Chapter 21
5 days after
“Belle, okay ka lang ba dito?” Parang robot na de-susi si Rain na pabalik-balik sa kusina at sala. Pupunta siya sa sala para ayusin ang mga gamit nya sa ospital tapos babalik sa kusina at hihigop ng kape, pupunta na naman sa sala at may ipapasok sa kanyang bag tapos takbo sa kusina at susubo ng pagkain. Anong trip ng babaeng ‘to?
Kinapa ko muna ang mug na may lamang gatas kung malamig na ba bago ako humigop. “Rain, may plano ka bang maging human pendulum?”
She headed to the sink. “Huh? Ano yan?” While brushing her teeth, she walked back to the table and looked at me.
“Pendulum. Yang sa grandfather’s clock. It’s kinda metal, like a tail with a metal circle on its end, it swings back and forth. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left...” I raised my pointing finger and swung it in left and right motion, I was smiling playfully and she just rolled her eyes.
“Duh.” She went back to the sink and finished her business.
“Belle, sigurado ka bang okay ka lang dito?” Tanong nya ulit, bakas ang pag-aalala sa kanyang mukha.
“You ask that every morning, of course I’m fine.”
“Malay mo biglang sumulpot yung Adam na yun! Ikaw lang dito sa bahay Belle, baka ano pang mangyari sayo.” Isang linggo na ang dumaan pero sariwa pa rin ang galit ni Rain. Naiintidihan ko naman ang nararamdaman nya, she’s my bestfriend and she had that mother bear instinct over me whether I like it or not. And I respected that but she’s acting like I was the sole victim here, which was not. All that happened was my fault.
“You make it sound like he is a criminal.” It came out of my mouth almost a whisper but with force.
“Bakit, hindi ba? We can have him arrested, but we didn’t.”
“Because he---”
“Is mentally sick,” Rain interjected and finished my sentence with words that were not what I wanted to say. “And you want to shoulder all the blame, because you used him for the baby. I get that, but he should have...” She paused. “You know what, let’s not talk about him. He’s bad vibes.”
Lumapit sa akin si Rain at hinalikan ako sa pisngi. “Mag-ingat ka dito. Kung may kakatok, may peephole ang pintuan. I-check mo muna bago mo buksan. If it’s red alert call me.” Pagpapaalala nya sa di mabilang na pagkakataon at dinagdagan pa. “Common Sense Belle.”
Naglakad sya papuntang sala at kinuha ang bag nya sa sofa saka lumabas ng bahay. Balik ako sa pagkain ng almusal nang narinig ko na lang ang malakas na sigaw ni Rain mula sa labas.
“What the hell are you doing here!?!”
“How dare you step into my property!”
Napatayo ako bigla at lumabas ng bahay. It was Adam. He was glaring down at Rain, standing as stiff as a tree while my bestfriend was harshly pushing him back against his chest. He was huge compared to her, Rain was like pushing a concrete wall.
“Rain!” sigaw ko saka ako tumakbo papalapit sa kanila.
Rain glared back at me and ordered. “Bumalik ka sa loob Belle.”
Pero matigas ang ulo ko at alam kong problema namin ‘to ni Adam. I looked up at him, he looked down at me and dead coldness ran across every inch of my skin.
I knew his face when he was happy, flirty, playful, sad, worried, bored, aloof, angry, furious, hurt and all emotions in between.
But I never saw him look at me like this. It was different. And it was all in his eyes. Blank. Void. Empty. It made me feel cold and lost.
BINABASA MO ANG
Tonight I'm Getting Over You
Romansa"I'll do what you want Adam, in one condition..." "Name it." He challenged in confidence that only he can pull off. "Have sex with me and after tonight you have to forget everything and don't you ever see me again."
