bad romance

13

NEIA

Nagpalit na ng numero sa orasan sa dashboard, which meant isang buong minuto na kaming tahimik na nakaupo sa loob ng sasakyan.

Hindi ko madescribe yung nararamdaman ko. Kagabi, nung accidentally kaming nagkita, all I felt was shock. I thought once it wore off, babalik lahat ng galit at hinanakit ko sa kanya.

But all I felt was some sort of hollow pain.

I don't know how to form the chemistry Ms. Nina wanted. Hindi ko din alam kung anong nakikita ng mga tao at iniisip nilang bagay kami sa isa't-isa. Maybe because I already knew this guy made me the happiest and the most miserable in the span of two years.

Seconds ticked by again.

"So," he said softly. His eyes were on the dashboard and flitted to mine, pero agad ding umiwas. "We didn't get to catch up last time."

I shot him an incredulous look. Catch up? Gusto niyang mag-catch up? "We really don't need to do that."

He looked at me kaya umiwas ako ng tingin at lumingon sa labas. "Just drive somewhere public. Ilang minuto lang naman siguro and somebody would recognize us and take a picture. Okay na 'yon."

"No!" malakas na tutol niya, kaya halos mapatalon ako sa gulat. I looked at him with wide eyes at nagtaas na rin ng boses. "Bakit ka naninigaw?"

Third blinked and cleared his throat, settling back down. Pati siya siguro nagulat sa sarili niyang outburst. "I mean, no. M-masyado kasing unnatural pag ganon. We have to at least spend some t-time together."

I looked at him, unconvinced.

"And look happy about it," dagdag pa niya.

Ah, oo nga pala. Mas matagal na siya kesa sa'kin sa industry na 'to so he'd know. Sanay na siya sa ganitong mga publicity stunt.

My heart squeezed at the memory but I forced my emotions down.

"You might want to tell your boyfriend first about it," he said, pero hindi na naman nakatingin. He started the engine and shifted the gear. "Para walang misunderstanding."

Wait, is he saying I just misunderstood stuff before? Neknek niya talaga! Misunderstanding stuff happens once, hindi paulit-ulit. Tsaka bakit, hindi niya rin naman ako sinasabihan dati ah?

"Don't worry about that," I exhaled. Calm, Neia. Sandali lang 'to. This is for your movie. You want that movie, remember?

"I'm not," he cast me a cutting glance. Eh ano? Bakit parang galit na siya agad? Pota ano na naman? "Seatbelt, please."

I wanted to ignore what he wanted just to be petty, pero ayoko ding mamatay, kaya umirap na lang ako at hinila yung seatbelt.

Ikiniling niya ang ulo sa direksyon ko at tumitig. Nang matagal. Na matagal. Tinaasan ko lang siya ng kilay, but his response was unexpected. Isang maliit na ngiti ang sumilay sa labi nya.

"I'm glad you're here. With me," his soft deep voice echoed in the confined space of the car. Bago pa ko makasagot, tumingin na ulit siya sa daan at inapakan ang gas. "Let's go."

I released the breath I didn't realize I was holding.

Kingina.

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