The Free Fall

16

"Alyxa."

Lumingon ako kay Chase, pinilit kong maging busy buong araw para hindi ko siya kailangang kausapin pero dahil uwian na, wala akong choice.

"Yeah?"

"Can I drive you home?" Tumango lang ako at agad naman niyang kinuha ang bag ko.

"Is there a problem?" Tanong niya pagkapasok ng kotse. "You're silent, hindi ako sanay."

"Wala."

"Come on." He turned to me, "Tell me."

"May sinabi lang si Colleen and I can't stop thinking about it."

"Ano?"

I looked at him, halata sa mga mata niyang concerned siya kaya napaiwas ako.

"Why are you even courting me?" Pag-iwas ko sa tanong niya.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Wala. Uwi na tayo." Sabi ko, hindi pa kami nakakaalis ng parking lot.

"Sabihin mo muna." He held my hand na nakapatong sa lap ko. "Please."

"Sabi niya iaarrange marriage kayo. So I don't really get the point na nagsasayang kang oras sa'kin."

He stiffened for a few seconds and sighed, he started rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb.

"Hindi yan."

"Eh ano? Sure ka bang hindi? Sabi niya super close raw ng families niyo at okay sa kanilang lahat."

"Hindi nga." He said in a soothing voice, yung sama ng loob ko, natutunaw. "I won't be investing this much sa'yo if ganon lang ang mangyayari. Don't worry about it okay?"

"Paanong hindi." Kinuha ko kamay ko.

He sighed at parang nag-isip kung magsasalita pa ba siya o hindi. "She's sick, okay?"

"What do you mean she's sick?" Tumingin ako sa kanya.

"We don't know how much time she has left." He paused, "Lahat ng gusto niya binibigay sa kanya because hindi talaga namin alam kung hanggang kailan namin siya kasama."

"So ikakasal kayo ganon?"

"Hindi. They only make her believe that." He tucked my hair behind my ear.

"Parang ang sama naman?"

"It's better kaysa broken hearted siya sa'kin hindi ba? It'll only make her condition worse."

"So she doesn't know about us?"

Nakakunot noo niya pero biglang nawala at napangisi siya. "Why? Ano bang meron tayo?"

"Wala." I punched his arm. Gago talaga.

"She kinda knows that I like you pero indenial siya about it."

Umirap na lang ako kasi nakangisi pa rin siya. Tuwang-tuwa dude pare tsong?

"Hey" Tawag niya ulit sa'kin at hinawakan niya baba ko para humarap sa kanya, he cupped my cheeks. "It's you I want to marry, okay? You have nothing to worry about."

He pulled my face closer at napapikit ako nang lumapit siya, he kissed the tip of my nose.

Weak shit naman 'to hindi na dineretso sa lips! Char!