Wretched Choices

Chapter 23

#WretchedChoicesWP

Chapter 23
Floor

I would always end up looking back at Jerome whenever I feel him staring at me while we were eating together. Pagkatapos ay tipid niya akong ngingitian at saka magpapatuloy sa pagkain. Pero dahil ilang beses ko na siyang naaabutang nakatingin sa akin, medyo naiilang na ako lalo na't kumakain ako.

"Bakit ba tingin ka nang tingin sa akin?" walang pag-aalinlangan kong tanong sa kanya.

He chuckled and answered, "I'm just fascinated."

"Fascinated in what way?"

"Never thought that you can be uhm... this calm and peaceful to look at..."

Unconsciously, I blinked my eyes a few times before my forehead creased.

"I don't know if I'm making sense to you, but yeah..." He shrugged his shoulders and sipped on his drink.

Nang maisip ko ang dahilan kung bakit siguro siya naninibago o namamangha, napatango-tango ako. I finally understood where he was coming from. Maybe, for him, I was a completely different person who changed overnight.

"See?" He was about to make a point. "If you are in your usual self, you'd probably slap me off with sarcasm or any brief but sharp speech to cut my tongue."

I didn't know why, but I smiled proudly because of what he said. It felt like I was being commended because of my savageness.

Mukhang hindi inaasahan ni Jerome ang pagngiti ko kaya napatigil siya. Mas lalo lamang akong napangiti.

"I was pretty savage back then, huh?" I said, cockily.

His lips parted for a moment before he laughed out loud. Sa sobrang lakas ng tawa niya ay napalingon ako sa aming paligid. Those who sat at the table near us, gave him a quick glance for being loud.

"You are really something, Keia," he said, still laughing like he couldn't get over what's funny for him.

I rested my chin on the back of my right palm and grinned while staring at him. I tried to look playful and seductive.

"Crush mo na ako, no?" pabiro kong tanong sa kanya.

Unlike before when he denied my playful accusation, now, he just smiled and averted his eyes back to the food he was eating. I was dumbfounded for a moment when I perceived his silence into something impossible, but I immediately shook my head when I realized that he meant 'of course, not' and just decided to look away, not to hurt the fragile Keia in front of him.

"Nandito lang pala kayo!"

Gulat akong napaangat ng tingin kay Sharry na mukhang hinihingal pa. To be honest, I thought she wouldn't come anymore because I texted her earlier and she didn't reply. Siya pa naman ang isa sa dahilan kung bakit ko hinila si Jerome kanina. She wanted to say thank you personally that's why I did it. It wasn't just for my own satisfaction. I had reasons!

Nagtatakang tinapunan ng tingin ni Jerome si Sharry. Agad naman akong tumayo upang tabihan ang kaibigan bago muling hinarap si Jerome.

"Jerome, she's my best friend, Sharry," I introduced him to my best friend. "She's here to eat early lunch with us and—"

"Oh, no can do, Keia. Nagtatampo si Jethro dahil hindi ako sumipot sa dinner date namin kagabi. We'll eat lunch and dinner today instead," Sharry immediately cut me off and turned to Jerome. "Anyway, dumaan lang ako rito saglit dahil gusto kong mag-thank you sa'yo."

Naglalaro sa isipan ko ngayon ang unang sinabi ni Sharry. So, she had plans with Jethro last night, but she chose to spend it with me because she knew I was feeling bad. My eyes slightly widened when I realized it was their monthsary yesterday. Muli na naman akong nakaramdam ng konsensya.