Always the Bestfriend, Never the Girlfriend

Chapter Thirty-seven

I once liked family dinners
together with the Lim family. Pero ngayon? Sobrang nagsisisi na ako. This is a disaster. Pinagpapawisan na si Ralph sa mga tanong nina Daddy sa kanya.

"Gusto mo ba talaga ang anak ko?" Daddy asked out o the blue. Tinignan ko siya nang masama.

"Sobra." Tumingin siya sa akin at hinalikan ako sa noo "Gustong gusto kita Crystal. Scratch that, mahal na mahal kita"

"Naka-ilang girlfriend kana?" Tito Patrick asked. Hinawakan ni Ralph ang kamay ko sa ilalim ng mesa and I heard him gulp.

"Isa po" he answered and smiled. Goodness!

"Bakit kayo naghiwalay?" Sabat naman ni Renz. Tinignan ko siya nang masama bago hinintay ang sagot ni Ralph.

"We were too young" diretsa niyang sagot. It's true. He once told me about his first love. Si Dianna George. They liked each other but they knew they were not meant for each other. And they were just 15 years old. What do they know about love?

"But you're young too" Daddy said with a smirk plastered on his face. I didn't know dad knew how to smirk.

"I can perfectly assure you sir, that I know what love is and how it works now. And I felt it whenever I'm with your daughter" my heart fluttered upon hearing that. I am so happy kasi finally, may tao nang willing ipaglaban ako and taong handang mag-hintay sa akin.

"Boring" we all looked at Clarrence who sighed as if this was the most boring thing he'd ever heard. Tinignan ko ulit siya nang masama. Don't speak you idiot!

"What? Yun lang? Everyone could say that Ralph. You have to prove yourself to Crystal first. Not only to Crystal but to all of us" Renz said and hinawakan yung ibabang part ng labi niya. I glared at him and pinatid siya sa ilalim ng mesa. Tinignan niya ako nang nakataas yung isang kilay. Sometimes I wonder what I see in him. But who am I kidding? I freaking love him.

"Ano ba yang pinagsasabi mo?" Tanong ko. No one dared to break the tension. Naiinis ako sa kanya. Pakialamero siya masyado.

"What? I was just asking him something worth asking for. You deserve someone better. You've know him for just a year" he said and shook his head like I'm some kind of a dissapointment.

"Don't you dare insult him Renz! I know what I'm doing and I like him. Now if you don't agree with that, the door is wide open" I said and pointed the door palabas dito sa Dining area. My mom faked a cough and doon lang ako natauhan. We weren't alone. Sht nakakahiya.

"Woah. I'm sorry" he looked down "I didn't know you liked him" he looked at me and pain was written all over his face. Nawala bigla yung galit ko at napalitan ng pagtataka. Bakit siya nasasaktan? It's not like I meant something to him. Okay, we are best friends and may karapatan siyang mamili nang ide-date ko, pero siya nga hindi ko pinapakialaman sa love life niya eh. Oo nagalit ako nung nalaman kong sila na ni Venice. Sino bang hindi? Tinago niya yun sa akin eh. Pero aside from that, may narinig ba kayong inaway ko siya? Wala naman diba? So wala siyang karapatang pagsabihan ng ganun si Ralph. At lalong wala siyang karapatan na pumili kung sino ang gusto kong idate at maging boyfriend.

"I do like him. I like him a lot" i said and squeezed Ralph's hands. I saw him smile and looked at me with eyes full of love. Bakit hindi nalang siya yung minahal ko? Bakit hindi nalang ikaw, Ralph?

"He made me feel like I'm worth fighting for" I added, still holding his hands while my eyes were trained on Renz. I was about to cry.

Ralph rubbed my back with his thumb to soothe me. It helped a lot kasi kumalma naman ako.

"I-I'm sorry" Renz said and stood up. Leaving everyone there speechless. Susundan ko na sana siya pero naunahan na ako nang girlfriend niya. Well, fuck this but I'm going to find him too.