Chasing Cali (Upper East Side One)

Chapter Twelve

12 - Later

"Zoey, I'm sorry. I didn't realize what was going on, and I'm sorry for informing you of it. I simply assumed Blaze has informed you already."

"No, Louisse. Not at all. It's all right. Huwag mo na lang sabihin kay Jax na nasabi mo. It will be okay," I told her as I held her hand and asked about Jax and Maddy's history.

"Kailan naging sila?"

"They've been friends since childhood, and they started dating when they were in their third year of high school."

"You informed me that she had left Blaze. Why?"

"Zoey." Nag-aalangan pa siyang sabihin sa akin ang totoo.

"Please, Louisse, for me," I plead and she nodded.

"I don't know the real reason why she left but I heard that she followed her dreams to be a model."

"Can you tell me what Jax did?"

"Uh... Following that, he changed. I've known him to be a playboy in the past, but he's become worse. At that point, I'm not sure whether it was his pride and ego that caused him to become an asshole or because of the controversy Kuya Ruin involved in that made our businesses in jeopardy. That's why Tito Lorenz and Tita Veronica agreed to let Blaze stay here in the Philippines and Kuya Ruin back in Italy."

Fuck! Nagawa ni Jax iyon? Jax... he changed because of her? Masakit isipin na may nauna. At hindi ako iyon. At the very least, it was anticipated. Mas okay na 'yon, at least it was expected.

And the way Maddy refers to Jax. It was Jax who requested that I call him as such. Pero Jax din ang tawag niya sa kanya.

Is it possible that he has also asked that Maddy call to him in that manner? Or does he want me to refer to him that way because Maddy does? Jax... why? Magagawa mo ba talaga ito?

"However, Zoey, I am certain that he loves you much more than he loved her before. It's there in his eyes, I can tell. Hindi ko alam kung talaga bang minahal ni Blaze si Zoey because when I see them, they were distant and I didn't feel it." She's trying to prove Jax's love for me but she's failing miserably.

Is it necessary for me to maintain my naivety in front of Jax by claiming that I was unaware of his relationship with Maddy Sevilla in the past?

Will I continue to pretend that I am fine even though I am in excruciating agony? Damn, yes.

"Zoey, please, stop crying." Pagtatahan niya sa akin at ginawa ko naman.

Pero, hindi. I calmed myself again. I heave a deep sigh and looked up. I am okay...

Siguro kaya siya nagsinungaling sa akin kasi baka iba ang pagkakaintindi ko kapag sinabi niyang naging girlfriend niya si Maddy.

Probably he did that to prevent us from fighting over that girl again. He lied to me about his client because he doesn't want me to doubt his love for him. But, damn!

Dito naman ako magaling. Magpanggap na okay kahit nasasaktan na. Gusto kong sabihin sa kanya ang mga kasinungalingang sinabi sa akin ni Jax tuwing kasama niya si Maddy. I wanted to hear her thoughts regarding his lies.

Pero hindi ko na ginawa. Ayokong masira ang relasyon nilang magpinsan. It's okay that only Thalia and I know what he did.

Louisse tried to divert our topic at nagawa niya naman. I called Jax to pick us up when we felt tired.

I promised Louisse that I won't tell Jax the things I learned from her. I won't tell him that I know who Maddy is in his life now. I won't tell him that I learned the truth from his past that he's trying to hide from me. Wala rin akong balak komprontahin si Jax dito.