A Promise Of A Lifetime

06

Aliana showed me her pictures and videos when she's still in junior high. She kept on saying that she doesn't look good and she's not a good leader but she is. This girl needs to be more, more confident.

"Nagka boyfriend ka na ba, Ali?" I asked her while she's scrolling on her phone.

Natigil ito at dahan-dahang tumingin saakin. She sighed. My brows creased. "Hmm?"

"Yeah..." saad niya sa maliit na boses. It's almost a whisper!

"Oh my g!" I exclaimed. "Who's the lucky guy?" tanong ko habang inaalog ko ng marahan ang kaniyang balikat. 

Pero napansin ko ang lungkot sa kaniyang mukha.

"I hope that he also felt lucky to have me but no..."

"What happened?" Oh no.

I suddenly felt sad for her. It's like, she's too innocent to be in a relationship. Kailangan niya ng makakausap palagi to give good and right advices for things like that.

"I thought he liked me. Kuya Euan and Aiden once warned me about men, and that jerk." She sighed. "I thought he's serious but I saw him kissing another girl after the day I agreed to be her girlfriend."

I'm speechless. How dare he hurt this precious girl?

"They say, I'm too innocent. I didn't use my brain, I didn't even think about it at first. He courted me in just a week and answered him because I liked him. I don't know that he's just playing." She said, biting her lip. She looked hurt.

"I cried and cried that time. I don't know what to do, I'm hurt not because I love him. I'm hurt because I'm not good enough for someone to stay loyal and faithful to me..." She trailed off.

"Oh no. You're good enough and you're worth it, believe me. Your ex is not the right person for you. The right person will never make you feel neglected and unloved. He's a jerk for hurting you." I said.

"But I'm already okay... I'm fine being single. I have my family to love me so I don't need a man to do that for me." She smiled. "My mom said that I'm still young and it's normal to be hurt. At least it makes me realize one important thing. It is not to trust someone that easily, especially boys." she said then playfully rolled her eyes.

"I second the motion!" I said at sabay kaming natawa sa sinabi. Napag-desiyonan naming bumaba na at maglibot sa kanilang mansion at sa labas.

Naabutan namin ang magpipinsan sa living room. They looked so serious while talking. Nabaling ang tingin saakin ni Euan. Nakita kong bumaba ang kaniyang tingin niya sa legs ko.

Ah, pervert!

Hindi ko nalang pinansin at tuluyang bumaba sa hagdan. Kean, one of his cousins smiled at me. Even though he looked like a bad boy he doesn't makes me nervous. Mas matigas ang features niya kaysa kay Euan. But why am I always feeling nervous when he's around? Nevertheless, I just smiled back at kean.

Nakita kong dumilim bigla ang mga mata ni Euan. "Kean!" rinig kong singhal niya rito. Sa hindi malamang dahilan ay napuno ng baritonong tawanan ang loob ng mansion. Nagsalita naman ulit si Kean ngunit hindi ko na narinig pa iyon dahil palayo na kami sa kung nasaan sila.

I think-- I really do think that I'll never get used to this beautiful mansion and everything on it. The sound of the fountain is very calming. The sound of nature never disappoints me. This is what I missed in the Philippines, this province.

Nai-kwento din ni Ali na gustong gusto niya rin ang mga bulaklak. Kaya pala minsan pabalik balik din ito sa bahay ni lola dahil mayroon din itong magagandang bulaklak. We have a lot of common but our attitude is different from each other. Well, we are all unique in our own way.

Nai-kwento niya rin saakin that she always wanted to be a teacher. Siya lang ang naiiba sa magpipinsan ng gusto. Ang lahat ay engineering ang napili pero siya ay pagtuturo ang gusto.

Buong araw ay nasa mansyon lamang ako ng mga Castellanos. This is my second home, they are all awesome people. My day is filled with happiness and love, sana palaging ganito.

