Taped-Up Heart

XLII. Close Your Eyes

Chapter Forty One

Close Your Eyes

Four years ago...

No.

Hindi niya ako pwedeng iwanan na lang basta.

Tumayo ako. It only happened yesterday, so of course, I'm still hurt. Tapos ngayon malalaman ko na lilipad na siya papuntang China?

"Asia, where are you—"

Hindi ko na pinakinggan si Yannie. Dali-dali kong kinuha ang susi ng kotse ko at dumiretso ako sa parking lot. I drove as fast as I could to the airport, frantically dialling his number, but there was no response.

Hindi pwede.

Mahal niya naman ako, hindi ba?

Sabihin niya lang na nagsisinungaling siya, papatawarin ko siya agad. Tatanggapin ko ulit siya sa buhay ko... kasi siya ang papaniwalaan ko.

He made me trust him—I gave him my whole heart and faith because he promised never to hurt me. And despite everything, I still want to believe in that.

Dahil hanggang ngayon pinagkakatiwalaan ko pa rin siya. Bet? Pustahan? I don't believe in those shits. He even said himself that I was the first girl in his life. Ako ang may tunay na kilala sa kanya. Alam ba nila na may OCD siya? Hindi naman, hindi ba?

So, ano?

Pati ba 'yun kasinungalingan lang din?

Was it all a lie?

Was his love for me just a lie?

I wiped my tears away. I should focus on driving, wala pa akong balak mamatay. Kailangan ko pa linawin ang lahat. Gusto kong pag-usapan naming dalawa, kasi ako? I would never give him up that easily.

Even in a short span of time, we had already made a lot of memories—good ones. Lahat ng araw na kasama ko siya ay masaya, kaya imposible na niloloko niya lang ako kasi naramdaman ko naman na mahal niya talaga ako. Na gusto niya talaga ako.

Hanggang condo ka lang. I shook the thought away. According to the Tiu brothers' rules: never take your girls home. Pero hindi naman, 'di ba? Hindi niya naman ginawa lahat ng 'yun para lang may makuha sa akin.

Pinakilala ka na ba niya sa magulang niya? No, he didn't, but that's because we didn't have the time to do it. His brothers knew about me. Kung ganoon magkakasabwat ba silang lahat? Ang effort naman nilang lahat na lokohin ako!

Achaia's engaged with someone else. Engaged?! He even said it himself that he doesn't let any other girls touch him. I was the first girl in his life. 'Yan pa rin ang gusto kong paniwalaan.

Kaagad akong bumaba ng sasakyan nang makarating ako sa airport. Mabilis akong tumakbo papasok at hinanap ang mga flight pa-China.

I kept looking for him everywhere even when I knew that it was impossible. This was already dead end. I wiped my tears away, para akong tanga na umiiyak ngayon dito. Pinagtitinginan na ako ng ibang tao.

"Asia?"

Parang nabuhayan ako nang marinig ko ang boses na 'yon. Kaagad akong lumingon. "Acha—" but I stopped when I saw Adami.

"What are you doing here?"

"S-si Achaia?" I asked, nagsisimula na ulit magtubig ang mga mata ko.

He stopped. The expression on his face changed. "He already left," he said.

"Saan siya pupunta?"

"Asia, I—"

I cut him off. "I want to talk to him, please?"