BrightWin: The Arrangement

XI

Uh, mature content? Read at your own risk? Whatever.

Plus this is a long ass chapter para sa akin, even I got tired if writing it.

Xavier

It took awhile before I realized that Enrico and Keiran kissed. Tinitigan ko lang sila and when they finally pulled away from each other, niyakap na ulit ni Keiran ang braso niya sa leeg ni Enrico.

Ang sakit, sobra. I'm supposed to be marrying this guy and now he goes around kissing my best friend.

Nevertheless, sinundan ko si Enrico nang magpatuloy siya, I tried to catch up with him and luckily I did.

"Rico," Tawag ko sa kanya. Nasa labas na kami ng Harbor ngayon at papuntang parking, "I'll take him home."

"I found him first," Ani ni Enrico nang hindi ako nililingon, "Pababayaan mo tapos pag may ibang nakakita, babawiin mo?"

"Siya ang umalis—"

"Maybe you deserve it," Pagputol niya sa sinasabi ko  "Deserve mong maiwanan, masaktan. You deserve to be left behind."

"Sure ako nakita mo yung kiss, alam mo ba kung sino ang tingin niya sakin? Ikaw." Pagdidiin niya sakin. "Ako ang nandito pero ikaw ang hinahanap, the amazing Exavier Jarius."

"Hindi ko kasalanan na hindi ka gusto ni Keiran." I flatly said, "Ano bang gusto mo? Lumayo ako? Need I remind you na ako ang pakakasalan niya. I'm arranged with him and believe it or not, gusto ko na rin."

"You despise him!" Enrico faces me, "If you weren't forced, do you think you'd ever like him?"

Hindi ako nakasagot, dahil tama siya. I wouldn't even care about Keiran. Hamak na business partner lang ang magiging tingin ko sa kanya.

"Pero ako, before you both met, I was eyeing on him." He finally reveals, "Ang tagal tagal ko na siyang pinagmamasdan sa malayo and now he's finally close to me, I find out that he's marrying my childhood friend." Sarkastiko siyang tumawa. Pawisan na siya at namumula dahil kanina niya pa bitbit si Keiran.

He sniffs a bit, "And then he treats him wrong."

There was a moment of silence, tanging singhot lang ang naririnig namin dahil naiiyak siya.

"Let me take him home for tonight." He looks at me, finally breaking the silence. "I'll drive him back to your apartment bukas ng gabi. Just let me take care of him. Just let me show him what love really is."

Tinignan ko siya, kina-caress niya ng thumb niya ang braso ni Keiran kahit mahihirapan na siya.

Tumango ako and he finally left with him.

At dun na nagsimula mag-unahan ang mga luha ko sa pagbagsak.

---

The next morning, may pasok na ulit. For the first time in a few months, I woke up without Keiran next to me. Parang may kulang na sa akin ngayon.

Hindi ko rin mawari kung talaga bang gusto ko siya o nasanay lang ako sa presensya niya, either way, it hurts.

Naalala ko na naman ang kagabi.

I shook the thoughts off at nag-ready na for school. Nagpa-deliver na rin ako ng lunch ko dahil hindi naman ako marunong magluto and Keiran was the one who cooks for us.

Nang makarating sa school, nangyari ang usual na nangyayari. Girls stop and stare while I don't care. Dere-deretso lang ako sa locker and I happen to bump into one of Keiran's friends, Devon, I think.