I decided to take a bath and ali let me borrow some of her unused clothes. She gave me a white smoked top off shoulder and maong shorts.

Pagkatapos maligo ay sa bathroom na ako nagbihis at may blower sa loob. As I blowed my hair, paglabas ko ay nakita kong nakaupo si Euan sa gilid ng kama ni Aliana.

Gulat man ay hindi ko nalang ito pinansin at nanatiling tutok sa pagpapatuyo ng basang buhok.

I can see his eyes checking up on my body and my face. Sa ilang araw ko dito, pansin kong palagi siyang ganiyan saakin. Ewan ko kung saakin lang siya ganoon. Bigla naman akong nairita sa naisip.

Nakatingin parin siya habang sinusuklay ko na ang aking buhok. Hindi ko na napigilang magsalita.

"What are you lookin at?" tinaas ko ang aking kilay.

"You." He simply said.

Natutop ang aking bibig dahil sa sagot nito. Ayan 'di nanaman ako makapag salita!

Kaya pagkatapos niyang sumagit ay tumahimik nalang ulit ako.

Hindi pa tumatagal ay nagsalita ulit siya.

"Gusto mo ba si Kean?" He accusingly asked me.

Napaawang ang aking labi sa tigas ng boses nito. Nagulat naman ako kaya hindi agad naka-sagot. Bakit niya ako tinatanong niyan?

"Or you like Aiden?" He asked again.

Why would he asked me that kind of question? Wala naman akong gusto sa kahit na sino sa pinsan niya o kahit kay Aiden.

And ano naman sakaniya kung may gusto nga ako?

"Answer me..."

"Ano naman kung gusto ko si Kean o si Aiden? I'm single." sabi ko at tumatawa pa para matabunan ang kabang nararamdaman.

Mas lalong tumalim ang kaniyang titig saakin. Para bang may nagawa akong kasalanan.

"Kean is my cousin and Aiden is my own brother!" hindi man iyon pasigaw ngunit ramdam ko ang galit na ipinaparating niya saakin.

Ang gwapo niya pala lalo kapag nagagalit.

What the fuck, Ellie? 

May nakakatakot na leon na ngang nasa harapan mo pero naglalandi ka pa? Baka bigla nalang akong sakmalin nito.

I cleared my throat. Tumingin ako sa mata niya ngunit hindi ko lang din natagalan dahil nakakapanghina pala!

"I, I was just kidding..." depensa ko. "Wala akong gusto s-sakanilang dalawa, okay?"

Sa tingin ko ay hindi parin siya naniniwala base sa nakikita ko! "At bakit ka ba nagkakaganiyan? It's not like I'm your damn girlfriend..."

He smirked evilly. "Talaga?" nanunuya niyang tanong.

What? Ba't parang tuwang tuwa naman siya ngayon?

"Oo! I'm not yours so wala ka dapat pakealam sa mga nagugustuhan ko." I rolled my eyes. Tumalikod na ako at aalis na sana sa loob ng silid na iyon dahil nahihirapan na akong huminga dahil sa lalakeng 'to. Natigilan ako dahil sa sinabi niya.

"Yes, you're not my girlfriend. Not yet."

Aba! "You think ba na magiging girlfriend mo ako? In your dreams!" 

"But even if you are not my girlfriend, I can say that you're mine. Simula palang nang ipinanganak ka, I already marked you as mine." He said.

I gulped. At sa pagkakataong ito, ay wala nanaman akong masabi.

"You're for me. Always remember that." dagdag nito.

Hindi ko na siya nilingon at tuluyan nang umalis sa kwartong 'yon.

Nakakabwisit talaga siya! Anong sakaniya ako? Walang nagmamay-ari saakin. At hinding hindi ako mahuhulog sa lalakeng katulad niya. I really hate playboy, womanizer, annoying and jerk like him!

I'm a Gomez. Kung noon ay naloko at nauto ako ng mga katulad niya, hindi na 'yon mauulit. Ayoko na.