Just This Once (COMPLETED)

Kabanata 53

#JustThisOnce

Kabanata 53

"W-what?" Parker asked. Unti-unting lumuwag ang hawak niya sa braso ko. "He... he's not your son?" Hindi ako sumagot. Hindi ko alam kung paano ko ipapaliwanag sa kanya. It wasn't even my story to tell! But I felt the need to tell him... na hindi ako nagsinungaling sa kanya. Because God, why would I even do that to him?!

"Then why?" he continued. "Why are you staying with him if he has a son with someone else?"

Words left me. I didn't know how to address any of his questions. Parker stared at me, glared at me. I knew he wanted me to clear whatever he was thinking, but I was left at an incapacity.

And when he got nothing from me, he angrily marched towards the kitchen. He found Maven lying on the ground. Bigla kong nahigit ang hininga ko nang hatakin niya mula sa sahig si Maven.

"Parker!" gulat na sabi ko. He pulled Maven's collar and slammed him against the wall. At bago pa man makapagdilat ng mga mata si Maven, agad na suntok ang inabot niya.

My heart began to drum inside my chest. Everyone's fast asleep. The guards were outside. Kami lang tatlo ang nandito.

"Parker, ano ba?!" sabi ko habang pinipigilan ko siya.

"You fucked someone else and you marry her?!" galit na galit na sabi niya. "And you even made her take care of someone else's child?! Gago ka ba talaga?!"

Maven still looked confused and inebriated.

"Parker!" I tried to stop him, but he was so enraged.

"Don't," he sharply said, looking at me while holding Maven's collar. "Just... don't. Don't do this to me again, Genesis. Don't choose him over me. Tama na."

"You'll kill him!"

Mas humigpit ang hawak niya. "I... I fucking begged you. Not to marry him. And even after you married him, I still begged. Mukha na akong tanga, pero wala akong pakielam. Naniwala kasi ako sa sinabi mo na tayo lang..." he said, his fists were shaking in anger. "I only stopped when I learned about the kid. Tapos sasabihin mo sa 'kin ngayon na hindi mo anak? Hanggang ngayon ginagago mo pa rin ako? Hindi ka ba napapagod?"

Nilipat niya iyong tingin niya kay Maven.

"You fucking asshole," he said, seething in anger. "Do you really find delight in ruining my life?"

Maven stared at him, finally alert. The side of his lips was bruised. "Why do you even care? You're marrying Cindy. Don't tell me you'll dump her again? Because if you do, you're a bigger asshole than I ever will be," sabi niya at saka mabilis na tinabig ang pagkakahawak ni Parker sa kanya.

Parker's lips parted.

"What? Am I right? Now that you learned that Jeremiah's not Gen's son, you'll dump Cindy?" Maven asked him. "Do you want me to wake her up? So that she'll know what an asshole you really are?"

Sumisikip na iyong dibdib ko.

Their stares could kill.

"I..." tanging nasabi ni Parker.

"What? What do you want? Please fucking inform me so that I can adjust my life to your needs," Maven said, his words laced with sarcasm.

Parker looked troubled. He couldn't just dump Cindy. I knew he wouldn't. She's been in enough trouble because of him... He wouldn't do that to her twice.

"You already got the girl. And it's not Genesis. Be fucking contented," Maven said before dragging me away with him.

Bago pa man kami makapasok sa kwarto, agad ko na namang naramdaman ang hawak ni Parker.