Border of South (On-going)

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟎𝟗

xxx

"Did your family knew about that?" he slowly asked, para bang nakikiramdam pa.

"The accident? Yes. What really happened that night? No. And I intend it to stay that way." I answered.

"You do know na walang sikretong hindi nabubunyag, diba?" mukhang iritado pa siya.

Medyo kinabahan naman ako sa sinabi niya, parang foreshadowing kasi e.

But, "Alam ko naman. I am no God, I have no control over things kaya one way or another malalaman rin nila. Pero ang gusto ko lang sana, masikreto ko as much as I can."

His face darkened, mas lalo pang nainis sa sinabi ko. "So would just forget about the fact na niloko ka ni Lucas at ng pinsan mo?" he spat the name Lucas as if it was some kind of a curse.

I looked away, "If I could, yeah."

Ano'ng magagawa ko? Kahit anong galit at sama ng loob ko, at the end of the pinsan ko pa rin si Lorraine, pamilya pa rin.

He snickered out of nowhere kaya napalingon ako sa kanya.

"Ang sungit mo sa'kin pero sa mga nanakit sa'yo wala ka. Kaya ka inaabuso e." 'Di ko alam kung problemado o napipikon siya, maybe both.

I can't help but to laugh at him, kunut na kunot na ang noo niya.

"Bakit ka ba galit na galit, ha?" I asked while still laughing napatigil lang ako nang sumagot siya.

"You just remind of someone." Asta answered with his brows still knitted together.

That caught my attention. Kahit kasi kwento ako nang kwento dito, siya 'di nagbabanggit ng kahit na ano tungkol sa sarili niya. So I was curious, alright.

"Who?" mabilis kong tanong.

"My mom." then he looked away.

"A-ah..." I was speechless, all I could do was let out an awkward laugh.

Ano ba'ng dapat na i-react ko? Neutral lang naman kasi expression niya kaya 'di ko alam kung affected pa ba siya o wala na lang sa kanya. Philosophy major ako, hindi Psychology! Marunong naman akong bumasa ng tao but with this guy, I just can't. Dalawa lang kasi ang expression niya, nakangiti at seryosong mukha.

Diba sabi nila mas masama raw magalit 'yung mga laging nakangiti at masaya? Mukhang totoo nga yata.

"Ano'ng tawag sa anak ng taong-grasa?" Asta asked out of the blue looking so serious kaya nablangko ako.

"Ha?" ang random naman.

"Baby oil." then he suddenly smiled and his brooding aura suddenly disappeared.

Instances like this, he really creeps me out. Alam ko kasing marami pa siyang gustong sabihin pero dinadaan niya na lang sa ngiti at random jokes. It's like everytime there's a crack on his mask, he's quick to fix it before anyone could see.

I can't help but to shake my head at his antics. "Corny mo, leche."

I let the topic slide, halata namang ayaw niyang pag-usapan e.

"'Di kasi tayo pogi kaya babawi na lang sa humor, bossing."

I looked at him with disbelief, "Wow, humble bragging ba 'yan?" Kung gan'yan pala itsura ng panget, parang gusto kong ma-try.

He ignored my remark and said, "Dami mong kinwento sa'kin pero 'di ko nahanap kung saan do'n 'yung dahilan bakit ka nahinto."

"Ano ba 'yan, 'di pa ba obvious--"