Strings in the Beginning (Abrupt Series #2)

EPISODE 12

Pinanood ko siyang umupo sa isang upuan sa tabi ng poste at nang kunin ko sana ang bottle opener ay nasa kamay niya na ito kasama ang isang baso.

"Ano'ng flavor ang uunahin mong inumin? Para mabuksan ko na."

I froze mid-step and about to sit in the chair in front of him. Hindi ko inaasahan na tatanungin niya ako bigla. I inhaled deeply, steadying myself as my eyes flicked to the faint stubble forming beneath his perfect nose, framing his sharp jawline.

"Buksan mo na 'yung blueberry. Salamat," sagot ko.

For a moment, I didn't know what to say. Para akong natigilan ng umupo na ako at hindi ko alam kung dahil ba sa malamig niyang boses o sa mga mata niyang pilit umiiwas pero bumabalik rin sa akin.

The tension between us was palpable, awkward, like an unfinished sentence hanging in the air. Both of us felt it and I was sure of that.

"Then, what do you want to talk about?" tanong ko nang iabante niya ang bote ng soju na pinili ko.

Instead of answering immediately, he leaned back in his chair and glanced around my apartment. "Nasaan ang mga pusa mo?" he asked, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as his attention swept toward the living room, expecting to see them.

"Nasa ilalim sila ngayon ng kama ko. Baka hindi sila lumapit sa 'yo kasi mahiyain 'yung dalawa. Lalo na si Lily," I answered, trying to keep my tone steady.

"Who's Lily? The pure white one?"

I nodded, watching as he poured soju into the glass full of ice cubes. His lips bowed into a small smile. I quickly looked away and took a long gulp straight from the bottle, hoping the burn would distract me from the tension coiling in my chest.

"Don't worry," he said lightly, taking a sip of his own drink. "Wala naman akong nararamdaman na kung ano, like itch. Ilang taon na sila sa 'yo?"

"Four years. Nauna lang si Lily na dumating sa akin."

The words came out easier this time.

"You bought them?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity as if he genuinely wanted to dig deeper into my life.

Conrad always had a way of asking questions that made me uneasy.

I shook my head slightly, remembering the day Randy handed me the tiny, fluffy Lily.

"She's a gift from Randy."

I wasn't prepared for how his face froze, his breath catching briefly before he composed himself. "Can I ask... kung ilang years din kayo no'n?"

The way he avoided saying Randy's name almost made me laugh. Anong meron? Bakit parang nagiging chismoso siya ngayon? But instead of laughing, I drank another mouthful of soju and stared at the untouched chips on the table.

"Almost four years din," I replied with a small smile, but before he could follow up with another question, I cut him off. "Don't ask anything kung bakit kami naghiwalay. Masyado ka nang maraming nalalaman."

"I'm just curious," he said, raising both hands in mock surrender, but his voice softened. "Hindi ko pa siya nakikita pero parang mahal na mahal ka nung tao. He gave you a cat, and that's... special. What happened?"

His words hit a nerve that I didn't expect. Tumawa ako nang mahina, the kind of laugh that comes out when you're trying to suppress something heavier.

"Conrad, not because I'm not yelling at you right now, feeling mo okay na tayo. Don't bring him up dahil kung naalis na kita sa buhay ko, gano'n din siya."

His posture shifted, his body leaning slightly back as if recoiling from the sharpness of my words. I saw the flicker of hurt in his eyes, but I refused to care. He needed to understand where we stood.