Encounter (Onze Series #1)

28

"'Yon na 'yon?"

Tumingin ako kay Claire nang magsalita siya pagkatapos kong ikuwento ang sinabi ni Jared kanina. Nakanguso siya at naghihintay sa isasagot ko.

"Oo, sabi niya.." Tipid na sagot ko at kumibit-balikat.

"Anong sagot mo?" Humarap naman ako kay Khylie nang magtanong din siya. I mouthed a 'wala' and shook my head.

I didn't get enough time to respond because Claire suddenly went running to my unit earlier, dala-dala yung blueprints ko. Jared went home after bidding a goodbye to me. After five minutes siguro kanina he sent me a simple message saying 'No pressure' with a smiley emoji. Kung hindi lang ako kinurot ni Claire, hindi pa ako mababalik sa katinuan.

Nung pumasok kami kanina, tinawagan kaagad ni Claire ang mga kaibigan ko para, obviously, chikahin ako, gosh. Dumating na rin naman sila kaagad, Lorraine came here with two bottles of Alfonso on her hands. Akala niya raw ay broken ako.

And we did drink, sayang naman yung dala ni Lorr. Hindi lang ako masyadong uminom ng marami because I can't think straight if I'm influenced by alcohol. Mamaya ay i-drunk text ko pa si Jared. Goodness, I am so confused right now so I had to tell my friends about what happened.

"He obviously don't want the both of you to be friends lang. I just don't understand why he said those," Asha said while shooking his head.

"Iniiwasan nga siya, 'di ba? Baka iniisip niyang ayaw na talaga ni Val." Lorr joined the conversation.

"I don't understand you rin! Obvious naman na may feelings pa." Humarap saakin si Asha at tinaasan ako ng kilay.

"'Yon na nga, may feelings pa pero nagho-hold back pa rin siya," Lorr shrugged.

"Okay, okay. Pero bakit kailangang mag-hold back? Ikaw na nga ang binalikan?" Natasha asked again.

"My god Natasha, kailan ka ba pinanganak?" Claire sarcastically asked her. "She's just too scared to fall again." She added, shrugging.

"Maybe he want to restart again," Napalingon kaming lahat kay Khylie nang magsalita siya, kanina pa siya nananahimik.

"What do you mean?" I arched a brow, I didn't get her point.

"Baka he want to make things right." She started, pouring some liquor in his glass. "'Di ba they started rin as friends, then they went dating, but they didn't end up being together kasi.. worse things came. Baka gusto niyang ituloy ang naudlot niyong love story noon." Dagdag niya at tinungga ang inuming nasa hawak niyang baso.

Lahat kami ay nakatingin lang sa kanya hanggang matapos siyang magsalita. It kinda gave me hope actually. What they told me sank in me. I know myself I'm still into him, and hindi talaga mawawala saakin ang matakot na sumugal ulit. Kapagod kaya umiyak. I had enough!

"I don't know ha. Pero feeling ko ganoon. But what Lorr said can be a reason too. Gusto niyang friends na lang kayo kasi ang akala niya ay ayaw mo na talaga. Friendship, para kahit paano ay may open relationship kayo sa isa't-isa. Civil kayo, ganon." Khylie shrugged.

The way she said it also hurt her own feelings.

"Kung ako sa'yo Val.." Inangat ko ulit ang tingin kay Khylie nang magsalita ulit siya. "A-agree ako roon sa friends muna kayo. Give him time muna to prove himself to you, kung saan pwede mo ulit siya ibalik sa buhay mo.You know, second chance?" She said it meaningfully.