Find Your Way

Chapter Twenty-Four

Althea's POV

"Tsong, kanina ka pa balisa ah. May problema ba?" Batchi asked when she saw me pacing back and forth inside my office.

"It's Cathlyn, Batch. I-"

"Teka teka sandali lang, tsong. Tama ba rinig ko? Si Cathlyn?" She asked me wide-eyed and I just nodded.

"Kelan pa kayo nagkikita?" Batchi looked at me and gripped my forearm while waiting for my answer and stopping me from pacing. I know she's not going to like what I'm going to say next.

"N-Nung nagbar tayo, first time ko siya nakita but I never talked to her kahit hinabol niya ako. Simula noon, lagi na niya akong pinupuntahan sa townhouse ko. She never planned on showing up here and in RK kasi alam niyang nandoon kayo ni Wila. Pero hindi ko naman siya ini-entertain." I paused and I bit my lower lip. This is the part I'm going to hate to say. "N-Not until yesterday. She went up to my condo. Alam ko nakainom siya noon."

She put her hand on her chin as if she's thinking something. Then she waved her hand asking me to continue.

I washed my palms on my face to at least diminish my stress a bit. "I-I don't know, Batch, pero hindi ko maintindihan yung sarili ko. Gulong-gulo na yung isip ko."

"Anong ibig mong sabihin, Thea?"

"S-She confessed that she still has feelings for me. She said that she still loves me." I shook my head with disbelief, remembering what happened that day.

"So?" Batchi answered impatiently. I froze for a moment, contemplating if I should tell her the whole story. But the way Batchi looks at me, I know she's not going to stop until she heard it.

I cleared my throat and continue my story. "S-So noong una, nagalit ako sa kanya. Lahat ng gusto kong sabihin, sinabi ko na sa kanya. P-Pero hindi siya tumigil, Batch. She said she still loves me over and over again. At ako? It hurts to see her like that. And I know you'll get mad at me when I say this, b-but Cathlyn still has a place in my heart." I was preparing myself for her motherly tirades but she just glare at me while clenching his fist.

"L-Litong-lito ako noon, Batch. Hindi ko rin maintidihan. For the meantime, n-nakalimutan ko si Jade. Hindi ko-" I wasn't able to finish my sentence when Batchi shouted at me.

"What the hell, Thea?! Si Jade nakalimutan mo ng dahil lang kay Cathlyn?! Si Jade yun, tsong! Girlfriend mo yun! Mas matatanggap ko pa kung kaming dalawa ni Wila nakalimutan mo nun pero si Jade? Shit, Thea! Dapat hindi ka na nagdalawang-isip kung talagang mahal mo si Jade!" She seethe. By the look of her face, parang anytime makakatanggap na ko ng suntok mula sa kanya. My heart started to hammer because I'm still not telling her what I did that time.

"C-Calm down, Batch. Patapusin mo muna yung kwento ko, okay? H-Hindi ko sinasadya, Batch. G-Ginawa ko lang yun para malaman ko sa sarili ko kung anong stand talaga sa akin si Jade." I said with my head down. I can't even look her straight in the eye because I know what I did was unforgiving.

"Anong ginawa mo, Althea?" She said firmly. My palms starting to sweat as I can feel my heart pounding harder as if wanting to come out of my rib cage.

"W-We uh.. I a-asked her to k-kiss me."

"You did what?!" She shouted angrily, raising from her seat. "Kelan ka pa naging ganyan kagago, Althea?!" I saw her clenched her fist, hard. So hard that her knuckles are turning white.

"I know. But please hear me out, Batch. There's nothing more about the kiss! I just asked her that to secure what I'm feeling for Jade." I calmly said, trying to explain to her. I suddenly notice that tears are overflowing in my face. I tried to hold her arms but she just shrug me off so I went back to my seat.