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Chapter 6 - And They Meet Again

Tumayo ang isang lalaki sa kinauupuan niya at bumuntong-hininga. Lumakad siya papunta sa glass window ng opisina niya saka ibinulsa ang mga kamay niya.

He frowned without noticing it, and his eyes were serious like he's looking at something, more than the setting sun's view in front of him.

Nagulat siya and he immediately snapped out of his deep thought nang biglang bumukas ang pintuan ng opisina niya.

Paglingon niya nakita niyang pumasok ang isang mestisang babae na nakasuot ng black sleeveless shirt at jeans. Dire-diretsong lumakad papunta sa kanya ang babae na hindi man lang pinapansin ang secretary na pilit siyang pinipigilan.

"Ma'am! Ma'am hindi po kayo pwedeng pumasok sabi ni Sir Ward!" sabi ng empleyado sa kanya.

"Pwede ba? Get out of my way!" she said, shooting her a death glare.

Nagkatinginan sila ng lalaking nakatayo sa harap ng glass window. Nang magtagpo ang mga mata nila, time seemed to stop for the both of them.

Bumuntong hininga ang lalaki and he looked away. Tumingin siya sa secretary niya saka niya ito sinabihan. "It's fine. You can leave us alone now."

Natigilan ang sekretarya niya sandali, pero sa huli ay sinunod din niya ang gusto ng kanyang amo at tumango. Iniwan ang dalawa kasama ang nakakabinging katahimikan.

"What are you doing here?" tanong ng lalaki sa babae.

The girl frowned and walked slowly towards him.

"Kent, let's talk," she said, bitting her lower lip, hoping that the man before her would finally speak to her after a few weeks of avoiding her.

Ibinalik ng lalaki ang tingin niya sa labas ng bintana sulkly. The face of his fiancé's crying and hurt expression that night when he last saw her was the only thing that he could think of right now.

"Wag mo akong hawakan gamit ang nakakadiri mong mga kamay!"

And of course, that stare full of ire that she had given him when he tried to stop her from going away.

"Ang sabi ko wag mo akong tatawaging babe hayop ka!"

Ang boses ng babaeng nakatakda dapat niyang pakasalan ay paulit-ulit din niyang naririnig na sumisigaw sa isipan niya.

Yumuko siya at napapikit sa tindi ng halu-halong emosyon na nararamdaman niya. Inis, galit, lungkot- hindi  na niya maintindihan kung ano ba talaga ang meron sa dibdib niya.

He just felt so terrible that he wanted to have another bottle of liquor in his hand to forget everything for just a little while.

"Please, just give me a second here," dagdag ng babaeng kasama niya.

"Ano pa bang pag-uusapan natin, Riza?" he asked her, trying to be calm and not yell at her.

Kumunot lalo ang noo ng babae at nagsimula ng mamuo ang mga luha sa gilid ng mga mata niya. This feeling of hurt she'd been carrying inside her ever since, starts resurfacing.

"Kent..." bulong niya na may bahid ng pagmamakaawa.

She walked towards the man and hugged him from behind. The man didn't even react on her stunt. His face was straight, emotionless and still looking at the deep orange skyline outside.

"Wala na si Lexie," she said, tears pouring down her eyes. "She's gone. Hindi na siya babalik. We're already free. Pwede na tayong magsama ulit, right?"

The man's back stiffened with the words her words.

Ang pagsabi lamang ng kaisipang hindi na niya makikita kahit kailan ang fiancé niya was enough to make him feel like he was being crushed, making it hard for him to breath, and feel like he's being stabbed over and over inside.