All I Want (Capture Series 1)

Twenty-One

I won't leave Theo.

That's what all I think about after I heard Kai's story. I badly wanted to help him. I felt like it was somehow my fault kung bakit siya napunta ganitong sitwasyon. If I looked deeper into him before, baka nalaman ko na sobra na ang bigat na dinadala niya. I need to make Theo understand that. I really don't have any doubt about Theo. The problem here is Kai. I don't think he will be okay knowing I am now Theo's girlfriend and fiancée.

"Don't..." Kai murmured as I started to stand up, his eyes closed.

I held his forehead to fix his hair. Ayaw niyang matulog nang wala ako sa tabi niya kaya nanatili ako rito sa loob ng kwarto niya. He obviously needed rest. Nang makatulog na siya nang tuluyan ay tumayo na ako at lumabas ng kwarto niya. Saktong paglabas ko ay ang pag-akyat ng Mommy niya ng hagdanan.

"Uuwi na ho ako," paalam ko.

"Can I..." she sighed. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Napahinto ako sa lambot ng boses niya. Malayong-malayo sa boses ng kumausap sa akin noon. Sumilip ako sa wristwatch ni Theo. It was already 9 pm. Naka-uwi na kaya si Theo? Hindi siya tumawag o nagtext man lang sa akin buong araw.

"Oliana?"

Nawala ko sa iniisip ko at tumingala para harapin ang Mommy ni Kai.

"Ah, s-sige po," I replied. Hindi naman siguro kami magtatagal.

Dumiretso kami sa kusina nila. Nagsi-alisan naman ang mga katulong nila kaya naiwan kami roon. She poured a tea into her cup.

"You want some?" she asked.

"No po. I'm good," I refused politely.

She just shrugged then umupo sa high chair na nasa counter. Pinaupo niya naman ako sa tabi niya.

"Do you still love my son?" she asked directly. Napanganga ako sa tanong niya. "Or, did you even love him?"

"Oo naman po," I defended. "Even until now I still do, but..."

"But not like before because you already found another guy," she continued.

Alam niya ang tungkol kay Theo? How? Why? Narinig niya ba yung tungkol sa Javier-Salcedo partnership o inalam niya talaga? Bakit niya kailangan alamin?

"I never liked you. I'm sure you're aware of that," yumuko ako sa sinabi niya. "The moment Kai told me about you, I immediately asked him to stop whatever's going on between the two of you. You are a Salcedo, that alone made me hate you."

Tinignan ko siya. I wanted to know more. Gusto kong malaman kung anong nangyari sa kanilang dalawa ni Mommy. Kung bakit ayaw niya sa akin at kung bakit kalaunan ay pinalayo na ako ni Mommy kay Kai. Gusto kong magtanong pero tinikom ko na lang ang bibig ko. Wala na namang point kung malalaman ko iyon.

"Of course, Kai did not obey me. Kaya nga nagtagal kayong magkasama right? Kung hindi lang ako busy sa trabaho, baka hinila ko na nang tuluyan ang anak ko palayo sa'yo. Sinunod niya naman ako about not being with you officially so I let it pass. You were just a phase in his life, I thought. But boy I was wrong," she shook her head. "He was like a walking dead for the passed months pero noong dumating ka, nabuhayan siya ulit."

"I'm sorry about what happened to him, to your family. I had no idea because he never told me," I said.

"He never told you because he never wanted to be a burden to you. He saved you from all of our family's mess. That's how much he loves you. Sadly, I don't think you love him enough to save him this time," she sipped on her tea. "Right? You have a fiancé, the one that you love so dearly?"