No Strings Attached

Chapter 23

Indeed, you don't get to decide whether you or you don't hurt someone. Namalayan mo man silang saktan or hindi... kapag sinabi nilang nasaktan sila... ibig sabihin nakasakit ka... and you don't get to invalidate that pain just because you didn't mean it, nor you didn't know you caused one.

Sinikap niyang ngumiti at saluhin ang tingin ni Jacob.

"Thank you. I'm glad that we finally talked about this."

"Yeah, Nero and Vivian encouraged me to do so." Jacob shrugged. Nagkatawanan pa sila nang sabay na bumuka ang kanilang mga braso para sa huling yakap.

"You deserve so much, Jacob." Tinapik  niya ang likod nito.

Hinagod nito ang kanyang likod. "And you deserve so much too, Leison."

TUMULAK palabas sa elevator si Leison. Pumasok siya sa pinto ng unit bitbit ang  mga natake out mula sa handa ni Nero.

"Hello."

Marahan siyang lumingon sa sofa nang batiin siya ni Marc na nakaupo doon.

"Hey," Ganting bati niya bago magpatuloy sa kusina at isalansan ang mga pagkain sa ref.

"How was your day?" Sumunod ito sa kanya.

"Fine." Katulad ng dati ay ngumiti siya sa lalake. Ngumiti siya na parang hindi niya ito namiss, na kunwari'y hindi niya napansing ilang araw siya nitong hindi kinausap, na kunwari'y hindi niya namamalayan ang lahat.

Kailan ba noong huling nag-usap sila? She even assumed that Marc has found his special someone (someone to commit with) dahil hindi na ito nagparamdam at nagreply sa huling message niya. Ngunit heto ito ngayon sa kanyang harapan, nakatayo at kinakausap siyang muli.

Gusto niya sanang tanungin kung kumusta ito? Kung anong nangyari? Anong ginawa nito sa loob ng ilang araw na nawala ito? Saan ito nanggaling?

Pero hindi nalang. Wala siyang karapatan.

She cannot bear to hear that response again 'Whoa! Too many questions.'

That night, natulog silang magkatabi. She felt that something's off with Marc, but she didn't bother to ask what's going on, alam niyang hindi nanaman ito magsasabi.

Kinabukasan, maaga siyang gumising upang mag-ayos at mag-asikaso. It was a normal morning for the both of them. Marc was having his breakfast, while Leison was preparing her lunch for work. Maganda ang sikat ng araw. They are having a good conversation.

"Hihintayin kita mamaya." Marc insisted. "Let's have dinner."

"Okay, dadaan lang ako saglit sa site ng mga construction crew ko."

"Nice, para ba yan sa tinatayo mong business."

She smiled. "Yep."

"Nice. So where's the location of your bar?"

Natigilan siya...

Sa mga oras na iyon ay natigilan siya...

Nilingon niya si Marc na nag-aabang sa kanyang sagot.

"Babe?" He motioned as if he was excited to know. "Where's your bar?" Pag-uulit pa nito sa tanong.

Nagbawi siya ng tingin. "You'll find out soon." She smiled weakly. Pinipigilan ang pagtulo ng luha.

"Oh, alright."

Sa mga oras na iyon ay kanyang napagtanto kung gaano kabingi si Marc pagdating sa kanya.

How can her true feelings be heard if even the things her mouth has said were not heard and understood?

Even the smallest details are not remembered.

How can she be able to convey her feelings if even the simpliest things about her life that she has conveyed with Marc were not heard?

Maybe she wasn't mute, he is just deaf; And maybe she doesn't feel too much, he is just numb.

Later that night, they'd be having dinner. Pagtapos niyon ay ano ulit ang mangyayari? Mawawala nanaman ba ulit si Marc kinabukasan? Ilang araw ulit ang lilipas? Dalawa? Apat? O mas matagal na?

Naalala niya noong sinabi niya kay Rosey na darating din sila ni Marc sa point na mapag-uusapan nila kung ano nang plano nila sa isa't isa, and by then, maybe they are already man/woman enough to decide.

Maybe that someday is today.

Sa tagal niyang naghintay, baka naman ito na ang araw na hinihintay niya? Maybe the several days of no-contact were enough for them to realize a lot of things? Lalo na si Marc.

Yumakap si Marc mula sa kanyang likuran. "Come home early tonight, Lei."

She smiled and caress his jaw. Sunod-sunod siyang tumango.

"Yeah.. I'm coming home."