The Good Bitch

Chapter 9

9: Healer II

Leah’s Point of View

Nagpunta ako sa bookstore. I want to buy a fiction book. Dumiretso agad ako sa portion na puro fiction ang nakalagay. Hmmm... Ano kayang magandang basahin?

Isang libro ang kumuha sa attention ko. It’s a book with pure black cover. Nag-iisa na lang ito at naiiba sa mga librong kasama nito. I am supposed to get it. Pero, napatigil ako nang may isa pang kamay na umabot duon. Napatingin ako sa kanya. Nakatingin din pala siya sa akin. Wait! He looks so familiar. Aah! Si Healer II!

Kinuha niya ang libro at inabot sa ‘kin.

“Ah, hindi. Sayo na lang.” pagtanggi ko.

Akmang hahanap na ako ng panibagong libro nang hawakan niya ang braso ko.

“Can you please tour me around?”

***

Inikot namin ang buong siyudad. Napag-alaman ko ding Marcus Rhamcy Felis pala ang buong pangalan ni Healer II. Saka, bagong lipat lang pala siya dito.

“Tara, kain tayo.” alok niya

“Ah, no thanks. Busog pa naman ako.” tanggi ko. Syempre naman, kailangan magpabebe muna.

“Oh, don’t worry. It’s on me.” then he winked at me.

OMG! OMG! He winked at me!

Wala na akong nagawa nang hilain na niya ako papasok sa kotse niya.

Friends, let’s make a checklist. Pogi—check! Matangkad—check! Mabait—check! Matalino—check! Graduate kasi siya sa kilalang university as Suma. Oh diba? Pak na pak!

And then, we arrived at a restaurant in no time. Nauna siyang bumaba at saka ako pinagbuksan.

Pumasok na kami sa resto at umupo sa isang table sa corner.

“Anong gusto mo?” he asked as he scan the menu on his hand.

“It’s up to you.” I answered, tucking my dark brown locks behind my ear.

He nodded and called a waiter.

“I want two for that, that and that.” he said as he points to the meals in the menu.

Inulit ng waiter ang order niya. And I did not bother to listen.

“Leah,” he called as he lock his eyes on mine.

“Yeah?”

“Why are you so gorgeous?”

All of my remaining restraint flew out of my body. It’s decided. Flirt mode: on!

My lips curl to a flirty smirk. “Are you flirting with me?” I asked, seduction filling my voice.

Kanina pa kasi ako nakakahalata eh. Bigla na lang siyang babanat ng kalandian, ganern! Haha. Eh hindi pa naman ako fully recovered sa pagiging “Good Bitch” ng Tokyo. So, here I am. Flirting with Marcus.

“No. I’m just being who I am.”

He’s just being who he is. That made me chuckle. So, it is his nature to be flirty. Haha. Feel na feel ko nang lumande kaso lang biglang tumawag ang kalikasan. I need to pee.

“Excuse me, CR lang ako.” paalam ko.

I stand up and turned my back on him. Pero, pagkatalikod ko, ang una kong nakita ay siya. Hindi ko alam ang sasabihin ko. Parang biglang umatras ang dila ko. Para ding napako ako sa kinatatayuan ko. In short, nagulat lang ako sa biglaang paglitaw niya.

“Oh. H-Hi.” Sinubukan kong maglakad na patungo sa CR. Pero, agad niyang nahawakan ang braso ko at muling pinaharap sa kanya. “C-Clark?”

“Who is that guy?”

That? Naalala kong may kasama nga pala ako. “He—”

Tumayo si Marcus. “I’m Marcus Felis. How ‘bout you? Are you her boyfriend?”

“Aah, no. He’s just a friend of mine, Clark Sanford.”

Tumango-tango si Marcus. “I see. Well, nice to meet you, Clark.”

I saw Clark grind his teeth. “Same.” he answered. It doesn’t look like it’s really nice for him to meet Marcus. But, I just ignored it.

I smiled at them. “Well—”

Clark cuts me off. “Excuse us. We need to go.”

“Wha—” Bigla na lang akong hinila ni Clark palabas sa restaurant at papasok sa kotse niya. Sinubukan kong kumawala sa grip niya pero masyado siyang malakas.

“What the hell Clark?!”

Agad niyang pinatakbo ang kotse kaya hindi ako nakababa. At ang bilis din ng pagmamaneho niya kaya hindi ako makatiyempo.

“Clark, can’t you see that I’m with someone?!”

Hindi siya sumasagot. Wow lang! Kakaladkarin niya ako papunta dito, to think that I am with Marcus, and then he’ll just ignore me?! What the F?!

“Stop the car, Clark! Stop. The. Fvcking. Car.”

Hindi pa din niya ako pinakinggan.

“CLARK!” Talagang tinaas ko na ang boses ko. It’s just so rude! And I’m effin annoyed!

Saka niya itinigil ang sasakyan. Hindi ko napansing nasa malayo na pala kami. Sobrang bilis kasi ng patakbo niya at dahil na rin sa inis ko. Wait, wait! Where are we? Ang alam ko lang, nasa one way road kami at puro puno na sa gilid ng kalsada.

It’s drizzling, but I still stepped out of the car. Sinundan naman niya ako.

“Leah, why are you with Marcus?” he asked, irritation colored his voice. “Leah, why are you with that guy?” The way he said those words, it’s like he’s saying “Distance yourself with Marcus.”

“I just helped him. Is that wrong?!”

“Leah, he’s dangerous.”

Dangerous? That made me mad. How can he judge a man he just met?! How ridiculous!

“How can you say that certainly?! You barely even know him!”

I am now feeling beads of rain streaming down on my skin.

“Leah, trust me. He’ll just bring harm to you.”

“Clark, why can’t you just trust my decisions?! I am matured enough to decide for my own good for goodness’ sake! Saka, past lang naman kita diba?! Kaya ‘wag mong siraan ang sinumang lalaking makilala ko!”

The rain poured hard as I turn my back on him. Pero, pinaharap niya ako agad sa kanya at niyakap. “I’m sorry, Leah. I’m so sorry.” Pakiramdam ko, nawala lahat ng anger sa sistema ko. Duon ko na pinakawalan ang mga luhang kanina pa gustong kumawala.

“Leah, you know that I haven’t fully moved on from you, right? You know that I still love you, right?”

I look up at him and shake my head. “I-I thought that’s just my assumption.” I answered honestly. “I thought you’re just playing with me. B-But, I admit I can feel the love when you kissed me before.”

“Leah, I never stopped loving you. Even if it’s impossible for you to love me back again, I’m still hoping.”

Dug dug. Dug dug. My heart... It’s beating so fast again. Good thing he already freed me from his tight hug. ‘Coz my heart is now beating so loud that I can hear it. But, why? Why am I like this? I am not supposed to react like this because I am not in love with him anymore.

Or, that’s just what I think?