lang naman sa tutuusin pero masyado kase akong sanay na napagbibigyan e kaya siguro naninibago ako hanggang ngayon kapag di ko makuha gusto ko."

In all the time she knew them, the couple never struck her as two people who would have things to fight about. They were just so well-matched.

Yet... there's a first time for everything nga siguro. "Ano ba tong gusto mo na di mo makuha?"

Bununtung hininga si Louise. "I just feel like he's been working too hard lately nawawalan na siya nang oras sa amin. He just got promoted kase ayoko naman siya pigilan sa pagtatrabaho. Familiar naman na ako with men and their ambitions pero I miss him Meng. Kahit yung five minutes lang na usap namin sa gabi bago matulog, wala na. Masyado na kase siyang pagod."

Maine didn't really know what to say. "Nag-usap na ba kayo about this?"

Tumawa ang kaibigan. "Yun nga e! Kahit ito hindi namin mapag-usapan. Ni hindi ko alam kung kailangan na din ba akong magpa-schedule sa assistant niya para lang magka-oras kami."

"How long has this been ongoing?"

"For a month na."

"Well... you have to tell him na about it Louise. I doubt matutuwa yun kapag na-realize niya na hinayaan niya lang mangyari to."

Another deep sigh. "Siguro... well... I mean I cannot help but compare him with RJ sa mga ganitong pagkakataon e."

"WAIT! ITIGIL MO YAN! YOUR EX IS A FOUL DEVIL INCARNATE! HIGIT NA MAS MABAIT SI ENZO DUN!"

Nanlaki ang mata ni Louise sa kanya.

She let out that last sentence stronger than she intended.

"Galit na galit ka ha."

Maine took it a notch down and tried to bring back the focus to Louise and her problem with Enzo. "Just don't go comparing Enzo with your ex. Alam mo na walang patutunguhang maganda yan."

Louise threw her hands up. "I know. I know. Sinusubukan ko din namang pigilan ang sarili ko from having these thoughts pero they are constantly there kase I keep getting reminded how RJ always just found time for me, nung kami pa. And I know you don't know him Meng and what you pretty much know of him is what we told you during the part that Enzo and I were getting closer pero the reason why I really fought what I felt for Enzo back then was because RJ went through leaps and bounds for me so much. Minahal niya talaga ako and even though he was the newly installed head of their company, I never felt his absence from our relationship."