Steal My Heart (Published)

Chapter 17 continuation....

"Hey man! Why do you look like that? Kamukha mo na si Atlas. You know, pasan ang mundo? What happened, bud?"

Iyon kaagad ang isinalubong sa kanya ni Nikolas nang Makita siya at makalapit sa kanya. Naroon siya sa sulok ng bar kung saan hindi masyadong maingay at malayo sa karamihan. Wala siya sa mood na makipaghuntahan o makipagsosyalan sa mga tao. Gusto lang niyang magmukmok sa isang sulok. At uminom nang uminom.

"Hey!" Tinapik siya ni Nik. "Are you with me?" Nakaupo na ito sa kanyang harapan.

Benjamin blinked his miserable eyes. He remained silent as he took a swig of his drinks – scotch on the rocks. Kanina pa niya iniinom iyon na parang tubig. Gusto lang niyang lunurin ang kanyang sarili sa espiritu ng alak. Nang sa ganoon ay pansamantala niyang makalimutan ang sakit sa kanyang dibdib. He felt as if a knife had been poking in his heart, and he couldn't remove it. He felt as if he had died. Tonight.

"Hoy!" Inalog ni Nikolas ang balikat niya. "Something's wrong, buddy?" seryosong tanong nito. "I can tell by the look in your face that you're having a rough time, and this this kinda serious."

He just snorted. Well, it was pretty serious. Umatras lang naman sa kasal nila si Maruat hindi niya ito mahanap. He couldn't contact her. Couldn't track her either. Wala pa ring signal ang number nito. She deactivated her facebook account. At wala rin ito sa dating apartment nito. Hindi na raw bumalik si Maru roon magmula nang lisanin nito ang lugar at sa condo na niya tumira. Now, he couldn't fucking find her!

"Pinapunta mo lang ako rito, Benj, para kausapin ang sarili ko?" si Nikolas na nagpakita nang pagkairita. "Aba kung ganito rin lang naman ay mabuti pang aalis na lamang ako."

"Stay, Nik," he hissed under his breath. Kailangan niya nang kainuman ngayon. At si Nikolas lang ang dumating sa apat na mga kaibigan niya. Sina Tristan, Xavier at Kiehl ay mukhang wala yatang pakialam sa kanya.

"Of course, bud. I can see how you miserably need me tonight. Okay, let's shot. Walang problema." Tumawag ng waiter si Nikolas at nag-order ito ng sariling inumin.

Patuloy lamang sa pagtungga ng alak si Benjamin. He knew his face was haggard, and that his hair weren't even combed. He didn't fucking care about how miserable he looked tonight. Well, he was miserable as hell. He couldn't hide that anymore. Hindi siya magaling magtago ng damdamin at magbalat-kayo. He was knifed. He was wounded so deep. He was fucking heartbroken!

"So why are we her tonight, huh, Benj?" si Nikolas na muli siyang binalingan.

He growled in pain, "Drink," sa halip ay sagot niya. "Let's fucking drink, Nik, until we're so messed up we couldn't even stand."

Nagkasalubong ang mga kilay ni Nikolas. "What's your problem, Benj? Why are you like this? Aren't you supposed to be chilling in your condo with Maru? Malapit na ang kasal ninyo."

"Fuck that woman!" galit na putol niya kay Nikolas. The mere mention of Maru's name drew more blood in his chest. Napatiim-bagang na lamang siya. Ang higpit-higpit nang pagkakahawak niya sa kanyang baso. Naniningkit ang kanyang singkit ng mga mata.

"Oh, trouble in paradise?" si Nikolas na tila nabigla. "Nag-away ba kayo ni Maru?" curious na tanong nito.

Napailing siya. "No we didn't fight," nanggigigil na wika niya. No, they didn't have a fight nor a misunderstanding. Everything was going smoothly between him and Maru. Ilang araw nalang at ikakasal na sila. Pero bigla na lamang itong umalis at iniwan siya. She only left him a short note, informing him that she was calling off their wedding. Just like that. No more explanation, no more elaboration. He was left in the dark, cracking his brain with questions he had no answers. Bakit siya iniwan ni Maru? Bakit siya sinaktan nito? May nagawa ba siyang masama? May nagawa ba siyang hindi nito nagustuhan? Christ! Mababaliw na yata siya sa kaiisip.

"Eh kung hindi kayo nag-away ni Maru, bakit ka ganyan? You look like hell, Pare. Parang hindi ikaw ang Benjamin na kilala ko." Napailing na lamang ang kaibigan niya habang patuloy siyang pinagmamasdan.

Naikuyom na lamang niya ang isang kamay na ansa ibabaw ng mesa. His teeth gritted in anger.

"What's wrong, Benj?" puno nang pag-aalala ang boses ni Nikolas. "I guess you're drunk already. Kaya ka umaakto nang ganito. I'll fetch you home. For sure, Maru is already waiting for you." Napatingin ito sa suot nitong relo.

Muli ay tinungga niya ang alak na laman ng kanyang baso. It was already past midnight, and no one was waiting for him at home. Maru wasn't there. She left him without any explanation. Just a damn cryptic letter! "I'm not going home, Nik," malamig na sagot niya. "Maru isn't waiting for me either. Iniwan na niya ako. Hindi na matutuloy ang kasal namin." He heaved a deep, painful sigh. He fisted his chest when he felt the numbing pain there.

"What?!" hindi makapaniwalang bulalas ni Nikolas. "Hey, I don't understand this, Benj. Please tell me more."

Napatungo siya at malutong na nagmura. Fuck Maru! Fuck her! Fucking fuck her! "Maru justcalled off our wedding," wika niya sa mahinang boses. Damn, pero muntik na yatang pumiyok ang boses niya nang sabihin iyon! His eyes crinkled as pain, frustration and agony beat the hell out of him. He wasn't used to this. He had never experienced this kind of pain and dilemma before. It was too much. He was hurting too much. And it was all because of Maru, the first woman whom he fell in love with, but she just tore his heart. He offered her his life, his heart, his name, but she just shred them to pieces. "The cunt left me too, Nik. Wala na siya sa condo. I fucking don't know where the hell was she now. She just disappeared. She severed our form of communication. Her number is not working anymore. And her fb was deactivated. Crap! Maru just ran away from me, Nik!" His chest was heaving hard as he talked. Pakiramdam niya ay sasabog na yata ang kanyang dibdib sa sobrang sakit. So this was how it feels to be heartbroken? It was painful, too painful that he couldn't properly breathe.

"How did that happen?" hindi pa rin makapaniwalang tanong ni Nikolas.