Beneath Her | [R-16]

Chapter Fifteen

"I saw the video, Kim."

Hindi maipinta yung mukha niya. He looked like he a kid, caught red handed. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"And why the hell is Jacob in our school? You better fucking open your mouth or I swear I'll take a swing at your face." sabi ko at inis na binagsak yung bote ng kape sa table.

"It wasn't a hostage, Nat. It was payback." My eyebrows furrowed, trying to understand what he said. "They never wanted money. Alam na nilang makukulong sila. They knew they were already screwed so all they wanted to do was hurt Christina and Elena."

"That's why I didn't want them to get Andrea. I don't want to do something you'll regret." He took a deep breathe before speaking again,

"They molested them, Nat. They didn't touch the girls but they took pictures, played with their body parts. What you saw really happened, Nat. It was like a fucked up protest. I'm so sorry. Nagsisisi talaga ako, kaya ginusto ko'ng lumayo. I wanted to take the guilt with me-"

"Stop talking." hindi ko siya pinatapos dahil nagiisip akong matagal. Hindi niya gustong isama si Drey kasi alam na niya yung gagawin nila? So para saan yung pera?

"How did Jacob get in our school?" tanong ko. Bigla siyang napatingin saakin nang nagtanong ako. His look gave me the answer already.

"You helped him by giving his father my money? Where did he get the rest of his tuition? Sayo ba? You motherfucker!" My hands formed a fist trying to contain my madness and not embarrass myself in front of this many people.

"It's not what you think." sabi niya at sinubukan ako'ng pakalmahin. "Hindi kailangan ng tatay niya yung pera. Jacob's plan was get Charlotte to remember him again, and his dad didn't know that. Plano na nila ng tatay niya na gawin rin siyang biktima dito pero hindi naman pwedeng pabayaan ko siyang mamulubi. I was really about to let him bring Drey along but I got to know you over the weeks."

He tried hard to convince me, even tried to hold my hand again but I didn't let him.

"You love her, Nat. I know you do, so please stop this. I'm sorry about the money, babawi ako. But you don't have to continue this craziness against Drey. You will hurt her." He held my face and made me look into his eyes that I've been trying hard to look away from.

"You don't know me." sabi ko at hinawakan yung kamay niya na nakahawak sa mukha ko.

"I do."

"So did you know that they invited you in, not because of the phone, but because of me? They didn't want you, they just used the phone on you so you'd call me. So that it would look clean in the books. Yung totoo, it was just another investigator trying to pin my father down. They think my father did this." natatawa ako na napailing. Lahat nalang may kinalaman sa tatay ko. Kim took his hands off me the second I mentioned my dad.

"Everything that happens is because of my dad. Everything is about him, Kim. So I'm still doing it." napasapo ako sa ulo ko. I held my nape trying to calm down. I saw him do the same, both of his hands on his face.

"Did you really want to help me? Or did you really just want my money." I snorted. "Or was it also the sex-"

"God, no." he took his hands off his face and stared at me with the most sincere eyes ever.