Run Away, Bride (as published by Lifebooks) - Complete

Chapter 4: About This Guy

SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL. She was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her. Masakit dahil hindi niya masabi rito. Masakit dahil nakikita niya itong napakaganda pero hinayaan niyang iba ang paniwalaan nito. It hurt because she didn't know she took his breath away and he might never have the chance to tell her. And another guy would have all the credit of telling her.

Nagtagis ang bagang ni Slance nang makita niyang tila pinopormahan ni Knight si Bride. Si Knight na may doctorate degree sa pambobola. Si Knight na walang pusong may kakayahan na saktan ang mga babaeng umiibig dito. Ang walang-hiyang si Knight na di hamak ay mas magandang lalaki sa kanya. Ang buwisit na si Knight na mas mabuting lalaki kesa sa kanya.

"I will just assume that you're watching Barbara with the corner of your eyes while your eyes are on Bride."

Napapitlag siya sa nagsalita. Si Alex iyon, ang asawa ni Bea at ang bestfriend ni Bride na lalaki. Who might already have had the chance to hug Bride or date Bride...kiss Bride. Just the thought of him that close to Bride made him angry. Umiwas lang siya ng tingin.

"'Wag kang mag-alala, hindi kita isusumbong," ani Alex na tuluyan nang naupo sa tabi niya. Nakaupo lang siya sa may balkonahe ng resort na nakatapat sa may pool, umiinom ng strawberry shake habang pinapanuod sina Bride sa pool kasama sina Knight at mga kapatid niya. Hindi nanaman niya naiwasang mapatingin kay Bride.

"Paborito ni Bride ang strawberry milkshake," ani Alex. "Hindi siya iyong tipo na masyadong worried sa calory intake niya, although she exercises regularly. Blueberry cheesecake is the key to her heart. Hindi siya kumakain ng okra, ampalaya, at carrots. Pero paborito niya ang kangkong at repolyo."

He didn't know any of those.

"Mahilig siya sa mga bata," pagpapatuloy ni Alex. "Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, dalawampu't apat na iyong inaanak niya. She has the tenacity of a saint dahil kaya niyang maging pasensyosa sa kahit anong klaseng bata. I've always admired that about her. I knew she was born to be a mother."

Hindi niya rin alam iyon.

"She has a scar on her upper right leg because of saving Barbara from a biycle accident. Meron siyang nunal sa may kanang balikat at balat sa kaliwa. May—"

"Mag bestfriends lang ba talaga kayo ni Bride?" hindi niya naiwasang itanong. Alex's descriptions were getting too intimate. If he was pissing him off, it was working.

Tumaas ang isang kilay nito saka tumango.

"Best friends lang?"

"Well, we tried to fall in love when we were in college. We dated and got to know each other on our junior year pero walang spark. Bago paman namin mabigyan ng label kung ano kami, nagdesisyon kaming 'wag nang ituloy. Then I met Bea and I fell in love with her. Doon na mismo nasabi ni Bride na iyon ang rason kung bakit kami nagkakilala, para magkakilala kami ni Bea."

Para siyang dinaganan ng isang toneladang bakal sa dibdib. Alex ditched Bride for her own sister. Like what he just did now. He mentally cursed. Kung ito ang karma niya sa mga pananakit niya sa damdamin ni Bride ay saktong-sakto ang balik nito. Doon niya nalaman na mali lahat ng ginawa niyang pananakit kay Bride. What he did to hurt her feelings went back to hurt him. Two times...no, three times more. Kung kaya lang sana niyang... Umiling-iling siya. There was no use regretting the past. He just have to live with its consequences.

"Let me tell you why Bride and I didn't work out," ani Alex nang wala siyang naging reaksyon sa kwento nito. Hindi niya ito tiningnan. God, the guy didn't know how to shut up. "There was a guy."

Agad siyang napatingin dito pero hindi siya nagsalita. Dammit, why was there always a guy?

"Sa tuwing magkasama kami ni Bride, lagi siyang nagku-kwento tungkol sa buhay niya. Which included topics on the triplets, Maji and Posy, her job, and her household life but nothing about herself. Kaya tinanong ko siya tungkol sa past relationships niya. Immediately, she transformed into someone I can't recognize. Iyong Bride na napakaaliwas ng mukha ay biglang naging isang babaeng tila may sakit na dinadala. Then she told me about him."