Excess EXes

4

“umayos ka anikka ha, malaki ka na” anikka sighed as she heard her mom talk through the phone, she rolled her eyes.

“yes ma, I know ma.” anikka said in a monotone voice. Nakatingin lamang si juan sakanya, anikka smiled.

“that was long.” sabi ni juan when anikka put her phone down,

“sinabi mo pa, kastress.” anikka said and juan chuckled.

“so, how was spain?” anikka asked, cutting her steak and looking at juan.

“t'was good, the experience was great and I learned a lot of things naman.” juan said, drinking his wine.

“trending kayo ah” juan teased, anikka rolled her eyes.

“nanonood ka?” anikka asked juan, tumango si juan with a smile on his face.

“yeah, so why did you say yes?” juan asked pouring more wine sa glass ni anikka.

“for the kids.” anikka asked sipping her wine.

“sus” juan started. “you just need closure from brent kaya ka pumayag.” juan said, his accent thick.

“maybe.” anikka said staring at the window, droplets of rain falling, may bagyo nga pala.

“tagal naman ng closure niyo three years.” juan joked, looking at the menu to pick a dessert.

“maybe I didn't want us to have closure” anikka trailed off, juan smiled.

“you didn't want closure kasi you didn't want to close your life with brent, we all get it anikka.” juan said, raising his hand to call the waiter, anikka sighed.

“hindi na yun ganon.” anikka said, finishing her steak,

“wait lang” juan said sa waiter, he looked at anikka “wala kang maloloko rito” he said and continued to order his dessert.

“I really don't know juan, I just can't seem to ge brent out of mind. Three years and siya pa rin.” anikka said, juan smiled and put his hand on top of hers.

“and this is why I didn't pursue you anikka, I can't help you get over brent,  you love brent so much, sa una pa lang talo na ako.” juan said, Anikka looked at juan, she knew his feelings for her, but si brent kasi talaga eh.

“i'm okay, i'm happy, even though I don't smile often, masaya ako. But you? Are you really happy anikka?”

Are you really happy anikka?

Paulit ulit sa utak ni anikka yung tanong ni juan, kumunot ang noo niya, how can she be unhappy? Her parents are okay, her job is stable, she can afford to buy her wants and needs, she has her friends, so bakit siya malulungkot?

But there is a big void in her life that she keeps on pushing deep down. And she knows that it's brent.

Her hand was in her bag looking for her airpods, habang nakastop light she searched for the small container, but she can't find it. She cursed herself dahil wala rin sa compartment.

It wasn't cheap, hindi niya basta basta susukuan yung airpods niya. Then she remembered na brent borrowed it nung before Episode 4, and since malapit naman siya sa condo ni brent, she decided to come and get it.

“baka tulog” she thought to herself, hindi kasi sumasagot si brent, and it was a sunday, walang training yun.

“Brent Paraiso po” she told the guard, tumango yung guard and pumunta siya sa elevator, she was holding her bag tightly.

“fuck wait.” she cursed and walked towards the comfort room, she checked her breath and fixed her hair. She fixed her liptint and her dress. She took one last glance at the mirror before smiling.

Hindi niya alam, but she wants to be pretty kapag si brent ang nakakakita sakanya, she wants brent to think that she's pretty.

The elevator opened sa floor ni brent, dahan dahan ang paglakad ni anikka, she didn't know why she was nervous. But it was brent, and brent always made her feel like this.

She pressed the doorbell once and waited for someone to respond, she even checked her phone kung nagreply na si brent or anything.

“hello, kukunin ko lang sana yung airpod ko” she said with a smile pero pagtingala niya, parang pinagsakluban ng langit ang lupa.

“hi, sige pasok ka hahanapin ko lang.” the girl said, she was wearing brent's polo which was big on her, and her hair was messy, parang someone kept on running their hands, she was wearing a short shorts.

Anikka inhaled deeply. Break na sila, brent was free to do this.

“what's keeping you so long bets?” brent asked, he was shirtless and his shorts was messy, parang kakasuot lang.

Anikka smiled at brent, nanlaki ang mata ni brent.

“kukuhain ko lang sana yung airpods ko.” anikka tried her best to not let her voice crack.

“na–nasa kwarto ko ata.” brent said, looking at ‘bets’ who nodded and smiled, pumasok siya sa kwarto ni brent.

“anikka” brent said, his voice low, ngumiti si anikka, brent was lost at words, he didn't know what to say.

“found it!” sabi ni ‘bets’ and inabot niya kay anikka, anikka smiled and tightened her grip on her airpods.

“thank you, una na ako.” anikka said, tumango si ‘bets’ at hinatid siya sa pinto, anikka can't look at him.

“ingat!” bets said, anikka nodded and faked a smile.

Ricci, Island? G?

She pressed send with tears threatening to fall.