Hindi mapakali si Camille sa inaasal ni Patrick simula ng makarating sila sa isla. They were on a private island rented out by the owners for a small fortune per overnight stay. Niregalo iyon ng tatay niya sa kanila ni Patrick for their honeymoon. Sinigurado din nila na sa iisang villa lang silang dalawa ni Patrick. Malaki ang kama kaya pareho silang nakatulog ni Patrick agad galing sa byahe ng di nagtatalo pero halos di rin nag-uusap.
Nasa sala lang si Patrick at may ginagawa sa laptop. Napansin ni Camille na trabaho lang inaatupag nito. May nakabukas kasi na software at kita niya na parang blueprint ng building. She had to admit. Nasasaktan siya. Nasasaktan puso niya pati na ego niya. Her friends packed her bag at ang nilagay lang nila dun ay mga bikini and other skimpy clothes. Isn't Patrick even attracted to her? Di naman siya ganun kapangit diba? Di rin naman siya sobrang taba o sobrang payat.
Kung kelan nakapagdesisyon na siya to make their marriage work, dun pa siya di papansinin ni Patrick. He makes it seem like a working holiday. Nasa honeymoon nga sila pero trabaho pinagkakaabalahan nito.
She was wearing a white string bikini and nothing else. It was too hot to wear something over it. Pumasok siya ulit sa villa para kumprontahin si Patrick. He didn't even bother looking up from his laptop which angered her even more. Hapon na pero di pa rin sila nag-iimikan ang it has got to stop.
"What is wrong with you?" naiinis niyang tanong sa lalaki. He gave her a blank expression and just grunted which she took for a response. "Look, I'm not expecting you to make a pass at me or to be even attracted to me. Pero ganun ba ako kapangit para iwasan mo ako at atupagin mo yang trabaho mo? Am I that repulsive? Did you even realize that we're here for our honeymoon and what it's for?"
"What brought this on Camille? Baka nakakalimutan mong sa papel lang tong relasyong to. Yes, you're beautiful. And admittedly, you're hot. But I'm not ruled by my libido Camille. I'm a fully functioning red-blooded male. Oo, may epekto yang palakad lakad mo dito nang nakaganyan lang pero I'm not that much of an animal to give in to my needs just coz you happen to be available and you happen to be my wife."
Mukhang di natinag si Patrick sa outburst ni Camille. He just went on working on his laptop as if she wasn't there. Was he that indifferent now? Nasaan na ba yung Patrick na gagawin ang lahat para sa kanya? Yung ititigil ang kahit na anong ginagawa para sa kanya? She wants that version of Patrick back. She wants what they had when they were young. When they were both devoid of bitterness and cynism.
Ngayon nagsisisi na siya. Bakit pa ba niya hinintay si Josh dati? He was nothing like Patrick whom she realized too late was the one she really wanted.
Di niya mapigilan ang mga luhang namuo sa mga mata niya. Alam niyang huli na siya. Na di na sa kanya umiikot ang buhay nito tulad nung bata pa sila. But she hoped that maybe if she tried, if they tried, baka pwedeng maging masaya sila sa piling ng isa't isa. Na kung natapos man talaga kung ano mang meron nung bata pa sila, magsimula naman sila ng bago ngayon.
Bumaling ulit si Patrick sa kanya. "Why the fuck are you crying?" tila naiirita na tanong nito.
Suminghot singhot pa si Camille. "I just want this marriage to work but you're making it hard. And I want the old Patrick back. I want my bestfriend back." She wondered where those words came from. She wasn't even drunk to be that honest.
"You think sex will make this marriage work? That if we slept with each other, maaayos to? Camille, alam mo ba anong sinasabi mo? And Camille? You didn't lose me and I didn't change. We just stopped talking and I grew up. We couldn't have stopped that from happening." Patuloy lang si Camille sa pag-iyak. She couldn't believe what was happening. Inis na pinahid ni Patrick ang luha niya gamit ang mga daliri nito. "Look, wala na tayong magagawa sa sitwasyon natin ngayon. And I don't want you to do anything you don't want to just because you want this marriage to work. Alam kong napipilitan ka lang rin. Alam kong may mahal kang iba. So no more of this walking around naked okay? Coz I know you're only pressured to consummate this farce of a marriage. I don't know what they're holding over you to make them do what they want. But I will never force you to sleep with me dahil lang napipilitan ka."
Tumayo si Patrick at nilagay ang laptop sa bag. Di na siya makapagtrabaho sa bigat ng pakiramdam niya. He meant what he said but that didn't make it any less painful. Yes he's still attracted to Camille. And it wouldn't be lying to say he still cared. Pero di pa rin mawala sa kanya ang hinanakit sa pagpili nito ng ibang lalaki nung mga bata pa sila. At hindi rin niya pwedeng kalimutan ang dahilan kung bakit siya nagpkasal sa babaeng minsang nanakit sa kanya. He was just Camille's second choice coz she couldn't wait for her first love. And he was just the spare son for his father since his heir apparent was taking their father's place in politics and someone had to keep their businesses running.
He wasn't going to let himself be an option this time around. No matter how much he still has feelings for her. No matter if he wants to help his brother. Having feelings never lets you get anywhere.
Author's Note:
Sorry, eto lang muna merong update ngayon. I have no excuse really, except writer's block. And I do realize that some sentences may be redundant or even irrational. Wala na akong oras magbackread kasi baka makatulog ako. And I have to sleep early, di tulad ng dati na pwede akong magpuyat makaupdate lang. Sorry talaga guys, I keep giving excuses when I should be giving you updates. Archive niyo to after reading the update hahahaha
BINABASA MO ANG
Conveniently Married
General FictionHe used to love her. He used to give a damn about her. He used to be there for her. But it's all in the past. Now, even if she knelt in front of him and worshipped the ground he walks on, he wouldn't care anymore. Thank you Chantalah for the new cov...
