Escaped

Kabanata 24

Kabanata 24: Favor

It felt as if I was in a nightmare, dark and full of unexpected turn of events, and if it was not, I wished it were. Those scream from Irene made an echo in me and I wanted to shut it out. I didn’t see it coming.

“J-Jude…” Aara called me.

I felt numb at this moment, I couldn’t get up from my knees. I was froze in shock, still swallowing the intensity of realizations. The way Irene cared for Aara… The way she wanted to get away from me to give time for Aara… Her capture of our picture… Her simple gestures toward her… It all made sense now.

Why didn’t I see it? Am I really that insensitive or is it just Irene was too good at pretending? I was thinking… I think I had missed who really was the great pretender in this story.

I looked up at Aara. Wala pa ring tigil ang pagpatak ng luha sa kanyang mata.

I chuckled in an unpleasant way. “That’s why you were so disgust when I found you screaming at each other…” Bahagya pa akong tumango.

“I-I thought she was into you…”

“This should be a good news to you, right?” I smirked. Tumayo ako mula sa pagkakaluhod at inis na pinahid ang luha sa aking mata. “You don’t have any threat when it comes to me anymore.”

Natigilan siya sa pagsinghot at binigyan ako ng hindi makapaniwalang tingin.

“Y-You think… I am happy with all these?” Disbelief written all over her face.

Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mata.

“She is not in love with you…” That’s what I wanted to believe. Hindi ata kayang tanggapin ng utak ko ang katotohanan.

“I wish she was not…”

I shook my head, trying to be positive despite of all the negative thoughts.

“I am going to confront her…” Aara stopped me when I was about to walk out. Hinarang niya ang daan ko. “Why are you stopping me?”

“Pwede bang kumalma muna tayo?” pakiusap niya. “Maybe, yes. I am still hoping Irene is just confused about her feelings and what you are about to do would make her thoughts even more fuzzy.”

Natigilan ako sa sinabi niya. I understand her point, but I hate how she commanded me to calm down. Who would calm down if they found out something… Gross. Shit. I am being jerk again.

“I have a plan…” She gulped. Pinunasan niya ang luha sa kanyang mga mata. Nanatili akong nakatingin sa kanya at naghihintay kung ano ang planong sinasabi niya. “Let us pretend.”

Kumunot ang noo ko. “I am not good at pretending.”

“You don’t have to be good with it. You have to control your emotion. Let’s be with her in serenity. Pakisamahan natin siya na parang walang nangyari. Let’s avoid complicating it more.”

I stared at her eyes. She was smiling now but I could still see her slightly trembling lips. I let out a heavy sigh as I nodded my head.

“I can’t promise but I will try…”

“Try not to trigger her, Jude. Magpapanggap ka na ang alam mo lang ay ikaw ang mahal niya. Then try to do something with it… I will handle the rest.”

I nodded my head. “I don’t want to hurt her…”

“But if hurting her means waking her up from this, we have no choice.”