winter nightmare

-071-

-jay pov-

"sa labas na lang ba ako? so you two can catch up comfortably?" tanong ni toni na pabalik-balik ang tingin sa amin ni zoe.

she looked so innocent looking at us.

"hindi, kami na lang ang lalabas. dito ka na, malamig don eh" she nodded, and i looked at zoe.

sinenyasan ko na sundan nya ako sa labas kaya ginawa din naman nya ka agad.

there was a small bench sa labas ng shop at doon ako umupo, tumabi naman sya ka agad sa tabi ko.

"hey" she cut the awkward silence. i looked at her and smiled.

"ano ang kailangan mong sabihin?"

"i'm sorry for what i did jay" umiling lang ako sa kanya. "nagawa mo naman na, saka it's not that something i should make my world stop" sagot ko sa kanya.

"i still hurt you, though"

"yes, but is that thing still matters now? how are you?" i tried to lift up the mood. i don't want to talk about it anymore.

"i moved to california after my dad received a lot of death threats here, i don't have a chance to say goodbye because... we don't want to leave any traces that time"

"but i am okay, i am doing great" dugtong nya. i smiled at her.

"atleast you are doing great and okay now" she nodded.

"and thank you for the answer, atleast your reason for ghosting me was valid tho" i joked, she rolled her eyes and i laughed.

she still talked about california and his life there until she decided to come home na dahil gabi na.

inihatid ko sya sa sakayan ng bus then bumalik na din ako sa shop, i saw toni doing some arrangements kasi may dumating na customer.

hinintay ko syang matapos at lumapit ako sa kanya para tulungan sya sa kalat na magligpit.

"are you okay?" she suddenly broke the long silence.

"what? oo naman, do i look like i am not?" umiling naman sya.

"i am afraid that you looked like you are okay, pero deep inside hindi ka naman okay" inagaw nya sa akin ang dustpan na hawak ko at sya na ang nagtapon nito sa dust bin.

i smiled looking at her back, kinikilig ako

"UY BAKIT KA CONCERN?!" pagbibiro ko sa kanya. she turned her head glaring at me

"excuse me?" she scoffed. i just laughed and helped her again.

nag aral lang ako hanggang sa matapos ang shift nya para maihatid ko na sya sa bahay nila. i think she knew it already dahil sya pa ang nag "let's go"

it's was raining noong nagsimula ako magdrive, pero hindi naman malakas.

"gusto mo ba ng music? so you can sleep?" umiling sya. "hindi naman ako inaantok" sagot nya.