THE DAY HE BECAME RUTHLESS: The Metaphorical Series #2

FORTY EIGHT

Hindi ako nakapagsalita sa takot kay Dean sa harap ko. I barely found myself breathing while in cautious behold of his rapid respiration. Pakiramdam ko sigaw ang ihahandog sa akin oras na gumawa ako ni kaunting ingay.

So I went there for nothing. I arrived at an almost exact time in the same place for nothing. Tila labahan na kinukuyumos ang puso ko nang sumalakay sa isip ang paghihintay ni Dean sa wala. All in his image of loss, rejection and heartbreak. He'd marked time on the right day as planned. While I turned up a few minutes late on the wrong one.

Naghintay kami sa isa't isa sa dalawang magkaibang araw. Then a series of unfortunate matters tailed on eversince.

But in one way or another , the could haves and the should have beens wouldn't matter. Not anymore, in a sense that we cannot undo the things that had already transpired. And I would only just induce him to meet me halfway and call off the ceremony had things turned out otherwise.

Kaya lahat ng mga 'sana ay tumawag sila', 'sana ay pinuntahan nila ako sa bahay'...wala nang halaga ang mga iyon.

Yet, it could have made a cosmic difference had not only because of this single text message. Sa gumawa niyon ay siguradong hawak ang phone ni Dean at may alam tungkol sa pag-aaral niya sa Berkeley. Hindi kaya paniniwala kong timbangin na magagawa ito sa amin ng sino man.

And whoever did so, I am so certain that Dean has already promised that 'someone' a summer vacation spree in hell by the way he looks right now. With free accommodation.

The dead silence is taking delight in the incandescent lighted studio room. Kaya sa medyo madilim nitong paligid at katahimikan, nagpaigting pa ng pagbabawal ko sa sariling magsalita. But we won't be able to move foreward unless I talk.

"D-Dean..." Hinila ng kaba ang boses ko. Certitude is nowhere if he has heard me.

Huminga ako nang malalim nang sa wakas ay lumingon siya. He pinned me with his ready-to-kill frown. Isang hakbang ang inatras ko. I licked my lips and bit them in fear to speak once more.

"Who do you think..." Another deep breath. "Who do you think did it?"

Tinitigan niya lamang ako. Or... not. I suspected a name has already been brewed in his mind. He seriously knows who because I am sure he was at the same time and place the message was sent out of his awareness.

"Who was with you on that Friday? Biyernes ko natanggap ang mensahe," mariin kong pahayag.

I already have a name in mind. Pero ayokong isatinig iyon at baka mali pa ako ng hinala. I don't want to blame someone through just a guesswork.

My heart jumped as he advanced an intimidating step. His determined face set for an argument soften then held my elbow just to lighty pull me to him. Nagpahila ako ngunit sa kabila niyon ay kinakabahan pa rin para sa pag-aabang ng sagot.

"Is it—"

Sabay kaming bumaling sa pinto nang bumukas at unang pumasok ang taong pinaghihinalaan ko. Sa likod ay sina Patrick, Cash at Skylar. The looks on their faces offers that there is a crucial thing to get anxious about.

"You need to check this out."

Mas hinila ako ni Dean sa kanya nang lumapit si Wilmer at pinakita ang nagliliwanag nitong cellphone. I couldn't dodge the thought that we have one and the same person in mind as the malefactor. The others barely draw near, parang alam na nila ang tungkol dito.

I caught the familiar logo and color of the popular showbiz blog on ethe phon'e screen before my eyes flicked to the bold heading.

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