In Love With The Game (COMPLETED)

Chapter 13

#ILWTG13 Chapter 13

I was distracted the whole week. After the five texts from Pablo, I didn't hear from him again... that just cemented my decision to end things with him. I mean, he didn't even make any effort to talk to me! Bakit nga ba ako nagpapaka-tanga? 'Di ako pinalaki ng mga magulang ko para lang apihin ni Pablo.

Gwapo siya, pero maraming gwapo sa mundo.

Yaghoe:

Where are you? Bakit ka aabsent?

Me:

Need to do something for Papa. Di naman ako ondeck sa recit. Pa-record na lang ng class? Thank youuuu

Binalik ko iyong phone sa loob ng bag ko. This was my only free time para kausapin si Pablo. I didn't want this distracting me any more than it should. Palagi kong kasama si Yago. I didn't want him to know that I was going here.

The bar was still closed, pero may mga tao na naghahanda para sa opening mamaya. Hinigpitan ko ang hawak sa bag ko—na mas humigpit lang nang makita ko si Pablo na nasa likod ng counter at pinupunasan iyon.

I took a deep breath. I needed to do this. I couldn't keep delaying this... and I couldn't just ghost him. He's an ass, but no one deserved to be ghosted. I, at least, needed to tell him why this wasn't working. He deserved that.

"Pablo," I called. He looked up. I bit my lower lip when I noticed his blackeye—that was already turning purple. Gaano ba kalakas sumuntok si Yago?

He was only looking at me, not saying a thing. Mas lalo kong hinigpitan ang hawak sa strap ng bag ko. Kailangan kong gawin 'to. Para tapos na. I needed to move on to better things in life... I deserve better... Tama si Yago.

"Can we talk?" I asked.

"About?"

"Us," I said. Huminga ako muli nang malalim. "First, I wanna apologize for what Yago did to you... And I just want to know why you had to lie to me? Kung gusto mong magcelebrate kasama ang mga kaibigan mo, bakit hindi mo na lang sinabi sa akin?"

Pablo grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured himself a glass.

"You want?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I just came here to talk... and to clarify things."

I watched as he sipped the whiskey. Tahimik akong tumayo doon at naghintay ng sasabihin niya. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ako kinakabahan... Alam ko naman na kung ano ang sasabihin ko. I would just end things with him. I wouldn't allow him to make me feel like shit again.

"I really did have a meeting. I didn't lie," he said. "But still, I don't think this is working. Clearly, you want someone else."

Agad na umawang ang labi ko sa narinig ko sa kanya.

"Excuse me?"

"You clearly have something going on with Yago."

"Are you seriously passing the blame on me, Pablo? Ikaw 'tong hindi makapagcommit sa akin—" I said, but the amused look on his face pissed me off. Tama nga yata si Yago, nakakairita 'tong mukha ni Pablo! Now, I understand why he said he punched him because his face pissed him off. "Ano'ng nakaka-tawa?"

He grabbed the glass and sipped again. "You. And your denial. You wanna know why I can't fully commit to this, Rory? Because you're clearly not in this, too. You're always talking about Yago. You're always telling me that Yago's like this, Yago's like that."

I clenched my jaw. "We're just friends."

"Sure."

"He's just a friend, okay? He punched you because he thought you ditched me to party with your friends."