"When did you two date?" sunod niyang tanong na para bang kuryosong-kuryoso siya.
"College. Second year ata? Hindi ko matandaan. Sandali lang din kasi kami."
"How many months then?"
"Uhm... eight?"
"What's his name?"
"Charles."
"Charles what? Ano'ng apelyido niya?"
"Charles—teka nga lang." I stopped when I realized what he was doing. Parang nabaliktad ang gusto kong mangyari. "Bakit naman pati apelyido niya gusto mong malaman?"
"I'm just asking," he answered defensively.
My eyes narrowed while looking at him. I didn't buy his excuse. The way he asked questions and the way he sounded, para bang may gagawin siyang kung ano.
"Hindi ko sasabihin," sabi ko na lang at tumingin sa labas.
"Chantal," tawag niya sa akin, tunog nagbabanta.
However, I didn't falter. I pressed my lips together tightly and remained looking out of the window.
Ni hindi ko nga alam kung nagsisinungaling ba siya sa akin. Paano kung may ex naman talaga siya at ayaw niya lang sabihin?
Xaiver's really good at pretending. There's a part of me that wants to trust him fully, but something also keeps holding me back. It's like a guardian angel that pulls me back from danger and knows what's better for me.
"Charles..." bulong niyang dinig na dinig ko.
Muli ko siyang nilingon. "Ha?"
"Your names both start in C, H, and A," bigla niyang sabi habang sinusubukan kong manahimik.
My eyes widened. Naisip niya pa 'yon?
"Did you think you two were soulmates because the first three letters of your names are the same? That's why you tried dating him?"
"Ha? Ano?" Nawindang ako't umayos ng upo para maharap siya. "Ano ba'ng pinagsasasabi mo?"
"Nevermind. You don't have to answer," sabi niya na lang at nag-iwas na rin ng tingin.
Tuluyan na siyang tumahimik. Hindi na rin ako umimik. Hanggang makarating na kami sa amin, wala ni isang nagsalita hanggang sa nakarating na sa bahay.
I was about to go out when Xaiver went ahead of me. Mabilis siyang umikot upang pagbuksan ako ng pinto.
"Thanks," tipid ko na lang siyang pinasalamatan nang makababa ako.
"Hey." Xaiver held my arm to stop me from walking away. "Can we talk?"
I quietly turned to him. His hold then traveled down to my hand once he successfully stopped me from leaving.
"Tungkol saan?" tanong ko at binawi ang kamay.
Bumuntonghininga siya. Sa itsura niya pa lang ay mukhang problemado na.
"Do we have a problem?" he asked.
"Meron nga ba?" balik kong tanong.
"I'm asking you so we can fix it before we go home tonight. If you won't tell me what's the problem, wala tayong maaayos," paliwanag niya. "Did my mom say or do anything that offends you? Did you... hear anything?"
"Xavi, walang problema sa magulang mo. I'm actually grateful dahil tinanggap nila ako. Masaya ako. At ano ang tinatanong mo? May narinig ba ako? Na ano?" patay-malisya ko.
His eyes narrowed and concluded, "So you did hear something..."
"Ha?" I tried to keep my cool and acted oblivious.
VOCÊ ESTÁ LENDO
Play Pretend
Romance[OFFICE LOVE AFFAIRS #1] As his personal secretary, Chantal's next task is to marry the president. *** Not getting any younger, Xavi is pressured by his mother to get married and settle down. He is lured on blind dates disguised as business meetings...
Chapter 25
Começar do início
