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Lumipas ang higit sa limang minuto pero wala pa ring nagsasalita sa aming dalawa ni Abe. I suddenly felt embarrassed. Baka kailangan na niyang bumalik sa mula sa break. Tumikhim ako kaya napatingin siya sa akin pero ako rin ang unang umiwas at binaling ang tingin sa harapan kung saan may ilang mga pasyenteng sakay ng wheelchair at kasama ng mga hospital staff na nagpapahanin.
"How's the knee?" He asked. He looked massive now compare to the last five months or so since I last saw him. Those cuts from his forearm up to his biceps made my cheeks burn in heat.
"It's fine." Wala sa sarili kong sagot. Walang bakas ng kahit na anong emosyon ang kanyang mukha. His disheveled curly hair that I miss to ruffle still looks the same. He usually removes his black rimmed glasses when he's not reading but right now it seems like he wears it all the time.
Hindi ko alam kung ano ba ang dapat naming pag-usapan. Hell, I didn't even know why I almost asked him if we could talk. I mean, I looked like a scared cabbage here.
"He told me I can talk to you." He started talking.
"After five months." I can see on my peripheral vision that he turned his gaze at me. Kumunot ang noo ko at sinalubong ang tingin niya.
"Huh?" Nagtataka kong tanong sa kanya.
"Luthor. He said...I can talk to you after five months." Inulit niya iyon sa marahan na paraan at tuluyan ng humarap sa akin. Nakapamulsa pa rin siya at nakatingin ng deretso sa aking mga mata.
Wala akong maintindihan sa mga sinabi niya kaya nanatili akong tahimik. He sighed and took that as an opportunity to speak more.
"Noong gabi ng party, after you walked out on me, kinausap niya ako bago ka niya sinundan. He said, in five months' time, your engagement will be announced so there's no chance for me to pursue you."
Ramdam na ramdam ko ang pagbilis ng tibok ng puso ko habang sinasabi niya iyon. Halos lagpas na sa limang buwan at wala pa ring anunsyo ng pagpapakasal namin ni Luthor. Magmula ng mapansin ni papa na totoong malapit kami ni Luthor ay tumigil siya sa pagpapares sa amin. Mukhang nakampante kaya hindi minadali ang nilulutong engagement.
"W-walang engagement...na nangyari." I pointed out shyly then he nodded slowly, too. Yumuko ako ng maramdamang nag-iinit ang aking pisngi.
"Ang hirap pala maghintay." Napa angat ang tingin ko muli sa kanya. He's now smiling and his voice sounded like something is funny.
"Walang sinabi ni Luthor sa akin." Tanging nasabi ko sa kanya. He didn't look surprised. His face remained calm as he stares at my face.
"At tama lang iyon. I don't want you to feel guilty just because I chose to wait for months. For you."
Hindi ko talaga kaya ang paggiging straightforward niya. Paano niyang nasasabing normal ang mga ganoong klaseng bagay. His features are softer than Luthor's but he is manly in his own way. Kahit na mestizo siya, he's built screams power and strength.
"Sorry kung naghintay ka." Mahina kong sabi sabay hawak ng dalawa kong kamay sa strap ng aking body bag. I don't understand how I feel. Hindi ko siya nakikita pero naiisip ko siya. Iniisip ko siya pero hindi ako umaasang maggiging maayos kami.
I'm still bound to marry Luthor de Alvarez.
"Tapos na ba ang paghihintay ko?" Tanong niya ng nakangisi. Naramdaman kong unti-unting nanlaki ang chinita kong mata. He chuckled when he saw my shocked face but after a few seconds he became serious again.
May tunog kaming narinig at nakita kong agad niyang nilabas ang itim na pager mula sa kanyang bulsa. Huminga siya ng malalim matapos tingnan iyon. Baka may emergency at kailangan na siya sa loob.
BINABASA MO ANG
Yesterday's Fragment (Medico Jurist Series #1)
RomanceSelah Juliana always wanted to please her father after their brother's death. Batas ang salita ng kanyang ama at para sa kanya ay walang makakaputol nito. Kahit siya. After graduating college she was already arranged to be married to an honorable ma...