The Forgotten's Envy (Masquerade Girls, #1)

Chapter 36

I never thought the day that I'd be speechless for a long time would come. And it was because of this guy and his actions.

"Ito lang ba lahat ng kailangan?" tanong niya nang nasa counter na kami.

"Yeah," mabilis kong sagot.

He wasn't holding my hand anymore but I still felt embarrassed. Queenie was right. I really like this guy.

Matapos naming magbayad ay naglakad kami palabas ng National Bookstore. Bigla naman siyang humarap sa akin kaya napatigil ako.

"Uwi na ba tayo?"

"Yeah—"

I wasn't able to finish my sentence because my stomach suddenly grumbled. Nagkatinginan kami at nginitian niya ako ng nakakaloko. That distracting dimple again. Damn it.

"What?" pagalit kong tanong.

"Lunch muna tayo," he suggested.

"I'm not hu—" My stomach grumbled for the second time and this time, he didn't hold back. He laughed at me. "Fine, I'm hungry! Bwisit ka."

"Okay, tara, tara."

Nauna naman siyang maglakad at nakakainis dahil natatawa-tawa pa rin siya. Sa lahat naman ng pagkakataon na pwedeng tumunog nang gano'n kalakas ang tiyan ko, ngayon pa? Of course, that guy wouldn't let this chance pass.

Dumiretso kami sa isang fast food restaurant at siya na ang um-order dahil baka raw marinig pa ng mga tao sa pila ang kalam ng sikmura ko. Bwisit. Akala mo siya hindi naranasan 'yon.

Habang nakapila siya ay tahimik lang akong naghihintay sa table namin. Looking at his broad back, it looked like he became more muscular and tanned. The group of girls behind him were secretly giggling while looking at his body and I almost marched toward them to gave each of them a dirty look. Good thing was I was able to control myself.

Umilaw naman ang phone ko na nakapatong sa mesa at napatigil ako nang makita ko ang pangalan ni Katrina. The last time she called me was when someone confessed to her—before she became a personality in the campus. I was contemplating whether to answer it or not but my curiosity won this time.

"What?" bungad ko.

"Are you dating Jazer?"

"What?!"

Napalakas ang salita ko dahil sa tanong niya at buti na lang ay malakas din ang tugtog kaya 'yong katabing table lang namin ang nakarinig.

"Sorry, did that surprise you?" she asked and I felt weird hearing her sweet voice again.

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Katrina didn't even call me the past few months so why did she bother to do it now? Was it because of Jazer? What happened to Iñigo?

"No and no," sagot ko naman. "So, did you call just to ask that? How's Iñigo?" I asked back and I heard how she inhaled sharply after that.

"Good," she replied. "We're close now."

"Gano'n ba?"

"Yeah."

Ilang segundo kaming nabalot ng katahimikan at wala sa aming nag-end ng tawag. Hindi ko rin naman na alam ang sasabihin.

"I'm sorry, Chloe," she suddenly said. Para namang lumubog ang puso ko nang marinig ko 'yon dahil naalala ko ang una naming pag-uusap.

I didn't like how she had changed but she would always have a soft spot in my heart. She was the first person in the campus who had the guts to talk to me even after those unpleasant rumors about me. She was my fist girl friend and the only girl who didn't give me any distasteful and envious look.