Giovanni Clark: Gone Crazy (Golden Child Series #1)

Chapter 18

Kung sa bagay, mas malaki ang posibilidad na mapansin ng mga taong malalapit sa kanya ang mga bagay na hindi basta-bastang nakikita ng mga nasa malayo. You need to look closer in order to see the entire of it.

But in my case, as someone who's not really close to them, I guess I was just intentionally... dwelling myself in it.

Because the desire to know more was killing me. Like a thirst that's needed to be quenched. Like an addiction that cannot be extinguished.

"Hindi ko akalaing... ikaw ang nagsulat ng bagay na 'yon..." halos bulong ko lang sa hangin.

There was a slight humor in his expression as he turned to me. Umayos na siya ng upo.

"Me neither. Of all people..." bahagya siyang natigilan, napailing, at napahilamos ng mukha bago muling ibalik sa akin ang mga mata. "...it has to be Ophelia."

Namilog nang kaonti ang mga mata ko.

"A-Ano naman kung ako? Anong pinagkaiba kung... iba ang nakaalam?"

Umiling siya, tila hindi pa rin maipaliwanag ang nararamdaman kaya hindi agad nakapagsalita.

My heart sunk a little at my thoughts.

"Nagsisisi ka ba na... ako ang nakakita?"

He looked surprised at my sudden conclusion but eventually suppressed any sign of it. It took him a while to respond.

"No, Riz. Hindi sa ganoon."

"Bakit parang..." hindi ko magawang tapusin ang dapat na sasabihin ko. Instead, I just pressed my lips and reached for my ring.

Why does he look regretful, ashamed, or some sort? Ako lang ba o parang naaasiwa pa siya sa nangyayari? Bakit parang ako lang ang masaya sa nalaman ko? I gaped.

Of course, Ophelia! You don't have the same motive! Ikaw lang naman ang may gustong makahanap ng kakampi! For what? To seek validation?

"What are you thinking? It's nothing like that, Riz. I swear..." Yves reached my hand on the table.

Sinulyapan ko iyon bago tumingin sa kanya. He swallowed hard before withdrawing his hand. Napahimas siya sa kanyang batok.

"Look. It's just an overwhelming revelation to me. You know how much I..." He cleared his throat before chuckling hesitantly. "Well, almost everyone knows how I value your opinion of me, Riz. Kaya iniisip ko pa kung... may nasabi ba ako na... nakaka-turn off... sa sulat," pahina nang pahina niyang sabi, tila nilalamon ng kahihiyan sabay abot sa kanyang tenga.

My jaw slacked a fraction at his explanation. He... what?

"The more I think about it, the more embarrassing it gets. Kung ano-anong sinabi ko sa sulat. Kabado lang ako dahil... dahil baka mag-iba ang tingin mo sa akin," he added as he touched his earlobe awkwardly, looking away.

Napansin ko ang pamumula noon kaya awtomatikong umangat ang magkabilang-gilid ng mga labi ko. Hindi ko na napigilang ngumiti.

"Wala naman sa akin iyon. Akala ko lang, pinagsisisihan mo na sa dinami-rami ng pwedeng makaalam, ako pa."