"I am really sorry for what happened." I carefully dab the ice pack around Adrian's cheekbones.
"Okay lang. Hindi mo kasalanan. You're not obliged to answer to him anymore." He's been reassuring me, but I know that what happened killed his mood and what scares me more is I don't know what's going on in his head.
Pagkatapos ng nangyari, dinala ko si Adrian sa bahay. Hindi pa nakakauwi si Mama galing sa clinic, at mas malapit ang bahay namin kaysa sa tinutuluyan ni Adrian.
"Gutom ka na siguro, hold this and I'll call the pizza place. All-meat for you, as usual?" triny ko syang ngitian para naman gumaan yung pakiramdam naming dalawa.
Ngumiti naman sya pabalik at tumango.
As I was ordering, my phone kept on buzzing, it was a few missed calls, a couple of text messages and chats from Riley. Natakot ako na baka may nangyaring masama sa date nya, kaya agad-agad ko syang nireplyan.
"What the fuck happened, Theresa?!"
"Terrie, you better answer the damn phone."
"THERESA GERONA CALDEZ, PICK UP."
I was confused for a moment so I chatted her right away.
"Anong nangyare, Ril?"
"Haven't you seen it???"
"Seen what?"
"Check my snap."
I opened my snapchat right away, and it flashed a brief moment of when Lorenzo punched the ground and I was protecting Adrian. I was on the ground protecting Adrian. Shit, I was on the ground hugging Adrian so he won't be punched again.
I sighed. This is exactly the image and issue I am trying to avoid. Fuck.
I immediately called Erin.
"Yes, ma'am?" she answered right away which relieved me.
"Look, there's a video circulating online..."
"I am aware ma'am." She said, signaling me that I don't have to explain.
"Please, find ways to take it down. Call Sean or anyone in our team who's affiliated with Law or Technology." I bit my lip.
"Yes, ma'am, I'll get to it right away."
"Thank you so much, Erin." binagsak ko yung phone ko sa wooden table. I can't afford to be distracted right now. The freshman's seminar is in 2 days and the acquaintance ball is in 2 weeks. Ang bigat-bigat na nitong lahat sa pakiramdam.
"You okay?" Sobrang lalim ng iniisip ko na di ko man lang namalayan na nasa likod ko na si Adrian.
"Yeah, everything's fine. Everything will be fine." I rolled my eyes, thinking that I always have to fix my problem, and everyone else's around me.
Napako lang ako sa kinatatayuan ko nang ilagay ni Adrian ang ulo ko sa dibdib nya. I can hear his hearbeat habang umiiyak ako. For a few minutes, we just stood in silence as he caress me.
He carefully lift my chin up. I've never felt this close to him. I was able to take a good look at his dark brown wavy locks, his beady eyes, his full lips and tan skin. As he went closer and closer, I hear my heartbeat faster and faster. I gulped yet didn't hesitate, I just waited for our lips to collide when...
"Pizza Deliver for Miss Caldez?" rinig na rinig ang pagsigaw ng delivery guy which knocked the both of us out on that scenario.
"Ako na kukuha, kuha ka na lang ng utensils." sabi nya.
Nang mabuksan na nya ang pinto, dali-dali ako sa kusina para hilamusan ang mukha ko nang mahimas-masan naman ako. What the fuck was I thinking? The video alone was enough reason for us not to make the situation worse than it is. I slapped my face lightly, get your shit together, Caldez.
I went back to the living room and sat beside him.
"Do you wanna watch anything?" tanong ko, hoping that he'd say yes.
"Actually, I just wanna talk." He said firmly, well, malas ako today.
"Sure, anong gusto mong pagusapan?" I tried not to sound tense.
"What happened to us, Ter?"
"What do you mean?"
"Come on, don't do that. Don't play dumb, you know exactly what I am talking about."
"What happened is EXACTLY what should've happened." Diniinan ko na yung mga binibitawan kong salita para makuha nya na gusto ko na lang i-drop yung conversation na 'yon.
"I need a reasonable explanation as to why you suddenly vanished without a word. Bakit bigla na lang tayo natapos ng walang pasabi."
"Bata pa tayo noon. We were on our 1st year." I simply said.
"That's plain bullshit, Terrie. Alam na natin ginagawa natin. So, you're just there to play, weren't you?"
"You fucking chose her without telling me! What was I supposed to do, Adi? Wait for you until you come back from Cinderella and spend the rest of the dawn with me? You're the one spitting bullshit. Gusto mo hihintayin pa rin kita even when you already had it clear in you na sya ang pinili mo." sumbat ko sa kanya.
Natahimik sya sa sinabi ko, nag-iisip siguro nang sasabihin na hindi masasaktan ang damdamin ko.
"I am sorry." He finally blurt out.
"It's fine, like I said, we were kids."
"Theresa, please let me make it up to you." pagmamakaawa nya.
"I have a lot on my plate now, Adrian."
Lumapit sya sa akin at hinawakan ang kamay ko. I looked at him sincerely.
"You should go back to her, to Rose." I said softly.
Hindi sya nagsalita, umiling lang sya.
"Hindi na kita hahayaang mag-isa ulit." He said and kissed my forehead.
YOU ARE READING
Reverso
Подростковая литератураTheresa Caldez, a 6o-year-old takes a trip down the memory lane as she recalls her youthful years filled with love, excitement, and pain. (Disclaimer: The following story will have a content that might be disturbing to some readers. It can trigger...
