The Ex-Marine

11

Nacpan

Stop looking at him.

Mantra iyon ni Rexes mula ng bumyahe sila hanggang makarating sa Isla.

Damn it, ang hirap.

She bit her lower lip as she continued to unpack her things at inilagay iyon sa cabinet. Kakarating lang nila sa hotel at nagpapahinga, She and Eva shared the room, si Travis and Leandro naman sa isa at sina Apple at Angelo ang mag kasama. Uno had the room of his own, katabi lang ng kwarto nila Rexes.

She's so damned, even the thought of Uno on the other side of her room thrills her. Nanlalamig siya na ewan.

"You look really troubled." Puna ni Eva sa kanya na ngayon ay naka two piece na, sinukat iyong isusuot niya mamaya.

"It's really funny how I thought I'd never be with him again and I'm trying hard to not think of him pero tapos eto, kasama pa siya natin--- nasa kabilang kwarto." She sighed, setting aside her choice of bikini.

"He's been looking at you when you're not paying attention about anything."

"Eva naman, he never looks at me."

"Kasi hindi mo nakikita." Her bestfriend argued. "The way I see it, Rexes, he's fighting something in him--- he fucking likes you. Pinipigilan niya iyon. Maybe that's why he pushed you away, dahil takot siyang mas lalong mahulog ang loob niya sayo because he has a girlfriend. Damn, girl. Sino bang lalaki ang hindi magkakagusto sa'yo?"

She rolled her eyes, not believing it. Hindi siya gusto ni Uno. Maybe he only sees her as a sister. Besides, magka edad sila ni Trevelyan. "Whatever you're seeing, it's not like that. I've been around Uno for a while and he's never done anything to--- you know, para ipakitang nagugustuhan niya ako. He never looks at me the way you see him looking at me. Trust me..."

"Naaalala mo kanina noong hinawakan ni Leandro ang pisngi mo dahil nahihilo ka sa byahe? He maybe in the backseat but I saw how he clenched his jaw, he was watching it and he looked like he wanted to say something."

"Baka pinagsabihan lang siya ni Kuya na nanliligaw sa akin si Leandro at bantayan ang kilos."

Hindi siya umaasa. Kahit kailan ay hindi siya aasang magugustuhan siya ni Uno Rivero. Siguro nga, she could get any man to like him, but not Uno.

"You're saying that because Uno is different, all the men that liked you flocked on your feet and he's not doing anything kaya akala mo, hindi ka niya nakikita."

Napailing siya. No. He's not attracted to her, she knew better. "Wag. Aasa lang ako."

"You should wear that bikini later kapag naligo tayo. Tignan natin kung hanggang kailan magiging bato yan si Uno!" Humalakhak si Eva sa kanyang evil plan. "Trust me, Rex. May gusto sayo yung tao. I can easily detect attraction..."

"And you don't detect your attraction towards Bradford Van Heusen?" Tumaas ang kilay ni Rexes habang tinutukso ang kaibigan. "You've been checking your phone atleast every minute, Eve. He hasn't texted you yet?"

"Wha--- what the fuck are you saying?!" She saw how Eva squinted her left eye, madalas gawin nito kapag nagsisinungaling. Eva was never a good liar and she knew her bestfriend.

Rexes laughed.

"Fine! I'm just checking it--- baka kasi mahina ang signal or what. Because he told me to text him once we're here. Baka biglang pumunta ang lalaking iyon dito kapag hindi ako nagtext--- anyway, I'll leave my phone naman kapag lumabas na tayo--- Rexes! Stop laughing!"