OPERATION: Make Ligaw to him

Twenty-seventh Move

#C27: Continuation

Nanlalaki pa rin ang mata ko na nakatingin sa kanya. I don't even know what to react. It was unexpected for her to confess.

"Y-You're the masked girl?" Hindi pa siya makasagot nung una pero mabagal siyang tumango pagkatapos. "W-Why did you run away?"

"Cause I-Im afraid of what you may say. Dale, gusto kong ibalik. Gusto ko talagang ibalik lahat. Nagsisisi na talaga ako sa mga ginawa ko sayo, okay? That's why I did that." Napayuko na lang siya pagkatapos. Ako naman hindi pa rin alam kung ano ang sasabihin o ire-react.

Nagulat talaga ako. Kasi akala ko... si Carmeen ang kasama ko. Her warmth, her touch, even her smile-- it was all leading to her. That's why I'm a bit shocked. Pero kung tutuusin, imposible rin na siya ang may pakana ng sorpresang iyon. Hindi niya kayang gawin yon. Dahil hindi niya gusto ang atensyon. Kapag pag-uusapan naman natin ang atensyon, talagang kay Honey naaayon iyon.

"Nagsisisi ka?" mapanuyang tanong ni Carmeen. "Bakit hindi mo naisip iyan nung mga panahong magkasama kayo ni Vince? Kasi masaya ka diba? Hindi mo na nga naisip si Dale noon-"

"Shut it!" Napatigil sa pagsasalita si Carmeen nang bigla akong sumigaw. "Huwag na huwag mong mababanggit ang pangalan ng balahurang lalake na iyan!"

Ngayon ko lang siya napagtaasan ng boses. And I swear pinagsisihan ko yon. Ayoko lang kasing naririnig ang pangalan ng taong nanakit kay Honey.

"Honey pumasok ka na muna," utos ko. Hahakbang na sana siya nang makita ko ang nag-aalala niyang tingin.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

I nodded at her. "We'll talk later..."

Ibinaling ko ang tingin sa babaeng nasa harapan ko na nakatitig lang sakin. I did the same. I wanna hug her but there's this distance now. It's no longer the same. It all got twisted.

"I told you not to go near me--"

"Dale, mahal kita..." Hindi ako makapagsalita pagkatapos. "Sobra... na kahit na anong gawin mo na pagtaboy sakin bumabalik pa rin ako. Umaasa akong iintindihin mo ako."

She wiped her escaped tears. I wanted to go near her. I wanted to touch her and feel her. But it's just different now. It's not the way it used to be. Hindi ko alam. Hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi ko siya mapili. I'm confused. Heck! I don't even know the answer to my questions right now.

"Makikipagbalikan ka ba sa kanya?" Her voice was already groggy but I just remained impassive.

"Paano kung oo?"

"Dale, I'm telling you... don't trust her."

"Bakit kayo magkausap?" tanong ko. That caught her off guard.

"I wanted to confront her. That she should stop doing this."

"Stop what?" nanggigigil kong sambit.

"To stop ruining us. Dale, hindi dapat siya ang pinagkakatiwalaan mo-"

"So sino ba dapat ang pagkakatiwalaan ko? Ikaw? Aren't you the one who plotted your own karma in the first place? Hindi pa ba sapat yung warning na ibinigay mo kay Honey?" galit kong pahayag.

She keeps on pushing me to my limits. Maybe it's better off like this. Na hindi kami magkakaayos. We should settle this instantly cause I don't want anything involving her anymore.

Somehow she managed to control her emotions. It's like she's trying not to explode in front of me. I don't even care if she started yelling at me. That's all she can do.

She shook her head for a moment and stared at me with a lot of conviction on her eyes. "I didn't do it..."

"Ano?" di-makapaniwalang wika ko.