Gravity

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Halos manigas ako sa kinatatayuan nang muli siyang makita pagtapos ng ilang linggo.

He looked... he looked much better than the last time I saw him. He looked so carefree and happiness was very evident on his face. He was too much. I just had to look away or else I would surely regret why I wasn't the one he ended up with.

"Arkin!" Turan ko. I fixed my composure and closed my mouth.

Tila hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit nasa harapan niya ako ngayon. At kung bakit kasama ko ang asawa niya at ang mga kaibigan nila.

Wrong timing talaga yata ang pagpunta ko dito.

"Olivia." Sambit niya. I missed that voice. I badly missed him calling me that way.

I tried so hard to stop myself from hugging him. Wala ako sa lugar ngayon. At ngayon ay napagtanto kong wala talaga akong lugar dito ngayon.

Malay ko bang sila pala ang magiging bisita ni Ran Dane?

"Why are you here?" Tanong niya sa akin bago ako nilagpasan para puntahan si Jucylle.

I saw how he fondly smiled at her before kissing her in front of us. William and Ran Dane's twin sister just shrugged their shoulders. Was this normal? Tila pinipiga ang puso ko sa nakita.

Ran Dane cleared his throat. Ngayon ko lang napansin na nasa gilid ko pala siya. He warily looked at me.

"Why are you here, Olivia?" Parang may pagbibintang sa boses ni Arkin nang sabihin iyon.

I looked down and recalled what I did to her before. Parang tubig na bumuhos sa akin ang pagsugod ko sa parehas na opisina upang awayin si Jucylle dahil sa panloloko niya kay Arkin. Sa lalaking tanging pinaglaanan ko ng buong oras ko. Ang lalaking kinapitan ko sa panahong walang-wala na ako.

And looked at us now. Tingnan mo nga talaga ang tadhana. It was wise enough to let us be in the same place. The same place where everything had changed.

"She's my visitor, Arkin." Sagot ni Ran Dane sa tanong na dapat ako ang sumagot.

"What, Ran? I thought you're free for tonight?" Bumaba ang tingin ng babae sa akin. Her eyes scrutinized the whole of my existence.

"Oo nga? Sabi mo naman ay wala kang lakad at sasama ka sa dinner ngayong gabi?" Salita ni Jucylle sa dating asawa.

I almost laughed at the thought. Wasn't it awkward for her? To visit her ex-husband for a dinner with his new husband? O baka naman talagang kumapal na ang mukha nito dahil nagawang pagsabayin ang dalawang lalaking nasa harap niya?

My eyes flew at William's direction. He once had a feeling for this girl too. I remembered the way he said yes to my proposal, para mailayo si Arkin kay Jucylle. I remembered vividly how his eyes triumphantly shone when he flew to follow her to London.

At talaga namang nakakagulat dahil paglipas ng panahon, when I thought I was the most miserable person in the world, nandyan pa rin siya at umaasa. Did it hurt him too? To see that he came first but she married another man? And merely just for business.

Did William weep for the chance he never got to keep? Did he feel any remorse when Jucylle was forced to leave the country for a better medical treatment? When all along, he was part of her accident.

Jucylled had lured these three men. Napaisip ako sa kanyang nararamdaman ngayon.

Seriously? What was this? A reunion of the guys whom she enticed? That's insane!

"Well, she was in my appointment. You guys just trespassed into my office and stopped me from working." Pagdadahilan ni Ran Dane. Tiningnan ko siya.