Memory Lane (LizQuen Fanfic)

Chapter 3 - Back Home

"Why do you hate me so much, Carly?"

I was taken aback. He called me by my name. That's a first.

Ken was looking at me with too much intensity that I had to look away. Why do I hate him so much? I've thought about this question a while ago and still, I can't find an explanation to it. He always teased me but that can't be the only reason why I hate him. I'm not that shallow.

"Because you're a jerk." I simply told him.

"I'm not." He defensively answered, "I'm actually nice."

"Yeah, sa lahat. But not to me." I was surprised that there was bitterness in my voice, and I suddenly became afraid that he'd notice it.

"Uy hindi ah. I'm nice to you too, but you always snap at me so I can't help but come up with a retort." He explained. When I think of it, I realized that it was true; he was always nice to me. I was the bully; my blood just boils whenever he's around. "Come to think of it, you were nice to me when I first came at the office." He said.

Yes, I remembered that. I kinda had a crush on him back then because he was nice and well... handsome, but something happened and then, tada.

He became my worst nightmare.

I suddenly had the urge to change the topic. "Because I was a senior, that's why I was nice to you. But then you proved to be a jerk—"

"No. Baka naman may nagawa ako kaya ang init ng dugo mo sakin."

Here we go. It was another thing that I despise about him; he thinks that he's some kind of a detective, figuring out things which were supposed to be kept as a secret. I gritted my teeth and just hoped that he wouldn't rub it in.

"When did you start hating me?" He continued, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Ken—"

"Kailan?"

I didn't answer.

"I joined the office in October. We were still talking in November. We used to have lunch together, right? We drank too. I even brought you home once."

Urgh.

I don't wanna talk about this for heaven's sake. I feel my face growing red as he started enumerating things that we did. Before he could say more, I cut him off. "Sherlock, you're overanalyzing things. I just hate you, that's all."

"It must be in December." Ken continued as if he didn't hear me. "Ano bang nangyari nun?" He asked, rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger. "Did I say something harsh? Did one of my december articles offended you in any way? Was it because I didn't buy you a gift? Did you receive death threats from my fan girls?"

Can I just punch him? Ang kapal.

"Oh for the love of—"

"or..." His tone changed into a teasing one, "Was it because of the Christmas Ball?"

I glared at him, hoping it would scare him off and make him shut up, but the jerk didn't even flinch. Instead, we just had a staring battle.

"It's because of that, isn't it?" He whispered as he bent down so we were eye-to-eye level. "Was it because I asked Cece to be my date and not you?"

"...."

My heart started beating so fast that I was scared it would come out of my chest. I suddenly became nervous, but I hoped I didn't show it in any way. I clenched my jaw tightly, kept a poker face and turned away. "Ang... panget mo."