Azalea's POV
"I'm sorry, Aza, if I didn't tell you about this." Niyakap ako kaagad ni Nelly pagpasok ko palang ng kwarto.
"Why did you hide it from me? I thought we're best friends..." May pagtatampong sabi ko.
Alam kong nagtago rin ako kay Nelly noon kaya hindi naman ako nagagalit sa kanya. Pareho kaming naglihim sa isa't isa.
"We are... I was just scared..." Nanginig ang boses niya. I know she's on the verge of crying. I hugged her back.
"Why? Do you think I'll judge you because of this? Cornelia, we're almost sisters. And sisters don't judge one another." Hinaplos ko ang buhok niya.
Cornelia started sniffing and sobbing. She's always like this whenever she's guilty.
"I'm sorry, Aza. What Braxon said is right. Alam kong iba ang tingin mo sa akin. And I feel like I'm disappointing you because of what I'm doing." Her voice was shaking and so as her shoulders.
"It's always okay with me as long as you're happy, Cornelia. Are you happy?" Malambing kong tanong.
She looked at me, her eyes swollen and wide.
"Yes... yes, Aza..." She nodded enthusiastically. "Very happy."
"Good." Ngumiti ako.
Ngumiti rin siya at niyakap ulit ako ng mahigpit.
"I missed you, bessie," aniya.
"I missed you, too. Wala akong maingay na katabi kapag wala ka." Tumawa kaming dalawa.
"So, things are good between you and your demon, huh?" She teased. I made a face.
"Don't call him that. Braxon is not a demon." He's not. He's a human and he can feel pain, too. So people should stop calling him names because that hurts, too.
"And now, you're starting to defend him." Ngumisi siya bago tumingin sa likod ko. "Hear that, big guy? She cares for you."
Mabilis akong tumingin sa likod ko. Namilog ang mga mata ko no'ng makita ko si Braxon doon. Nakahawak siya sa doorknob at nakatingin sa'kin. Uminit ang pisngi ko kasabay ng pamumula ng tainga niya.
He cleared his throat.
"Lazarus made some foods," he awkwardly said. "You should eat, Aza."
"I'm fine. I'm not really hungry..." Mas lalo akong nailang no'ng makita ko ang ngisi ni Nelly. Pasimple ko siyang siniko.
"You haven't eaten your dinner. You need to eat. Come..." And that's the tone he use that says: You need to do what I say or I'll make you do it myself.
Wala narin akong nagawa kung hindi ang tumayo at sumunod sa kanya. No'ng magkatapat na kami, bumulong siya.
"It's good to know you care for me. Don't worry, I'm not that guy anymore." I bit my lip to stop the smile that wants to spread on my face.
I hope that's true, Braxon...
Habang kumakain kami, hindi ako hinayaan ni Braxon na mag-isa. Nakatabi lang siya sa'kin kahit hindi siya kumakain. Siya pa nga nagbabalat ng hipon.
"Aza have hands, man. You're acting like a lovesick fool," natatawang sabi ni Lazarus.
Uminit ang pisngi ko at pasimpleng nilayo kay Braxon ang pinggan ko. Braxon's eyes narrowed at Lazarus.
"You shut up." Napansin niya yata 'yong ginawa ko kaya hinatak niya pabalik 'yong pinggan ko. "Eat, Azalea. Don't mind him."
No'ng matapos kaming lahat sa pagkain, nagpresinta akong maghugas ng pinggan.
BINABASA MO ANG
The Demon's Heart
General Fiction"The only way to tame a demon is to get his heart." He has his demons. And those demons made him one of them. Now, everyone knows that he is a demon. He doesn't care, though. He wants all of them to be afraid of him. They should be. He can trash any...
