Wretched Choices

Chapter 4

#WretchedChoicesWP

Chapter 4
Revenge

"Hanggang diyan ka lang..." malamig kong sabi kay Archer bago pa siya tuluyang makalapit sa akin.

Parang wala siyang narinig at nagpatuloy pa rin siya sa paglapit. Bahagya siyang yumuko at ang likod ng kanyang palad ay marahang lumapat sa aking noo.

His jaw clenched once when he felt my temperature.

"You still have fever," he said with a soft voice.

"Alam ko," sabi ko na lang at saka iniwas na ang aking mukha sa kanya.

"Rest," he commanded me with his authoritative voice.

Inangat niya ang aking comforter hanggang sa aking leeg. Kumunot ang noo ko sa kanyang ginawa kaya naman muli ko itong binaba hanggang aking baywang.

"Stop being hard-headed, Keia," he said. "You're sick."

I bit my lower lip while gathering the raging anger I have for him. Mas lalo lamang lumalim ang aking galit sa kanya dahil sa mga mata niyang sumisigaw ng awa para sa akin.

I didn't want him to pity me. He must be feeling guilty because he stood me up yesterday. Ayokong kaawaan niya ako. Hindi 'yon ang gusto kong mangyari. Just like what I said, I only have my pride left in me. Kaya ko ang sarili ko. Hindi ko siya kailangan.

"Huwag mo nga akong tingnan nang ganyan," iritado kong sabi sa kanya. "I don't need or want your pity. Just save it for someone else."

Bahagyang kumunot ang kanyang noo sa aking sinabi.

"Hindi kita kinakaawan," pagtanggi niya. "I'm concerned about you. It's different from pity."

I laughed with no humor. "Don't act like you're concerned about me."

Bumuntong hininga naman siya bago ako muling tiningnan ng kanyang tingin para sa akin na ayaw kong makita. Mas lalo akong nagagalit sa kanya nang dahil doon.

"If this is about what happened yesterday, I'm sorry..." he suddenly apologized. "I know I've gone overboard. I just want to teach you a lesson—"

"Don't bother apologizing. I don't need it," I cut him off.

Umawang ang kanyang bibig na tila may gustong sabihin ngunit muli niya lang itong tinikom. Ilang beses siyang huminga nang malalim bago nagdesisyong ipagpatuloy ang kanyang sasabihin sa akin.

"I saw you yesterday..." he said.

It felt like my heart was being clenched by a fist and thrown into a pit of fire. Pagkatapos kumirot nito dahil sa pagkakalamutak ay parang sinusunog ito sa apoy hanggang sa muntikan nang matupok at maging abo kung hindi ko agad binuhusan ng tubig at nanlamig.

"And so?" pabalang kong sabi.

"I was on my way to meet with Hope for our report," he admitted though he didn't have to because I already knew. "I caught you drenched in the rain. You're walking on your way home."

Mas lalo lamang bumigat ang aking pakiramdam. He saw me, but he still didn't bother. Nakita niyang nabasa ako ng ulan dahil sa paghihintay sa kanya ngunit wala talaga siyang pakialam sa akin. Nagpatuloy lang siya at hindi na nag-abala pang agad na humingi ng tawad sa akin. And now, he's here because he feels guilty and responsible for what's happening to me right now.

"When I saw you, believe me, I really wanted to approach you but I shrugged it off away. I know that's a mistake I did. Pero gaya nga ng sabi ko, I wanted to teach you a lesson," he reasoned out. "Pero nang makita kita kanina na hindi maayos ang pakiramdam at lalo na nang nahimatay ka, naisip kong hindi naging maganda ang paraan ko. I realized that despite of the bad weather, you still waited for me."