Behind A Smile

Chapter 28

Kabanata 28

"Hi." nakangiting bungad sa akin ni Tyrone nang tuluyan nga akong makarating sa park.

"Hey..." simpleng balik ko.

Ngumiti siya, at napatitig nalang ako sa kaniya. Kapansin-pansin pa rin ang bago niyang gupit, na mas lalong nagpatingkad sa kaguwapuhan niya. It's a clean cut, which made even looked more defined now. I wonder, when did he had it? Saturday? Sunday?

"Kumusta?"

He asked like an innocent child. Like hindi kami nagkita for months. Also, I find it as a weird and unusual question.

"Seriously?" I chuckled. "Makapagtanong naman 'to, akala mo naman matagal na hindi tayo nagkita?" Pagpatuloy ko, natatawa na. "Upo ka..." Iminuwestra ko s'ya sa isang bench na inupuan ko. He just laughed at me, and I swear, it's so cute... and sexy. "Nagkita naman tayo kanina."

"Right," he smiled, showing his perfect set of white teeth. "Wala lang. I just want to know how you're doing..."

"Maayos lang naman ako."

"Talaga?"

"Oo naman."

Then there was a silence. "Are you okay?"

"I am okay..."

What's up with him? There really is something whenever he asked me questions like this. It's powerful and... demanding.

"Totoo ba?"

Finally, nilingon ko siya. Here he comes again. Iyong tipong, magtatanong siya lalo na kung patungkol sa lagay ko, at kapag sinagot ko naman na maayos lang, he would always act like this. Like he doesn't believe me at all. Like in his eyes, everything I tell is lie... would only be... lies.

Actually, this side of Tyrone is intriguing. It always got me thinking why the hell it seems like, he knows... things? And he always demands for truth, and sometimes, I am being cornered by him. Because, who would actually think I'd lie, right? When in fact, I am known for being good at pretending. Everyone would believe that If I say 'yes', then it's really a yes, and when I say 'no', it's really a no. Ganoon lang kadali. But Tyrone, he is... different.

"I'm fine, detective,"

Though, I want to tell him what happened earlier. Pero naisip ko na, tama na siguro 'yung pagbubukas ko noong nasa Tagaytay kami. Tama na, na minsan, ay hindi pala minsan dahil pangalawang beses na nakita n'ya ako kung gaano ako kahina; at the comfort room, and at the beachside, when we were drinking. Kaya siguro, tama na iyon. Sapat na rin na mayroon siyang alam tungkol sa akin.

And now, that got me. Mayroon na siyang alam sa akin, pero ako, wala pa akong... alam sa kaniya. Um, ganoon ba talaga 'yun? Well, isn't reciprocation a good thing?

Sa pag-iisip ko, hindi ko na namalayan na tumatawa na pala siya. What I answered just sink in to me. Did I call him detective?! Right! 'E paano kasi, kung makapagtanong siya ay para talaga siyang nang-iimbestiga ng kaso! At hindi n'ya ako titigilan sa pagtatanong hangga't hindi ako napapasuko!

"Detective, huh?" still laughing.

I almost rolled my eyes, pero hindi ko na rin napigilan dahil natawa na rin ako. Nakakahawa 'yung tawa n'ya.

"Well, you're asking like one..."

He laughed even more. "I can't believe it." Ilakas n'ya pa ng kaonti, maririnig na talaga sa buong subdivision ang halakhak n'ya.

"So what is it?"

His brows knitted. "What?"

"Diba may ibibigay ka?"