Ace Of The Beauty (El Vicente Series #3) COMPLETED

Kabanata 10

"Are you okay?" he asked as we entered his heavily tinted car. Malikot ang mga mata ni Rashid, hinahanapan ako ng sakit sa katawan na hindi ko maintindihan. I'm not hurt, he is!

I licked my lips. "Are you still taking drugs?"

Its a sensitive topic, I know. Gusto ko lang naman malaman. I'm not really happy about it. I know he's on his right mind to realize his wrongdoings. I don't know anything much about him but I believe he has a reason for it.

"No," he clenched his jaw and looked away. "That was a long time ago."

"Were you really an addict?"

Tumitig siya sa akin. "Hindi. I was tempted because of rebellion. Pero paano kapag oo, Gianna? Would you still like me if I'm still that Rashid?"

Nagkatitigan kami. I like him not in a shallow way. The more I get to know him, the more I realized that I'm entering a hollow underground. But not bad at all. This is his world and he choose to not put any filters on it just so I can see him clearly.

"You can change," maliit na boses ko.

Tumawa siya at tumitig sa harapan. "I don't change for a woman, Gianna. I refuse to be a sucker for a woman.. for love. That's why I don't like commitments at all. Kaya ang pagbabagong gusto mong asahan sa akin ay hindi mangyayari. Though, I'm not that stupid jerk now. But if I still was, I won't change for you."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "You want people to accept whoever you are, then?"

"I don't please them to accept me. But if there's a person, well I guess you can say that she must accept me for who I am. Take it or leave it."

"That's totally wrong, Rashid." kumento ko. "As a person, its your responsibility to figure out which of your doings are right and wrong. You can't just let people deal with you and don't care at all. At some point, we all have to start making ourselves better individuals."

Sumilay ang ngiti sa labi niya sa mahabang kumento. I don't understand how he even smiled when I'm in the middle of defending what I believe.

"You got a lot to say, Gian." he bit his lips before talking. "We all have to start making ourselves better individuals, yes you're right. But I don't think the 'better' you're talking about is somehow positive. I don't want to be a person who isn't me at all. I live in hell and that's where I am. Heaven isn't for me. If no one accepts me, the hell I even care."

Nanliit ang paningin ko sa kaniya. Hindi salungat ang paniniwala ko sa sinasabi niya dahil alam kong may punto siya doon. At the end of the day, we choose a perspective that we want. And if the hell is where some people wants, I think I don't have a say on that anymore.

Humugot ako ng buntong hininga. "Atleast you're not that Rashid anymore.."

"Paano kapag ako pa din iyon?" tumagilid ang mukha niya. "You think your little admiration can change me?"

I was offended by the way he called my feelings for him.

Umahon ako sa pagkakasandal. "That's not just little admiration, Rashid. Sabi ko sayo, gusto kita!"

"Oo at hanggang ngayon may nanliligaw pa din sayo."

I stopped. Dahan dahan akong bumalik sa pagkakasandal at kinain na ng kahihiyan. Damn, I can't even protest because he is right. I forgot to talk to Julian about it. But since he said that, I took out my phone.

"Babastedin ko na!"

"Oh, really? Paano pala kapag hindi ko sinabi?"

Iritado ko siyang tinignan. "Babastedin ko pa din! Nakalimutan ko lang!"