Play The Game (COMPLETED)

Chapter 29

#PTG29 Chapter 29

Jax... Jax had to leave the room. I needed that, too. Hindi ko alam kung paano ako magpapatuloy sa pagsasabi ng mga nangyayari habang nakikita ko kung paano bumabagsak ang luha mula sa mga mata niya.

Akala ko naranasan ko na iyong sobrang sakit. Pero iba pa rin pala na makita mo iyong taong mahal mo na nasasaktan. Ibang klaseng sakit. Hindi maipaliwanag. Hindi kayang ipaliwanag.

Tahimik kong tinuyo ang luha ko habang naghihintay sa pagbabalik niya. Tahimik kong binilang ang bawat segundo. Ayokong ma-blangko ang isip ko. Kasi natatakot ako sa pwedeng puntahan ng isip ko. I hid so many memories inside my head—most of them haunting me even in my sleep. I wanted to bury them... but they had a way of finding their way back to me.

When the door opened again, umawang ang labi ko nang isang pamilyar na mukha ang sumalubong sa akin. A smile appeared on her face.

"I never thought we'd see each other again like this."

I pressed my lips. Sinubukan kong ibuka ang bibig ko, pero hindi ko magawa. Sila... pa rin ba? Naaalala ko pa rin kung paano ko silang nakita dati. Ilang beses sinabi ni Jax sa akin dati na wala siyang gusto kay Cha. Nagbago na rin ba 'yun?

Naupo siya sa harapan ko. May mga ibinaba siyang folders. She looked different from when I last saw her. Kagaya ni Jax, nagbago siya. Ako... ako nagbago din ako. Hindi nga lang kagaya nila. I changed for the worst. I felt the worst.

"Why... are you here?" I asked, wanting to know what was happening. Why was she here? Tinawag ba siya ni Jax? Ipinapasa niya na ba ako sa iba? Ganoon ba niya ka-ayaw sa akin?

Cha smiled, clasping her hands together. "Jax called me."

I bit my lower lip. "Ah..." Iyon lang ang nagawa kong sabihin. Hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi ko magawang magalit kay Jax. Meron na siyang iba. Gusto kong magalit, pero hindi ko magawa. May maliit na parte sa akin na masaya para sa kanya. Gusto ko lang naman siyang maging masaya. Ito na 'yun.

Dati, gusto ko na ako lang iyong nagpapasaya sa kanya. Nagbago na pala pati iyon. Ngayon, gusto ko na lang siyang maging masaya. It didn't even matter if it was with me. Kasi alam ko sa sarili ko na baka hindi ko na rin siya mapasaya. Paano ko siya gagawing masaya kung ako sa sarili ko, nalimutan na yata kung ano ang pakiramdam ng pagiging masaya.

Cha raised her hand, showing a ring on her finger.

Agad sumikip ang dibdib ko. Agad kong nahigit iyong hininga ko.

"I'm already engaged... but not to Jax. That guy's too broken for me to fix," she said, giving me a smile of pity. "I'm just here as his associate, Katherine."

Hindi ko pa rin nagawang magsalita. Naka-tingin lang ako sa kanya.

"I... I kinda feel responsible for your break-up."

"Don't blame yourself. It was my choice," I quickly cut her off. I was tired of blaming other people for what happened to my life. It was my choice. Everything was my choice. It was easier to accept my fate when I only had myself to blame.

She smiled. "Still—"

"He's a lawyer now. We got what we both wanted."

She pursed her lips. "Right." Then she paused. Huminga siya nang malalim. "I'm here because... Frankly, I'm here because Jax called to say that he needed a rational perspective." Tinignan niya ako nang mabuti. "He's too emotionally invested in this case."

I stared back. "I doubt that."

"Do you really think that, Katherine?" balik tanong niya sa akin. "Because I just saw him before I got here. I'd known him since law school. I'd seen him get shouted at by countless of professors. I'd seen him argue in court. I'd seen him listen to sob stories from his pro-bono cases. That guy doesn't cry. Ngayon lang. Ikaw lang ang nagpaiyak sa kanya. Tell me, do you still think you're right?"